10 mJ, 100 W, 1 ps hybrid laser system based on amplification in Yb:YAG

We demonstrated a 100 W class hybrid laser system based on fiber seed laser and two free-space end-pumped Yb:YAG amplifiers capable of delivering record high pulse energy in a rod-type active medium setup operating at room temperature. The achieved output pulse energy was <10 mJ at 10 kHz pulse repetition rate. The output pulses of 1.09 ps duration were close to Fourier transform-limit. The output beam quality remained high (M² < 1.3) despite being affected by thermally induced stress in the gain medium.