Open AccessA resonantly-pumped tunable Q-switched Ho:YAG ceramic laser with diffraction-limit beam quality
Author(s) -
Lei Wang,
Chunqing Gao,
Mingwei Gao,
Yan Li,
Fuyong Yue,
Jian Zhang,
Dingyuan Tang
Publication year - 2014
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.22.000254
Subject(s) - materials science , laser , optics , ceramic , laser beam quality , pulse repetition frequency , q switching , wavelength , resonator , beam (structure) , optoelectronics , laser beams , physics , telecommunications , radar , computer science , composite material
We demonstrated a Q-switched Ho:YAG ceramic laser operating at 2097 nm. The Ho:YAG ceramic laser was resonantly pumped by a Tm:YLF laser at 1908 nm. The laser performance with two Ho-doping concentrations of Ho:YAG ceramics in a U-shaped resonator was studied. Different pump spots were investigated to obtain high extract efficiency. The wavelength of Ho:YAG ceramic laser was tuned from 2090.70 nm to 2098.10 nm. The Q-switched pulse energy were 9.6 mJ at a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 200 Hz and 10.2 mJ at a PRF of 100 Hz, respectively. The beam quality M(2) factors were measured to be less than 1.1 in both directions.