Heat deposition in large-aperture diode-end-pumped laser amplifier

By analysing the performance features of laser diode array end-pumped disk laser amplifier, a finite element thermal model of laser crystal Nd:YLF was established. 3D and transient distributions of temperature and thermal stress of Nd:YLF pumped with 56 kW, 520 μs and 10 Hz LD were respactively calculated when the transverse distribution of pump energies was uniform, Gaussian and Super-Gaussian. The result shows that the thermal effect of the crystal under Super-Gaussian transverse distribution is the weakest, the maxmum temperature is 103.3 ℃, and the maxmum Mises stress is 47.6 MPa. When the effective pump energy reaches up to 10 kW/cm2, the fracture due to thermal stress will occur.