High-power ring laser using a broad-area GaAlAs amplifier

A high-power external-cavity ring laser, incorporating a 600- mu m-wide GaAlAs traveling wave amplifier as a gain element, is demonstrated. The laser generated a pulsed (200 ns) output power of 9.3 W with a near-diffraction-limited beam quality and unidirectional ring propagation. The power versus output coupling dependence agreed with independently measured gain saturation characteristics of the amplifier.<
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