Balancing the conversion efficiency and beam quality of second harmonic generation of a two-picosecond Yb:YAG thin-disk laser

Abstract In this work, the optimization of the second harmonic generation in an LiB3O5 crystal of the 1 kHz, 2 ps Yb:YAG laser is being investigated. Depending on the crystal thickness, an optimal intensity exists, above which the back-conversion process negatively affects the beam quality and pulse shape, while decreasing conversion efficiency. For a selected 2 mm thick frequency doubling crystal, the conversion efficiency of 80% at an optimal intensity of 120 GW cm −2 has been achieved, with output pulse duration of 1.3 ps and with beam quality of 1.4 and 1.6 in a horizontal and vertical direction, respectively, which is only slightly worse than the beam quality at a fundamental frequency.