The Mercury laser: a diode-pumped, gas-cooled Yb:S-FAP solid-state laser

Summary form only given.Gas-cooled, diode-pumped, Yb:crystal lasers are envisioned to be the next-generation inertial confinement fusion (ICF) solid state laser system producing high energy per pulse at modest rep-rates. Innovative solutions for building ICF lasers with high repetition rate and efficiency include: trading the flashlamps for large, low-cost laser diode arrays; using Yb:crystals for greater energy storage and thermal conductivity than Nd:glass; and employing near-sonic helium for cooling of the laser slabs.