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Free-running and Q-switched operation of a diode pumped Er:YSGG laser at the 3 μm transition

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Abstract

A study is made of a diode pumped Er3+:YSGG laser crystal operating at 2.797 μm. Lasers were constructed in the bounce geometry, using a transversely cooled 50 at.% Er:YSGG slab and a face-cooled 38 at.% Er:YSGG slab. Results from these are compared with those from a 50 at.% Er3+:YAG laser, also in the bounce geometry. With quasi-continuous wave diode pumping, free-running pulse energies of up to ~55 mJ and a slope efficiency of 20.5% are obtained from 50 at.% Er:YSGG. Better thermal performance is obtained from the face-cooled 38 at.% Er:YSGG slab, allowing average power of ~2 W to be obtained at a repetition rate and pump pulse duration of 140 Hz and 500 μs, respectively. Both Er:YSGG systems perform better than Er:YAG. Numerical modelling of the free-running 50 at.% Er:YSGG and Er:YAG systems is undertaken with good qualitative agreement with experimental results. Electro-optic Q-switching of the 50 at.% Er:YSGG laser using a LiNbO3 crystal yields ~0.5 mJ pulses with ~77 ns duration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Photonics, The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2BW, UK

    E. A. Arbabzadah & M. J. Damzen

  2. ExSS, The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2BW, UK

    C. C. Phillips

Authors
  1. E. A. Arbabzadah
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  2. C. C. Phillips
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  3. M. J. Damzen
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Correspondence to E. A. Arbabzadah.

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Arbabzadah, E.A., Phillips, C.C. & Damzen, M.J. Free-running and Q-switched operation of a diode pumped Er:YSGG laser at the 3 μm transition. Appl. Phys. B 111, 333–339 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-013-5337-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-013-5337-1

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