Hamamatsu Unveils Highest-Density LD Module as a pump source of 1-kJ Laser used for Fusion Research

2024/11/05
  • Hamamatsu Photonics K. K.
    Headquarters: 325-6, Sunayama-cho, Chuo-ku,
    Hamamatsu City, Japan
    President and CEO: Tadashi Maruno

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Here at Hamamatsu Photonics we have established proprietary technology that vastly improves the manufacturing precision of semiconductor laser modules or laser diode (LD) modules. This in-house technology has led to successful development of a new LD module with a power density of 23 kW/cm2. This is about 4 times greater than our current LD modules and the world's highest level among light sources for pumping(*1) lasers in laser fusion applications.

Using these newly developed LD modules as light sources for pumping the laser medium(*2) will achieve laser power in the 1-kilojoule (kJ) class, an important milestone in making laser fusion practical. This will likely accelerate laser fusion research being conducted around the world. Applying the LD module manufacturing technology Hamamatsu established in this new LD module will allow them to design and develop even smaller and more compact LD modules used for usual solid-state laser pumping. In other words, it is possible to achieve the same optical output as currently available commercial LD modules with significant small size.

Research results on this new LD module will be presented at the special symposium in the “IEEE Photonics Conference “entitled “A Technology Roadmap for High Power Diode Laser Pumps for Large Laser Facilities: From Secondary Source Generation to Fusion.” This conference will be held in Rome, Italy over 5 days from Sunday November 10 to Thursday November 14 this year.

*1: Pumping is the process by which electrons in an atom or molecule are raised to a higher energy level through light absorption.

*2: Laser medium is a material that stores energy from an outside source and amplifies the laser passing through it by imparting energy to the laser.