Compact passive Q-switching of a diode-pumped Tm, Y:CaF2 laser near 2 μm. (July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Cheng; Liu, Jie; Fan, Xiuwei; Peng, Qianqian; Guo, Xinsheng; Jiang, Dapeng; Qian, Xiaobo; Su, Liangbi
• Is Part Of: Optics & laser technology. Volume 103(2018)
• Page Start: 89
• Page End: 92
• Publication Date: 2018-07
• Subjects: Diode-pumped -- Pulsed -- Q-switched -- Solid-state; Optics -- Periodicals; Lasers -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 621.366
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optlastec.2018.01.029
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0030-3992

Abstract

Highlights: The continuous wave characteristics of Tm, Y:CaF2 laser were researched. The highest continuous wave slope efficiency of 51.5% is firstly obtained. Passively Q-switched Tm, Y:CaF2 laser at 2 μm is demonstrated for the first time. Graphene oxide is used as saturable absorber in passive Q-switching operation. Abstract: Lasing was realized near a wavelength of 2 μm with a compact linear cavity by using a fiber-coupled 792-nm laser diode as the pump source and a Tm 3+, Y 3+ co-doped CaF2 crystal. By employing broadband graphene oxide (GO) as the saturable absorber (SA), a passive Q-switching Tm, Y:CaF2 laser was implemented for the first time. When the transmission of the output couple (OC) was 2%, the maximum average output power was measured to be 400 mW with a corresponding repetition rate of 20.22 kHz and a pulse width of 1.316 μs. A maximum continuous-wave (CW) output power of more than one watt was obtained with slope efficiency of 51.5%.