Experimental measurements and finite-element modelling of thermal effects in Yb3+ doped sesquioxide thin disk lasers

A modelling and an experimental study of thermal lensing in Yb 3+ doped sesquioxide ceramics are presented here. Wavefront measurements realised in various laser media using a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor enable us to study the evolution of thermal lensing versus absorbed pump power at various temperatures. A computation of thermal effects is then investigated in the framework of the finite-elements CASTEM code. At last, we propose to explain our thermal lensing measurements from simulation results.