375 W, 20 kHz, 1.5 ns Nd:YAG planar waveguide MOPA

We present a high-power, pulsed Nd:YAG master oscillator-power amplifier (MOPA) system consisting of a passively Q-switched, short-cavity oscillator and a series of three self-imaging planar waveguide amplifiers. This unique laser architecture produced 375 W output power at 20 kHz PRF with 1.6 ns pulse duration and 18% electrical-to-optical efficiency.