Open AccessHighly efficient actively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser
Author(s) -
Zhihong Zhu,
Shiwei Lv,
Hanyi Zhang,
Hui Yang,
Hong Lei,
Qiang Li
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.438414
Subject(s) - optics , materials science , laser , amplified spontaneous emission , energy conversion efficiency , q switching , optoelectronics , slope efficiency , fiber laser , physics
A novel gain medium structure is designed providing Q-switched pulses with high efficiency. The use of an improved corner-side hybrid pump structure achieves a high absorption efficiency of pump light by crossing through the active media 13 times Nd:YAG. A layer of Sm:YAG is bonded around the active media, which suppresses parasitic oscillation and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) effectively. A high-efficient actively Q-switched laser is successfully realized with a pulse energy of 104 mJ. The corresponding optical-optical conversion efficiency is 30.5%. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest optical to optical efficiency for an actively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at the hundred milli-joules level.