High-power, high-brightness solid-state laser architectures and their characteristics

The development of high-power diode lasers enabled new solid-state laser concepts such as thin-disk, fiber, and Innoslab lasers based on trivalent ytterbium as the laser-active ion, which resulted in a tremendous increase in the efficiency and beam quality of cw lasers compared to previously used lamp-pumped rod or slab lasers and the realization of ultrafast lasers with several 100 W or even kilowatts of average power. In addition to their beneficial thermo-optical properties, these architectures offer characteristic benefits making them especially suitable to obtain dedicated laser properties. This review article comprises milestone developments, characteristic challenges, and benefits, and summarizes the state of the art of high-power solid-state lasers with the focus on ultrafast lasers.