Title :
Cr4+:YAG as passive Q-switch and Brewster plate in a pulsed Nd:YAG laser
Author :
Shimony, Y. ; Burshtein, Z. ; Kalisky, Y.
Author_Institution :
Laser Dept., Nuclear Res. Center-Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
fDate :
10/1/1995 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
We demonstrate the performance of a Nd:YAG laser, passively Q-switched with a Cr4+:YAG plate, which plays the double role of a passive Q-switch and a Brewster plate. The Brewster plate configuration contributes an intracavity loss of approximately 3.2-10 -3 cm-1 along the cavity length. Losses contributed by the active Cr4+ ions in the plate relate to their excited state absorption. A freshly measured transmission saturation curve of Cr4+:YAG suggests a ground state absorption cross section σgs=(8.7±0.8)-10-19 cm2, and an excited state absorption cross section σes=(2.2±0.2)-10-19 cm2 of the Cr4+ ions at λ=1064 nm
Keywords :
Q-switching; chromium; excited states; garnets; laser accessories; laser cavity resonators; light absorption; neodymium; optical losses; solid lasers; yttrium compounds; 1064 nm; Brewster plate; Cr4+:YAG; YAG:Cr; YAG:Nd; YAl5O12:Cr; YAl5O12:Nd; active Cr4+ ions; cavity length; excited state absorption; excited state absorption cross section; ground state absorption cross section; optical losses; passive Q-switch; passively Q-switched; pulsed Nd:YAG laser; transmission saturation curve; Absorption; Bleaching; Chromium; Coatings; Neodymium; Optical polarization; Optical pulses; Optical wavelength conversion; Resonance; Switches;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
