The influence of misalignment of an axisymmetrical folded-combined CO2 laser on output power

The influences of misalignments of an axisymmetrical folded-combined (ASFC) CO₂ laser on the output power are studied in detail. The new cavity axes are established by using the misaligned matrixes corresponding to the misalignments of the output mirror and the discharge tube, and the diffraction losses of the cavity and the output powers are calculated. It is shown that the influences of the misalignments on the output power are significant when the misalignment angle of the output mirror exceeds 20 s. These calculated values afford references for the design of ASFC CO₂ lasers.     

Optimization of gas pressures ratio in a fast-axial-flow CO2 laser with genetic algorithm

In this paper, the laser output power of a fast-axial flow CO₂ laser was optimized with gas pressures ratio of CO₂:N₂:He using a genetic algorithm technique. The power of laser was increased from 500 W (un-optimized case) to 2200 W (simulated case), also experimentally the power has achieved the value of 700 W (optimized case).     

A simple dye-sensitized solar cell sealing technique using a CO2 laser beam excited by 60 Hz AC discharges

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) use two glass substrates (photo electrode and counter electrode) coated with fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) to harvest light into the cell and to collect electrons. The space between the photo electrode and the counter electrode are filled with a liquid type electrolyte for electron transfer into the cell. Therefore, an appropriate sealing method is required to prevent the liquid electrolyte leaking out. In this paper, a simple CO₂ laser beam with TEM₀₀ mode excited by a 60 Hz AC discharge was used to seal two glass substrates coated with FTO for the fabrication of DSSCs. The sealing technique improved the durability and stability of the DSSCs. The optimal conditions for the sealing of the DSSCs are related to the pin-hole diameter, the discharge current and the moving velocity of the target. Especially, the CO₂ laser beam is used as a heat source that is precisely controlled by the pin-hole, which plays an important role in adjusting its spot size. From these results, the maximum laser power was found to be 40 W at 18 Torr and 35 mA. In order to achieve the best sealing quality, the following parameters are required: a pin-hole diameter of 4 mm, input voltage of 10.73 kV, discharge current of 9.31 mA, moving velocity of 1 mm/s and distance from the target surface of 26.5 cm. Scanning electron microscope images show that the sealing quality obtained using the CO₂ laser beam is superior to that obtained using a hot press or soldering iron.     

Compact resonantly intra-cavity pumped tunable Ho:Sc2SiO5 laser

A compact intra-cavity pumped low threshold continuous-wave Ho:Sc₂SiO₅ laser is reported. The characteristics of output wavelength tuning are investigated by use a intra-cavity briefringent (BF) filter. A wavelength tunable range of 140 nm from 2020 to 2160 nm is achieved. For the free-running mode, the laser slope efficiency is 24.8%, when the output central wavelength is 2110 nm. The laser threshold is about 820 mW of incident pump power. With the BF filter, a maximum output power of 870 mW is obtained at the incident pump power of 5 W, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 20.3%. The characteristics of output wavelength verse the crystal temperature are also investigated.     

An eye-safe KTiAsO4 intracavity optical parametric oscillator driven by a diode pumped composite Nd:YAG/Cr4+:YAG laser

A mini eye-safe KTiAsO₄ intracavity optical parametric oscillator (IOPO) employing the shared cavity configuration and driven by a diode-end-pumped composite Nd:YAG/Cr⁴⁺:YAG laser is demonstrated in this paper. Under an incident laser diode power of 11 W, a maximum average output power of 424 mW at 1534 nm was obtained. The corresponding signal pulse width and repetition rate were 1.2 ns and 16.7 kHz, respectively. The fluctuation of the average signal output power over long-term operation was found to be ±3.0%. A theoretical model for the compact IOPO was also presented in this paper.     

Diode-pumped continuous-wave and passively Q-switched 1.06 μm YVO4/Nd:GdVO4 laser

In this letter, a diode-pumped continuous-wave and passively Q-switched 1.06 μm laser with a novel composite YVO₄/Nd:GdVO₄ crystal was demonstrated for the first time. Theoretical calculations showed that the temperature distribution in YVO₄/Nd:GdVO₄ crystal was lower than that in GdVO₄/Nd:GdVO₄ and Nd:GdVO₄ crystals under the same conditions. After optimizing the mode matching degree, a CW output power of 5.6 W of YVO₄/Nd:GdVO₄ laser was obtained at the incident pump power of 12 W when the output coupler with transmission of 30% was employed. Using Cr^4 +:YAG crystals with initial transmission (T₀) of 80% and 90% as saturable absorbers, the pulsed YVO₄/Nd:GdVO₄ laser characteristics were investigated. At the incident pump power of 12 W, the maximum average output power of 2.76 W and the maximum repetition rate of 189 kHz was achieved when T₀ = 90% Cr^4 +:YAG was used. The shortest pulse width was 28.1 ns when the initial transmission of the used Cr^4 +:YAG was 80%.     

