20.8 W, 9.9 mJ room-temperature compact 1030 nm nanosecond laser

This paper reports on a room-temperature Yb:YAG rod laser with high power and high beam quality. The oscillator utilizes a moderately doped Yb:YAG rod crystal (Yb³⁺ 2.0 at atomic fraction of %) and employs quasi-continuous-wave end-pumping. At a repetition rate of 100 Hz, it achieved a 22 W linearly polarized laser output, with a slope efficiency of 53.5% and an optical-to-optical efficiency of 47.4%, while maintaining a beam quality of M² = 1.22. Using acousto-optic Q-switching, the laser produced a 20.8 W pulse output with an energy of 9.9 mJ and a beam quality of M² = 1.39, demonstrating the laser's capability for high-repetition-rate Q-switched pulse output.