The History of Thin-Disk Laser Development

Kurzfassung

This paper describes the thin disk laser history starting with the industrial laser environment in Germany in the 1970s. Also the background of the invention is explained and the political and research environment in Germany. In the first part the ideas and the realization of the first thin disk lasers are described. The thin disk laser design and the performance are then discussed in detail. The results for continuous-wave and pulsed operation as well as for amplification of short (ns) and ultra-short (ps, fs) pulses demonstrate the potential of the thin disk laser design. The advantages for operating different laser materials will be explained and also the applicability of the thin disk laser concept to optically pumped semiconductor structures will be discussed. Finally, a short overview about the German way to support research projects is given as well as an overview about the patents and the licence policy. The last chapter describes the industrial realization of the thin disk laser technology.