Diode-pumped actively Q-switched thulium laser

The properties of several Tm doped crystals regarding application in Q-switched tunable laser were analyzed theoretically. The acousto-optically Q-switched Tm:YLF laser is described in experimental part. The fiber coupled (0.4-mm core diameter) laser diode bar at 792-nm wavelength was deployed for pumping. The uncoated, with 3.5% dopant of thulium YLF rod of &slasho;3x8mm size wrapped with indium foil was mounted in copper heat-sink maintaining 293 K temperature of coolant water. Above 6 W of output power and near 50% slope efficiency with respect to absorbed pump power was demonstrated in free-running mode for a short, 40-mm long resonator. The quartz acousto-optic modulator with above 80% diffraction efficiency for 25-W power of RF was taken as the Q-switch for such a laser. In the best case of Q-switching mode up to 2-mJ output energy with 15-ns pulse duration corresponding to 100-kW peak power was demonstrated for rep. rate of a few Hz. Emission wavelength was around 1904 nm for both free-running and Q-switching regimes

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