Compact high-repetition-rate Yb:YAG thin-disk regenerative amplifier with fundamental transverse mode laser output

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A compact thin-disk regenerative amplifier with a resonator length of less than 2.3 m operating at the edge of the stability zone, which provides the laser with high beam quality is reported. The resonator delivers the continuous wave output power of 80.03 W, beam quality Mx2 = 1.64, My2 = 1.5, and slope efficiency of 45.01% at a resonator length of 2067 mm. When the resonator length is 2297 mm, the output power of 58.97 W (1.18 mJ) at a 50 kHz repetition rate with a slope efficiency of 17.71% is achieved. At this condition, when the output power is 34.3 W at a 50 kHz repetition rate, a laser with beam quality Mx2 < 1.1, My2 < 1.1 is realized. When the resonator length is 2297 mm, an output power of 11.45 W (11.45 mJ) at 1 kHz repetition rate with beam quality Mx2 = 1.15, My2 = 1.22 and slope efficiency 5.35% is achieved. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a Yb:YAG thin-disk regenerative amplifier has been reported to achieve a fundamental transverse mode laser output of more than 10 mJ with a resonator length of less than 2.3 m. Both theoretical analysis and preliminary experiments suggested that the thin-disk regenerative amplifier has the potential to achieve laser with more than 100 mJ with 1 kHz and good beam quality.