Passive Q-switching of a Nd:YAG laser with a GaAs output coupler

By using GaAs as an output coupler as well as a saturable absorber, passive Q-switching of an arc-lamp pumped Nd:YAG laser has been demonstrated. The shortest pulse duration obtained was 77.6 ns, corresponding to a pulse energy of 34 ?J. The laser average output power was 2.1 Wwith a power density in GaAs at 1.5x 103 Wcm-2 No optical damage to GaAs was observed without any active cooling.

[1]  Alexander L. Gaeta,et al.  Intra-cavity frequency-doubling of a Nd:YAG laser passively Q-switched with GaAs , 1997 .

[2]  V. Tsvetkov,et al.  LASER CHANNEL COMPONENTS: Passive Q switching of pulsed Nd3+ lasers using YSGG:Cr4+ crystal switches exhibiting phototropic properties , 1992 .

[3]  Jean-Claude Diels,et al.  Generation of extended pulse trains of minimum duration by passive negative feedback applied to solid-state Q-switched lasers , 1992 .

[4]  A. Smirl,et al.  Theory of transient energy transfer in gallium arsenide , 1988 .

[5]  S. A. Chetkin,et al.  LASER APPLICATIONS AND OTHER TOPICS IN QUANTUM ELECTRONICS: Experimental realization of a fast-response Hartmann sensor , 1992 .

[6]  Inspec.  Properties of gallium arsenide , 1986 .

[7]  H Melchior,et al.  Passively Q-switched 1.34- mum Nd:YVO(4) microchip laser with semiconductor saturable-absorber mirrors. , 1997, Optics letters.

[8]  U. Keller,et al.  Single-frequency Q-switched ring laser with an antiresonant Fabry-Perot saturable absorber. , 1995, Optics letters.

[9]  Clifford R. Pollock,et al.  Passive Q switching of a diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser with a saturable absorber. , 1990, Optics letters.

[10]  G. Reali,et al.  High performance Cr4+:YAG Q-switched CW diode pumped Nd:YAG laser , 1997 .

[11]  Zhuhong Zhang,et al.  Gallium arsenide: A new material to accomplish passively mode‐locked Nd:YAG laser , 1992 .

[12]  A. Gaeta,et al.  Q switching of a diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser with GaAs. , 1996, Optics letters.

[13]  Yen-Kuang Kuo,et al.  Tunable Cr/sup 4+/:YSO Q-switched Cr:LiCAF laser , 1995 .