Open AccessContinuous-wave and Q-switched operation of a resonantly pumped Ho:YAlO_3 laser
Author(s) -
Baoquan Yao,
Xiaoming Duan,
Lihuang Zheng,
You-Lun Ju,
Yuezhu Wang,
Guangjun Zhao,
Qin Dong
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.16.014668
Subject(s) - optics , materials science , laser , pulse repetition frequency , pulse duration , q switching , continuous wave , full width at half maximum , energy conversion efficiency , pulse width modulation , slope efficiency , laser beam quality , diode , optoelectronics , fiber laser , power (physics) , laser beams , physics , telecommunications , radar , quantum mechanics , computer science
We demonstrated continuous-wave (CW) and Q-switched operation of a room-temperature Ho:YAlO(3) laser that is resonantly end-pumped by a diode-pumped Tm:YLF laser at 1.91 microm. The CW Ho:YAlO(3) laser generated 5.5 W of linearly polarized (EII c ) output at 2118 nm with beam quality factor of M(2) approximately 1.1 for an incident pump power of 13.8 W, corresponding to optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 40%. Up to 1- mJ energy per pulse at pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 5 kHz, and the maximum average power of 5.3-W with FWHM pulse duration of 30.5 ns at 20 kHz were achieved in Q-switched mode.