Symmetrical Corner-Pumped Planar Waveguide Laser Amplifier

We present a novel structure of planar waveguide for Yb:YAG laser amplifiers as symmetrical corner-pumped planar waveguide, allowing large absorption length. We optimize the parameters of the waveguide using an amplification model. Performance including thermal effects of 10-kW symmetrical corner-pumped planar waveguide laser amplifier is simulated, demonstrating that pump absorption efficiency and uniformity are much better than end-pumped ones. Moreover, a good beam quality causing by less thermal distortion can be expected. The power is scaled from 200W to 7000W with the pump absorption efficiency of 98.2%, leading to an optical-to-optical efficiency of 68%.