High-power eye-safe KTA-OPO driven by YVO4/Nd:YVO4 composite laser

We present a high-power 1.53 μm laser based on intracavity KTA-OPO driven by diode-end-pumped acousto-optical Q-switched YVO₄/Nd:YVO₄ composite. The composite crystal was utilized for reducing the thermal effect, and the mode mismatch compensating OPO cavity was designed for efficient OPO conversion. The output power of eye-safe laser at 1535 nm was up to 4.4 W with the pump power of 27 W, corresponding to a diode-to-signal conversion efficiency of 16.3%. To our knowledge, this is the highest output power in diode-end-pumped circumstances. In the experiment, the strong yellow light generated by Raman conversion and frequency doubling in the KTA crystal was observed.     

Diode-pumped monolithic Er3+:Yb3+:YAl3(BO3)4 micro-laser at 1.6 μm

Efficient eye-safe 1.6 μm monolithic laser was realized in a c-cut, 0.7-mm-thick Er³⁺:Yb³⁺:YAl₃(BO₃)₄ microchip end-pumped by a quasi-continuous-wave 970 nm diode laser. At incident pump peak power of 20.4 W, a maximum output peak power of 2.6 W with a slope efficiency of 19% was obtained when the waist radius of pump laser beam was 220 μm. The spectra and profiles of output beam of the Er³⁺:Yb³⁺:YAl₃(BO₃)₄ monolithic laser were measured. The influences of the waist radius of pump laser beam on the slope efficiency and threshold of the monolithic laser were also investigated.     

Continuous-wave 560 nm light generated by intracavity SrWO4 Raman and KTP sum-frequency mixing

An LD end-pumped Nd:YAG/SrWO₄ continuous-wave 560 nm laser is presented based on intracavity sum-frequency mixing of the fundamental and first-Strokes light. The maximum output power of 330 mW at 559.6 nm was obtained for the diode pump power of 13.7 W and the conversion efficiency was about 2.5%. The intense blue emission was also observed in the SrWO₄ crystal when the Raman laser was operating above threshold. This blue emission is centered at 473 nm, which also happened to YVO₄.     

Diode-pumped doubly Q-switched Nd:Lu0.33Y0.37Gd0.3VO4 laser with an electro-optic modulator and a single-walled carbon nanotube saturable absorber

By simultaneously using an electro-optic (EO) modulator and a single-walled carbon nanotube saturable absorber (SWCNT-SA) in the cavity, a diode-pumped doubly Q-switched Nd:Lu_0.33Y_0.37Gd_0.3VO₄ (Nd:LuYGdVO₄) laser is demonstrated. At the incident pump power 11.43 W and f=2 kHz, the minimum pulse width 17.6 ns and the maximum pulse peak power 19,886 W can be obtained. The experimental results show that this doubly Q-switched Nd:LuYGdVO₄ laser can generate shorter pulse width and higher peak power compared to the singly Q-switched Nd:LuYGdVO₄ laser with only EO or SWCNT-SA.     

The influence of thermal lens effect on pulse repetition rate in diode-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:GdVO4/V:YAG laser

The influence of thermal lens effect on pulse repetition rate in diode-pumped Nd:GdVO₄ 1.34 μm laser has been demonstrated. The repetition rate first increased, then reduced with augment of the pump power, for V:YAG with initial transmission (T₀) of 96%. The maximum repetition rate was 70 kHz, obtained at the pump power of 6.78 W. The best output laser characteristics—the pulse width of 39.2 ns, the peak power of 2.5 kW and the single pulse energy of 102 μJ—were obtained by V:YAG of T₀=89%. With the Gaussian spatial distribution of intracavity photon density being considered, the rate equations were solved numerically and the theoretical calculations agreed with the experimental results.     

Semiconductor type single wall carbon nanotube absorber for passive mode-locked Nd:YVO4 laser

The pure semiconductor type single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) was transferred on hydrophilic glass substrate to fabricate saturable absorbers by vertical evaporation technique. The recovery time of the absorber is 350 fs. The saturation intensity of the absorber was found to be 115 μJ/cm² at 1060 nm. The modulation depth of the absorber could be about 7%. Passive mode-locked Nd:YVO₄ laser using this kind of absorber was demonstrated. The largest average output power of the mode-locked laser is 1.4 W at the pump power of 7.8 W. The continuous wave mode-locked pulses with the repetition of 80 MHz were achieved.     

A high polarization microchip green laser with dual Nd:YVO4 crystal

A high polarization Nd:YVO₄/KTP laser with dual crossed gain crystal is reported. Using two optical axis orthogonal Nd:YVO₄ crystal as gain medium, eliminating the depolarization effect of single Nd:YVO₄ crystal, the high polarization green laser is obtained. With 1.8 W diode laser pump power the output power of TEM₀₀ green laser is 366 mW, the light–light conversion efficiency is up to 20.3%, and the polarization ratio is 110:1. This laser has the advantages of being simple and easily attainable at a low cost, and it is suitable for batch production.     

