Joule-class sub-nanosecond pulses produced by end-pumped direct bonded YAG/sapphire modular amplifier.

A Joule-class room-temperature diode-pumped solid-state laser was developed. The energy scaling of the 100 mJ 1064 nm seed pulse was realized by a series of two diode-pumped amplifiers. The gain medium consists in free combinations of Nd:YAG ceramics bonded to sapphire transparent heat sinks, to relax the thermal load induced by the 34 kW pump power. At low repetition rate, parasitic lasing was the main limitation to energy scaling. By choosing a gain module combination producing a step-like gradual doping concentration profile, mitigation of parasitic oscillations was observed, and the system delivered 2.8 J, 800 ps pulses at 2 Hz.