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Title: Diode-pumped solid-state laser driver experiments for inertial fusion energy applications

Abstract

Although solid-state lasers have been the primary means by which the physics of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) have been investigated, it was previously thought that solid-state laser technology could not offer adequate efficiencies for an inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plant. Orth and co-workers have recently designed a conceptual IFE power plant, however, with a high efficiency diode-pumped solid-state laser (DPSSL) driver that utilized several recent innovations in laser technology. It was concluded that DPSSLs could offer adequate performance for IFE with reasonable assumptions. This system was based on a novel diode pumped Yb-doped Sr{sub 5}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}F (Yb:S-FAP) amplifier. Because this is a relatively new gain medium, a project was established to experimentally validate the diode-pumping and extraction dynamics of this system at the smallest reasonable scale. This paper reports on the initial experimental results of this study. We found the pumping dynamics and extraction cross-sections of Yb:S-FAP crystals to be similar to those previously inferred by purely spectroscopic techniques. The saturation fluence for pumping was measured to be 2.2 J/cm{sup 2} using three different methods based on either the spatial, temporal, or energy transmission properties of a Yb:S-FAP rod. The small signal gain implies an emission cross sectionmore » of 6.0{times}10{sup {minus}20} cm{sup 2}. Up to 1.7 J/cm{sup 3} of stored energy density was achieved in a 6{times}6{times}44 mm{sup 3} Yb:S-FAP amplifier rod. In a free running configuration diode-pumped slope efficiencies up to 43% were observed with output energies up to {approximately}0.5 J per 1 ms pulse from a 3{times}3{times}30 mm{sup 3} rod. When the rod was mounted in a copper block for cooling, 13 W of average power was produced with power supply limited operation at 70 Hz with 500 {mu}s pulses.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
111842
Report Number(s):
UCRL-JC-121614; CONF-9505264-28
ON: DE96000095; TRN: 95:022058
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-48
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: 1. annual solid-state lasers for application to inertial confinement fusion meeting, Monterey, CA (United States), 30 May - 2 Jun 1995; Other Information: PBD: 11 Jul 1995
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING NOT INCLUDED IN OTHER CATEGORIES; 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; SOLID STATE LASERS; LASER MATERIALS; APATITES; OPTICAL PROPERTIES; INERTIAL CONFINEMENT; STRONTIUM PHOSPHATES; STRONTIUM FLUORIDES; CRYSTALS; YTTERBIUM; DOPED MATERIALS; OPTICAL PUMPING; SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS; CRYSTAL GROWTH; PERFORMANCE; LASER FUSION REACTORS

Citation Formats

Marshall, C D, Payne, S A, Emanuel, M E, Smith, L K, Powell, H T, and Krupke, W F. Diode-pumped solid-state laser driver experiments for inertial fusion energy applications. United States: N. p., 1995. Web.
Marshall, C D, Payne, S A, Emanuel, M E, Smith, L K, Powell, H T, & Krupke, W F. Diode-pumped solid-state laser driver experiments for inertial fusion energy applications. United States.
Marshall, C D, Payne, S A, Emanuel, M E, Smith, L K, Powell, H T, and Krupke, W F. 1995. "Diode-pumped solid-state laser driver experiments for inertial fusion energy applications". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/111842.
@article{osti_111842,
title = {Diode-pumped solid-state laser driver experiments for inertial fusion energy applications},
author = {Marshall, C D and Payne, S A and Emanuel, M E and Smith, L K and Powell, H T and Krupke, W F},
abstractNote = {Although solid-state lasers have been the primary means by which the physics of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) have been investigated, it was previously thought that solid-state laser technology could not offer adequate efficiencies for an inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plant. Orth and co-workers have recently designed a conceptual IFE power plant, however, with a high efficiency diode-pumped solid-state laser (DPSSL) driver that utilized several recent innovations in laser technology. It was concluded that DPSSLs could offer adequate performance for IFE with reasonable assumptions. This system was based on a novel diode pumped Yb-doped Sr{sub 5}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}F (Yb:S-FAP) amplifier. Because this is a relatively new gain medium, a project was established to experimentally validate the diode-pumping and extraction dynamics of this system at the smallest reasonable scale. This paper reports on the initial experimental results of this study. We found the pumping dynamics and extraction cross-sections of Yb:S-FAP crystals to be similar to those previously inferred by purely spectroscopic techniques. The saturation fluence for pumping was measured to be 2.2 J/cm{sup 2} using three different methods based on either the spatial, temporal, or energy transmission properties of a Yb:S-FAP rod. The small signal gain implies an emission cross section of 6.0{times}10{sup {minus}20} cm{sup 2}. Up to 1.7 J/cm{sup 3} of stored energy density was achieved in a 6{times}6{times}44 mm{sup 3} Yb:S-FAP amplifier rod. In a free running configuration diode-pumped slope efficiencies up to 43% were observed with output energies up to {approximately}0.5 J per 1 ms pulse from a 3{times}3{times}30 mm{sup 3} rod. When the rod was mounted in a copper block for cooling, 13 W of average power was produced with power supply limited operation at 70 Hz with 500 {mu}s pulses.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/111842}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jul 11 00:00:00 EDT 1995},
month = {Tue Jul 11 00:00:00 EDT 1995}
}

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