89.29 W solar-pumped Ce:Nd:YAG lasers with a solar-to-laser conversion efficiency of 3.96%

A high-power and highly efficient solar-pumped laser has been reported. A Fresnel lens with an effective area of 2.73 m² was utilized to collect solar radiation for the side-end mixed pumping of a Ce:Nd:YAG crystal rod with a diameter of 7 mm and a length of 90 mm. Under a solar irradiance of 825 W/m², the system achieved a continuous laser output of 89.29 W at a wavelength of 1064 nm, resulting in a solar-to-laser conversion efficiency of 3.96% and a collection efficiency of 32.71 W/m². The output power of 89.29 W represents 1.54 times the highest previously reported value for the Ce:Nd:YAG crystal utilized in solar laser generation, and the conversion efficiency is 1.51 times greater than that of corresponding studies. Furthermore, the conversion efficiency of 3.96% surpasses the existing record for the combination of Fresnel lens and single rod configurations by a factor of 1.02, while the laser output is 3.32 times greater than that of related research.