A-O Q-switching of 2.1-µm laser

Jia Zheng; Jingjiao Liu; Yi Tang; Yongzhao Hu

doi:10.1117/12.574541

26 January 2005 A-O Q-switching of 2.1-μm laser

Jia Zheng, Jingjiao Liu, Yi Tang, Yongzhao Hu

Proceedings Volume 5627, High-Power Lasers and Applications III; (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.574541
Event: Photonics Asia, 2004, Beijing, China

Abstract

2.1μm solid state laser operating at room temperature is a very useful laser source for optical communication, medical care, air pollution monitoring and Lidar, etc. It is eye-safe. It is also a very ideal pump source for optic parametric oscillator to get 3μm -5μm radiation. In order to further explore its potential applications, higher peak power and shorter pulse width are very desirable. Q-switching the laser is a most practical way to realize those goals. Among the most common used Q-switching techniques, mechanical Q-switching is not preferred due to that it involves use of a rotating motor, which has lower life time and causes undesirable vibration. E-O Q-switch material in this wavelength range is very expensive and quite susceptible to optical damage. On the other hand, low OH concentration quartz material exhibits very low absorption at the 2.1μm. The Cr:Tm:Ho:YAG 2.1μm laser has undesirable lower gain from the laser efficiency point of view, but offers a feasibility of using the A-O device for the Q-switching even the laser is pulse pumped. The Cr:Tm:Ho:YAG 2.1μm laser is a so called quasi-three level laser, which is characterized as having a higher threshold and lower gain. This study is focused on the optimization of the laser resonator design and the A-O Q-switch design for a higher laser peak power and shorter pulse width. Factors considered in the study include AO Q-switch’s RF frequency, modulation depth, active aperture, resonator length, resonator loss and pumping design, etc. Experiment results are compared with the Q-switched quasi-three level laser model. Final result of the Q-switched 2.1μm laser after preliminary optimization will be presented.

Citation Download Citation

Jia Zheng, Jingjiao Liu, Yi Tang, and Yongzhao Hu "A-O Q-switching of 2.1-μm laser", Proc. SPIE 5627, High-Power Lasers and Applications III, (26 January 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.574541

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