Diode-pumped passively mode-locked Nd:Lu0.15Y0.85VO4 laser with a single-walled carbon nanotube saturable absorber

Diode-pumped passively mode-locked Nd:Lu_0.15Y_0.85VO₄ laser with a single-walled carbon nanotube saturable absorber was demonstrated for the first time, to our best knowledge. The laser generated 19-ps pulses with maximum output power of 902 mW for the incident pump power of 6.5 W at the central wavelength of 1064 nm, giving an optical conversion efficiency of 14%. The continuous wave mode-locking conditions of single-walled carbon nanotube saturable absorber were analyzed and discussed.     

Ultrasound coupled with supercritical carbon dioxide for exfoliation of graphene: Simulation and experiment

Ultrasound coupled with supercritical CO₂ has become an important method for exfoliation of graphene, but behind which a peeling mechanism is unclear. In this work, CFD simulation and experiment were both investigated to elucidate the mechanism and the effects of the process parameters on the exfoliation yield. The experiments and the CFD simulation were conducted under pressure ranging from 8 MPa to 16 MPa, the ultrasonic power ranging from 12 W to 240 W and the frequency of 20 kHz. The numerical analysis of fluid flow patterns and pressure distributions revealed that the fluid shear stress and the periodical pressure fluctuation generated by ultrasound were primary factors in exfoliating graphene. The distribution of the fluid shear stress decided the effective exfoliation area, which, in turn, affected the yield. The effective area increased from 5.339 cm³ to 8.074 cm³ with increasing ultrasonic power from 12 W to 240 W, corresponding to the yield increasing from 5.2% to 21.5%. The pressure fluctuation would cause the expansion of the interlayers of graphite. The degree of the expansion increased with the increase of the operating pressure but decreased beyond 12 MPa. Thus, the maximum yield was obtained at 12 MPa. The cavitation might be generated by ultrasound in supercritical CO₂. But it is too weak to exfoliate graphite into graphene. These results provide a strategy in optimizing and scaling up the ultrasound-assisted supercritical CO₂ technique for producing graphene.     

Diode-pumped Nd:YAG ceramic laser at 946 nm passively Q-switched with a Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber

We demonstrate a diode-pumped Nd:YAG ceramic laser with emission at 946 nm that is passively Q-switched by single-crystal Cr⁴⁺:YAG saturable absorber. An average output power of 1.7 W is measured under 18.4 W of incident power using an output mirror with transmission T=4%. The corresponding optical-to-optical efficiency is 9.2%. The laser runs at a pulse repetition rate of 120 kHz and delivers pulses with energy of 14 μJ and duration of 80 ns, which corresponds to a peak power of 175 W.     

Cascaded continuous-wave singly resonant optical parametric oscillator pumped by a single-frequency fiber laser

We present a cascaded continuous-wave singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (SRO) delivering idler output in mid-IR and terahertz frequency range. The SRO was pumped by an ytterbium-doped fiber laser with 27 W linear polarization pump powers, and based on periodically poled MgO:LiNbO₃ crystal (PPMgLN) in two-mirror linear cavity. The PPMgLN is 50 mm long with 29.5 μm period. The idler power output at 3811 nm was obtained 2.6 W. The additional spectral components that have been attributed to cascaded optical parametric processes are described at increasing pump levels. Besides the initial signal component at about 1476.8 nm, further generated wavelengths with frequency shifts about 47 cm^?1, 94 cm^?1 and 104 cm^?1 were observed. It was speculated that the idler waves lie in the terahertz (THz) domain from the observed results.     

A tunable and single-longitudinal-mode Ho:YLF laser

A 1.94 μm Tm-doped fiber laser pumped tunable single-longitudinal-mode Ho:YLF laser with double etalons was reported for the first time. The maximum single-longitudinal-mode output power of 345 mW at 2051.6 nm was achieved at the absorbed pump power of 11.9 W, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 5.5% and an optical conversion efficiency of 2.9%. By regulating the angle of the F–P etalons, the output wavelength of the laser can be tuned from 2051.6 nm to 2063.3 nm. The single-longitude-mode Ho:YLF laser operating at 2 μm can be used as the seed laser source of coherent Doppler lidar, differential absorption lidar and so on.     

High pulse repetition frequency RF excited waveguide CO2 laser with mechanical Q-switching

In this paper, a mechanical Q-switching is used in radio frequency (RF) excited waveguide CO₂ laser to obtain high pulse repetition frequency (PRF) laser. The Q-switching system includes two confocal ZnSe lenses and a high speed mechanical chopper, which is inserted into the cavity. The peak power is up to 730 W and the pulse width 200 ns at the highest PRF 20 kHz. The laser also has the advantages of compact, small-volume, and low-cost.     

Cavity-dumped electro-optical Q-switched Nd:GdVO4 laser with high repetition rate

We reported a cavity-dumped operation of electro-optical Q-switched Nd:GdVO₄ laser at high repetition rates for the first time. A constant 5.5 ns pulse duration was realized. The maximum average output power was 5.1 W at the highest repetition rate of 50 kHz, corresponding to a peak power of 18.5 kW.