Open AccessHigh beam quality and high peak power Yb:YAG/Cr:YAG microchip laser
Author(s) -
Xiaotong Guo,
Shigeki Tokita,
Junji Kawanaka
Publication year - 2019
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.27.000045
Subject(s) - materials science , laser , optics , laser beam quality , optoelectronics , q switching , beam (structure) , ytterbium , laser beams , doping , physics
The prospect for developing a passively Q-switched Yb:YAG/Cr:YAG monolithic microchip laser that operates at cryogenic temperature is theoretically analyzed. It is concluded that such a system has the potential to deliver laser pulses with improved energy and increased peak power in comparison with composite Yb:YAG/Cr:YAG or Nd:YAG/Cr:YAG devices that are operated at room temperature. Consequently, a cryogenically cooled Yb:YAG/Cr:YAG system is built and the emission performances are investigated. Laser pulses with 3.2 mJ energy, 6.1 MW peak power and high beam quality of M 2 = 1.8 are achieved. By increasing the pump beam diameter, laser pulses with higher energy 32 mJ are obtained at 25 MW peak power with M 2 = 5.4. To our knowledge, these are the best results obtained from passively Q-switched composite Yb:YAG/Cr:YAG monolithic microchip lasers.