Paper 13341-63
Paper 13341-63
Compensation of Thermal Lensing in Solid-State Laser Gain Media using Phantom Pulses
28 January 2025 • 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM PST | Moscone West, Room 2003 (Level 2)
Abstract
Phantom pulses are low energy, high repetition rate pulses used to induce controlled thermal lensing in the laser rod for purposes of achieving full output energy at single shot operation and/or at a broad range of repetition rates. The energy of the phantom pulses is below the lasing threshold and the repetition rate is low enough so that there is minimal stored energy left in the gain media when the lasing pulse occurs. The method of using phantom pulses to increase performance benefits resonators that perform better at a higher average power. Additionally phantom pulses can be used to control divergence over a resonator’s operational range.
Presenter
MegaWatt Lasers, Inc. (United States)
Scott Hamlin is the founder and president of MegaWatt Lasers, Inc., with over 40 years of experience in solid-state lasers for military, medical, scientific, and industrial applications. A graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, Scott began his career at General Electric in the Advanced Laser Technology Department and later served as a Research Physicist at Kigre. He joined Laser Technology Associates (LTA) in 1987 to develop high power slab lasers and returned to Kigre as Chief Scientist in 1990. In 1997, Scott established MegaWatt Lasers, initially focusing on military solutions and later transitioning to medical laser products. Today, most MegaWatt Lasers' products are medical or medically oriented. In recent years, the company has prioritized innovation and the development of new research products.