Q-Switched Ho:YLF Laser Pumped by Tm:fiber Laser

DOI: 10.5176/2301-3516_OPAP14.04

Authors: J. Kwiatkowski, J. Swiderski, W.Zendzian, J. K. Jabczynski

Abstract:

A continuous-wave (CW) and Q-switched operation of a Ho:YLF laser resonantly, single-pass pumped by a Tm: fiber laser operating at a wavelength of 1940 nm is presented. At room temperature, for an output coupler of 40 {6e6090cdd558c53a8bc18225ef4499fead9160abd3419ad4f137e902b483c465} transmission, a maximum CW output power of 11.5 W for 32.5 W of incident pump power was achieved, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 40 {6e6090cdd558c53a8bc18225ef4499fead9160abd3419ad4f137e902b483c465}. For a Q-switched operation, in a CW pumping regime, the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) was changed from 1 to 10 kHz. Applying a Q-switched operation, the maximum average output power of 11.23 W at the PRF of 10 kHz was obtained. Lowering the PRF to 1 kHz allowing achieving the maximum peak power of 260 kW. For 1 kHz PRF, pulse energies of almost 5 mJ with a 19 ns FWHM pulse width were recorded. The laser operated at the wavelength of 2050.5 nm with the FWHM line width of 1.09 nm.

Keywords: q switched operation (47), ylf laser (40)