Characterization of radiative and nonradiative Processes in Nd:YAG lasers by comparing direct and band pumping

Author

Goldring, Sharone ; Lavi, Raphael ; Tal, Alon ; Lebiush, Eyal ; Tzuk, Yitshak ; Jackel, Steven

Author_Institution

Electro-Opt. Div., Soreq NRC, Yavne, Israel

Volume

40

Issue

4

fYear

2004

fDate

4/1/2004 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

384

Lastpage

389

Abstract

Heat generation and laser performance of Nd:YAG oscillators pumped in two regimes, band pumping at ∼808 nm and "thermally boosted" (TB) pumping at 884.5 nm, are compared. The crystal, pumped with a Ti:sapphire laser, lased with slope efficiencies of 52% and 57% when pumped at 802 and 884.5 nm, respectively. The heat generated during lasing was found to be 27% lower with TB pumping as compared to traditional band pumping. Moreover, the experimental results suggest that the coupling efficiency between the pump band and the upper lasing level (the quantum efficiency) is unity, and about 8% of the upper lasing level population decays via nonradiative channels.

Keywords

laser transitions; neodymium; nonradiative transitions; optical materials; optical pumping; solid lasers; thermo-optical effects; titanium; 52 percent; 57 percent; 802 nm; 884.5 nm; Al₂O₃:Ti; Nd:YAG lasers; Nd:YAG oscillators; Ti:sapphire laser; YAG:Nd; YAl5O12:Nd; band pumping; coupling efficiency; cw lasers; direct pumping; heat generation; laser performance; nonradiative channels; nonradiative process; pump band; quantum efficiency; radiative process; thermal effects; thermally boosted pumping; upper lasing level; Absorption; Diode lasers; Heat pumps; Laser excitation; Laser theory; Laser transitions; Neodymium; Optical materials; Pump lasers; Solid lasers;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JQE.2004.825213

Filename

1278605