We have previously shown that the ceramic Yb:YAG-based edge-pumped disk laser amplifier offers significant advantages over traditional face-pumped disk amplifiers. Such amplifiers may be used in laser drivers for inertial confinement fusion, laser acceleration, and other applications, which require a combination of high-pulse energy and high-average power. Unlike face pumping, the edge-pumping architecture beneficially allows for reduced Yb doping and enables a construction of very simple, compact, and completely modular amplifiers comprising identical and interchangeable gain modules. This paper reports on the development and early testing of a Ø5-cm aperture edge-pumped ceramic Yb:YAG disk amplifier module pumped by 100-kW diodes at up to 20 Hz and cooled by a high-velocity gas flow at near ambient temperature. In early testing, the amplifier module has demonstrated very uniform transverse gain and 37 J of stored energy. A laser oscillator operating in a quasi-cw mode with 1- ms pump pulses produced 43 kW of instantaneous laser power and 31 J of energy at a wavelength of 1029 nm. Experimental results compare well to model predictions.
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