Title :
A 2 μm holmium laser
Author :
Lotem, Haim ; Kalisky, Yehoshua ; Kagan, Jacob ; Sagie, D.
Author_Institution :
Nucl. Res. Centre- Negev, Beer-Sheeva, Israel
fDate :
6/1/1988 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
A comparison of the CW laser performance of the 5I 7-5I8 transition at 2 μm in erbium-thulium-sensitized Ho:YLF and Ho:YAG (αβHo:YLF and αβHo:YAG) crystals at liquid nitrogen temperature is reported. Multimode-laser output power above 60 W was obtained with two compositions of αβHo:YLF (with a rod size of 5 mm in diameter and 75 mm in length) with 4.1% efficiency and 4.75% slope efficiency. Thermal load measurements on αβHo:YLF and αβZHo:YAG laser rods and effects of the pumping lamp on the laser yield are presented. Preliminary results on single-pulse operation of both αβHo:YLF and αβHo:YAG lasers in free-running mode threshold in both YLF and YAG is constant up to 100 K and increases with temperature above 11° K. The laser slope efficiency in YAG is constant up to 150 K, above which it decreases with temperature, while in the ULF the slope efficiency has a broad maximum around 150 K. The net result in YLF is a broad maximum of the laser output power around 130 K at high pumping levels
Keywords :
erbium; holmium; laser transitions; solid lasers; thulium; 100 K; 11 K; 130 K; 150 K; 5 mm; 60 W; 75 mm; 5I7-5I8 transition; CW laser performance; Ho:YAG; Ho:YLF; LiYF4:Ho,Er,Tm; YAG:Ho, Er, Tm; YAl5O12:Ho,Er,Tm; YLF:Ho, Er, Tm; free-running mode; laser slope efficiency; liquid nitrogen temperature; pumping lamp; single-pulse operation; Laser excitation; Laser modes; Laser transitions; Liquid crystals; Nitrogen; Power generation; Power lasers; Pump lasers; Temperature; Thermal loading;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
