Research on the large-aperture high power laser diode arrays end-pumped coupling system

Hollow lens duct is a good choice for the coupling system of the large-aperture high power diode arrays. With numerical analysis of three-dimension ray tracing, a computer simulation program was developed for end-pumped LD arrays coupling system. Based on the result of simulation, a coupling system for a large-aperture(>100 cm2) high-power(48 kW) LD arrays was built, which has a hollow lens duct and a homogenizer. The pumping radiations was coupled into a laser crystal of only about 4 cm2, with coupling efficiency beyond 70% and perfect pumping-uniformity in the gain material.