128 mJ/Pulse, Laser-Diode-Pumped, Q-Switched Tm:YAG Laser

Author

Yumoto, Motoshige ; Saito, Nobuo ; Urata, Yoshiharu ; Wada, Sho

Author_Institution

Adv. Photonics Technol. Dev. Group, RIKEN Center for Adv. Photonics, Wako, Japan

Volume

21

Issue

1

fYear

2015

fDate

Jan.-Feb. 2015

Firstpage

364

Lastpage

368

Abstract

We demonstrated a high-pulse-energy, laser-diode-pumped Tm:YAG laser in AO Q-switched operation. In laser experiments, we introduced a composite-type Tm:YAG laser rod with undoped endcaps. The rod was pumped by 785-nm quasi-continuous-wave laser diodes in a side-pumping configuration. To obtain a high energy and high beam quality, we designed a Tm:YAG laser cavity utilizing the thermal lens effect of the laser rod. A Q-switched output energy of 128 mJ at 10 Hz with a pulse width of 160 ns was obtained from the laser oscillator at room temperature, and the slope efficiency reached 14%. A high beam quality in the TEM₀₀ mode was also realized.

Keywords

Q-switching; acousto-optical switches; laser beams; laser cavity resonators; laser modes; optical pumping; solid lasers; thermal lensing; thulium; AO Q-switched operation; Q-switched output energy; Tm:YAG laser cavity; YAG:Tm; beam quality; composite-type Tm:YAG laser rod; efficiency 14 percent; energy 128 mJ; frequency 10 Hz; high-pulse-energy laser-diode- pumped Q-switched Tm:YAG laser; laser oscillator; pulse width; quasicontinuous-wave laser diodes; side-pumping configuration; slope efficiency; temperature 293 K to 298 K; thermal lens effect; time 160 ns; undoped endcaps; wavelength 785 nm; Arrays; Laser beams; Laser cavity resonators; Laser excitation; Laser modes; Pump lasers; Solid lasers; high pulse energy; laser cavity resonators;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1077-260X

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JSTQE.2014.2338872

Filename

6855330