A solar-pumped 100 W class laser that features high efficiency and low cost owing to the use of a Fresnel
lens and a chromium codoped neodymium YAG ceramic laser medium was developed. A laser output of about
80 W was achieved with combination of a 4 m2 Fresnel lens and a pumping cavity as a secondary power
concentrator. This output corresponds to 4.3% of conversion efficiency from solar power into laser, and the
maximum output from a unit area of Fresnel lens was 20 W/m2, which is 2.8 times larger than previous
results with mirror-type concentrator.