Mainz 2026 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 26: Poster – Ultrashort Pulses and Strong Fields (joint session K/Q)
Q 26.18: Poster
Dienstag, 3. März 2026, 17:00–19:00, Philo 1. OG
Investigation of the Thermal Behaviour of Yb:YAG and Yb:LuAG in High-Power Bulk Amplifiers — •Julian Siller1, Arun Paudel1, Han Rao1,2, David Zuber1,2, and Uwe Morgner1,2 — 1Leibniz University Hannover, Institute of Quantum Optics, Hannover, Germany — 2Cluster of Excellence PhoenixD, Hannover, Germany
Ytterbium-doped gain materials are widely used in modern high-power ultrafast laser systems, where thermally induced effects strongly influence beam quality, wavefront stability and hence achievable focusability. While Yb:YAG is a well-established workhorse for solid-state amplifiers, recent studies suggest that Yb:LuAG may exhibit significantly reduced thermo-optical distortions, potentially offering advantages for high power operation. Here, we report on the development of a home-built bulk laser amplifier designed to directly compare the thermal behavior of Yb:YAG and Yb:LuAG under identical pumping conditions. The setup enables controlled high-power pumping in the near-infrared regime and allows for simultaneous measurements of thermal lensing and temperature-dependent gain dynamics. Using beam profiling and M square analysis, we quantify the evolution of thermally induced distortions within each crystal and assess their impact on the amplified output. We expect that the observed differences in the thermo-optical response of the two materials will provide insights into the suitability of Yb:LuAG as a low-distortion alternative to Yb:YAG for next-generation high-power bulk amplifiers.
Keywords: Ultrafast Optics; Laser Amplifer; Thermal Effects