Title: Modelling of high power 2um amplifiers: steady states and spatio-temporal dynamics

2um lasers form an attractive alternative to conventional 1um lasers in challenging applications such as those involving long range atmospheric transmission or machining of materials with transparency stretching beyond 1um. The use of Holmium to generate 2um laser light poses new challenges to overcome when operating at high energies. In order to consider all constraints and system parameters simultaneously, a detailed model has been developed. From many simulations, it is shown that decisions on crystal size, geometry and optical alignment are influenced mainly by the material properties.