Laser performance and thermal lens of diode-pumped Nd,Y-codoped:SrF_2 single crystals

We demonstrate the laser performances of Nd, Y：SrF2 crystals with Nd＇3＋ concentrations of 0.15 and 0.43 at.%. The sample with 0.43 at.% Nd3＋ concentration yields a maximum output power of 1.023 W at 1056.9 nm with a slope efficiency of 53%. The focal length of the thermal lens is analyzed for the 0.15 at.% Nd3＋-doped crystal sample. An improved cavity is designed considering the thermal lens. The maximum output power is 464 mW at 1056.9 nm, with a slope efficiency of 36.1%. The wavelength is tuned within the range of 1049.74-1059.13 nm.     

Compact high-power mode-locked Nd：YVO4 picosecond laser using multiple-pass cavity

A stable self-starting mode-locked Nd:YVO4 laser with a Herriott-type multiple-pass cavity(MPC) operating at 1 064 nm is demonstrated.An in-band 880-nm laser diode is used as an end-pump and a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror(SESAM) is used for passive mode locking(ML) and providing pulse durations of 14 ps.At a pump power of 26.4 W,the maximum average output power is as high as 10.5 W at a repetition rate of 22 MHz,which corresponds to a single pulse energy of 0.48 μJ.Optical-tooptical conversion efficiency is as high as 39.8% at the maximum output power with a slope efficiency of 55.2%.     

High-power picosecond regenerative amplifier based on CW diode side-pumped Nd:YAG with high beam quality

A compact high-power picosecond regenerative amplifier based on continuous wave(CW) diode sidepumped Nd:YAG is demonstrated.Average power of 8.8 W is achieved at a repetition rate of 5 kHz at a wavelength of 1 064 nm with a pulse duration of 28 ps,corresponding to a pulse energy of 1.76 mJ and a peak power of 62.9 MW.The beam quality is close to the di?raction limit with Mx2 = 1.24,My2 = 1.03.To the best of our knowledge,this is the highest pulse energy obtained from a CW diode pumped Nd:YAG picosecond regenerative amplifier.     

High-power and wavelength tunable diode-pumped continuous wave Yb:SSO laser

A wavelength-tunable,efficient,and high-average power single diode-pumped continuons wave(CW) Yb:SSO laser is reported.A maximum output power of 8.8 W at 1 062.6 nm is obtained using the absorbed pump power of 11.7 W,which corresponds to a slope efficiency of 85.5% and an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 48.9%.The wavelength tuning of the Yb:SSO laser pumped by the 976-nm LD is also investigated.The results show the tuning range from 1 002.30 to 1 068.47 nm,which corresponds to a tunability range of 66.17 nm.     

Stable, efficient diode-pumped femtosecond Yb:KGW laser through optimization of energy density on SESAM

An efficient high-power diode-pumped femtosecond Yb:KGW laser is repored. Through optimization of energy density by semiconductor saturable absorber mirror, output power achieved 2.4 W with pulse duration of 350 fs and repetition rate of 53 MHz at a pump power of 12.5 W, corresponding to an optical-to-optical efficiency of 19.2%. We believe that it is the highest optical-to-optical efficiency for single-diode-pumped bulk Yb:KGW femtosecond lasers to date.