High-pulse-energy 3.9-µm lasers in Ho:BYF

Russell Stutz; Harold C. Miller; Kenneth M. Dinndorf; Arlete Cassanho; Hans P. Jenssen

doi:10.1117/12.538417

8 July 2004 High-pulse-energy 3.9-μm lasers in Ho:BYF

Russell Stutz, Harold C. Miller, Kenneth M. Dinndorf, Arlete Cassanho, Hans P. Jenssen

Proceedings Volume 5332, Solid State Lasers XIII: Technology and Devices; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.538417
Event: Lasers and Applications in Science and Engineering, 2004, San Jose, Ca, United States

Abstract

Experimental results describing pulsed lasers operating near 3.9 μm on the Ho³⁺(⁵I₅-⁵I₆) transition in highly-doped (> 10 at. %) barium yttrium fluoride (BaY₂F₈ or BYF) will be presented. The ⁵I₅ manifolds in Ho:BYF were pumped using a flashlamp excited, free-running Cr:LiSAF laser tuned to the Ho³⁺ absorption peak near 889nm. Ho³⁺ concentrations of 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% in BYF were lased in a simple end-pumped resonator. Some similar data was also obtained in 10% and 20% Ho:YLF. The highest 3.9 μm pulse energy obtained in the comparative study was 55 mJ (at ~10% optical-to-optical efficiency) using the 30% Ho:BYF crystal. A dual end-pumped laser in 30% Ho:BYF was also demonstrated, providing a pulse energy of 90 mJ in a near diffraction limited beam (M² ~ 1.2). Emission decay data was taken to shed light on the observed dependence of laser efficiency on holmium concentration and excitation density. The lifetimes of both lasing levels (⁵I₅ and ⁵I₆) deviate rather significantly from their low-concentration values. Plausible energy transfer processes that may be responsible for the observed trends in the laser and emission data will also be discussed.

Citation Download Citation

Russell Stutz, Harold C. Miller, Kenneth M. Dinndorf, Arlete Cassanho, and Hans P. Jenssen "High-pulse-energy 3.9-μm lasers in Ho:BYF", Proc. SPIE 5332, Solid State Lasers XIII: Technology and Devices, (8 July 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.538417

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