This thesis details an investigation into the development of bounce geometry lasers to
achieve a more versatile range of laser characteristics. The bounce geometry has matured
in recent years into a useful solid-state pumping scheme, but its performance has to
date been limited by a number of factors, as well as largely restricted to neodymium
systems. For real-world application, a more versatile range of laser characteristics would
be desirable.
A new design for a bounce geometry amplifier is presented that achieves a symmetric
gain profile and thermal lens by control of the amplifier dimensions. The laser produces
a circular stigmatic TEM00 (M2 < 1:11) beam with 14 W power. When Q-switched, the
design permits versatile control over the repetition rate (single-shot to 480 kHz) with
pulse energies up to 0.45 mJ. The stigmatic design also allows the direct generation
of a Laguerre-Gaussian `vortex' beam, and proves favourable for modelocking with the
nonlinear mirror method.
Several designs are investigated to study power scaling in a master oscillator power
amplifier (MOPA) configuration, including a stigmatic MOPA based on the amplifier
described above, and a chain of multiple power amplifiers. A folded dual-pumped amplifier design is also demonstrated, which reduces the size and complexity of a multi-stage
amplifier and allows power scaling to the 100 W level. Pulse amplification is also investigated,
and a MOPA is optimised for energy extraction by a Q-switched oscillator.
Finally a 3-micron bounce laser is presented using an erbium-doped YSGG gain
medium. Different cavity designs are investigated, and a simple compact cavity is found
to be optimum. Thermal effects are investigated and found to be a limiting factor
on the laser's performance. Quasi-continuous wave pulse energies of up to 15 mJ are
demonstrated, with an average power of up to 430 mW
