Synthetic diamond as an intracavity heatspreader in compact solid-state lasers

Efficient thermal management is a prerequisite for power scaling in most diode-pumped solid-state lasers. This is particularly true where the laser must be compact and rugged, in remote gas-sensing and avionics for example. In this paper, we will present a study of the use of intracavity diamond - particularly synthetic single crystal diamond - for thermal management in compact lasers. We will discuss finite element thermal modelling of compact diode-pumped disk lasers, both with doped-dielectric and semiconductor gain media. In addition we will present an experimental comparison between synthetic diamond types: chemical vapour deposition (CVD) grown single crystal diamond and high-temperature, high-pressure grown single crystal diamond. To provide a base-line for comparison, results from the use of single crystal natural diamond will also be presented. Particular attention will be paid to the birefringence of the various samples, as this has proven to be of considerable importance for laser operation [1].