High-average power picosecond thin-disk regenerative amplifiers

Today thin-disk lasers routinely provide high pulse energies at picosecond pulse durations and kHz repetition rates. Systems with more than 200mJ per pulse are commercially available. After the introduction of the Dira 200-1, providing 200mJ at 1kHz, TRUMPF Scientific Lasers complements its thin-disk regenerative amplifier product portfolio by systems with a few hundred Watts of average output power. Still based on a single disk a flexible laser system with more than 500W was realized. Originally, it was designed for a 50kHz operation, delivering 10mJ pulses, but it also can be set-up for different repetition rates like 10kHz or 100kHz. TRUMPF Scientific Lasers regenerative amplifiers show an excellent long-term performance. The 500W system has a power stability of 0.5%. Scientific applications often require higher average output powers, even with high pulse energies. Based on the extensive experience with highest average power continuous wave laser systems by TRUMPF a more powerful regenerative amplifier system is currently under development by TRUMPF Scientific Lasers. This laser uses two disk laser heads inside the same cavity to provide more than 1kW average output power. First results show an average power of more than 1kW at repetition rates of 10kHz and higher. A pulse duration below 1ps could be reached.