Mid-IR Laser Generating Ultrasound in a Polyetheretherketone Polymer

We demonstrate laser ultrasonic generation in polyetheretherketone(PEEK). A middle infrared ZnGeP2 optical parametric oscillator(ZGP-OPO) pumped by a Q-switched Ho:YAG laser is employed as the ultrasonic excitation source. The ZGP-OPO has a spectral range of 3.2–3.4 μm. At an output wavelength of 3.4 μm, the maximum average output power of ZGP-OPO is 3.05 W with a pulse width of 24.3 ns, corresponding to a peak power of approximately 127.5 kW. The ultrasound is generated by the laser converted from 3.2 to 3.4 μm in the PEEK composite. The maximum ultrasonic signal amplitude in PEEK is 33 mV under the condition of thermoelastic excitation at 3.4 μm. Ablation occurs in the CPRF sample when the energy fluence is over 122.45 m J/cm~2. PEEK has a stronger absorption at 3.4 μm and laser-ultrasound generation is influenced by the wavelength of the laser.     

Passively Q-Switched Tm,Ho：YVO4 Laser with Cr：ZnS Saturable Absorber at 2 μm

A stable diode-pumped passively Q-switched Tm,Ho：YVO4 laser with Cr：ZnS saturable absorber is reported. The shortest pulse duration of -500 ns with the central wavelength of 2041 nm is obtained at the pump power of 7.4 W, corresponding to the pulse energy of 3.5 μd at repetition rate of 65 kHz.     

A Diode-Pumped 1617 nm Single Longitudinal Mode Er：YAG Laser with Intra-Cavity Etalons

We demonstrate the continuous wave p-polarized single longitudinal mode （SLM） operation of an Er：YAG laser at 1617.6nm pumped by a diode-laser with three inserted Fabry-Perot （FP） etalons at room temperature. The Brewster angle inserted FP is applied to obtain the p-polarized laser. For free running, the maximum output power is 570 m W with a pump power of 12.5 W. An incident pump power of 12.5 W is used to generate the maximum p-polarized single longitudinal mode output power of 78.5 m W, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 1.6% and an optical-to-optical efficiency of 0.61%. The beam quality M2 is measured to be 1.15 at the highest SLM output power. This stable polarized SLM oscillation is encouraging due to its application for an injection-locked system used as a master laser.     

非线性晶体应用于中长波红外固体激光器的研究进展

中波红外3～5μm波段以及长波红外8～12 μm波段的激光处于大气传输窗口,在激光成像、环境监测、激光雷达、激光医疗、化学遥感和红外对抗等领域有着非常广阔的应用前景.基于非线性光学晶体,采用光学非线性频率变换技术在实现中长波红外固体激光输出方面具有明显的技术优势.该方法激光器结构简单,且晶体本身并不参与能量交换,因而没有量子亏损,从而产热很少.同时具有单色性好、宽调谐、高功率等优点.本文针对常用以及新型非线性光学晶体,对其应用于中长波红外固体激光器的研究进展做了详细的总结.     

A 1kHz Fe:ZnSe Laser Gain-Switched by a ZnGeP_2 Optical Parametric Oscillator at 77 K

We demonstrate a Fe:ZnSe laser gain-switched by a 2.9 m ZnGeP_2 optical parametric oscillator under pulse repetition frequency of 1 kHz at liquid nitrogen temperature of 77 K. The maximum output power is 63 m W with pulse duration of 34.4 ns. The wavelength covers 3686.6–4088.6 nm and centers at 3897.7 nm. The output power decreases with increasing the temperature of the crystal in 77–222 K.     

基于多层石墨烯可饱和吸收体的被动调Q Ho∶YAG激光器

报道了2μm被动调Q的Ho∶YAG激光器,该激光器采用Tm~(3+)光纤激光器作为泵浦源,使用多层石墨烯作为可饱和吸收体。在连续波激光输出模式下,当泵浦功率为4.2 W时,获得了750 mW激光输出,输出激光中心波长为2.09μm,斜率效率为29.6%。在连续波激光器谐振腔中插入多层石墨烯可饱和吸收体并调整谐振腔,获得了脉冲激光输出。当泵浦功率为4.2 W时,获得最小脉冲宽度3.1μs、重复频率66.6 kHz的脉冲激光输出,其最大平均输出功率为170 mW,斜率效率为12.6%,光束质量因子M_x~2=1.15,M_y~2=1.12。     

A Stable 2012.1 nm Single-Longitudinal-Mode Tm：YAG Ceramic Laser with Volume Bragg Grating and Fabry-Perot Etalon

We demonstrate a stable single longitudinal mode Tm：YAG ceramic laser operating at a single wavelength of 2012.1 nm. The single-longitudinal-mode Tin： YAO ceramic laser is obtained by employing volume Bragg grating as one cavity mirror and inserting a Fabry-Perot etalon into the laser cavity. A maximum single longitudinal mode output power of 165roW with a slope efficieney of 6.6% is achieved under the pump power of 5.02 W. The laser has a beam quality of M2 = 1.18 at the maximum single longitudinal mode output power.     

2 μm掺钬固体激光器研究进展

2 μm掺钬固体激光器的输出波长处在大气窗口和人眼安全区,在激光雷达、激光测距、光电对抗和激光医学等方面都有重要应用,因此在2 μm固体激光器研究领域中成为一个研究热点。本文介绍了2 μm掺钬固体激光器能级系统及常用的掺钬晶体,并对基于这些晶体的钬激光器研究进展进行了综述,最后对2 μm钬固体激光器的未来发展方向等进行展望。     

Continuous-wave Nd:KGd(WO4)2 single-longitudinal-mode laser

A continuous-wave Nd:KGd(WO₄)₂ single-longitudinal-mode laser is demonstrated with Fabry-Perot etalons in a simple linear cavity. The thermal lens effect is dramatically lowered by propagating the laser beam along the ‘athermal’ direction inside the laser crystal, which is very beneficial to removing the heat generated in the mode selection process. The maximum single-longitudinal-mode output power obtained is 64.8 mW at incident pump power of 4.7 W, corresponding to an optical conversion efficiency of 1.3% and a slope efficiency of 1.7%.     

A Gain-Switched Fe:ZnSe Laser Pumped by a Pulsed Ho,Pr:LLF Laser

We demonstrate a gain-switched Fe:ZnSe laser pumped by a 2958 nm pulsed Ho,Pr:LLF laser. The maximum single pulse energy is 16.4uJ with a minimum pulse duration of 13.9 ns at the pulse repetition frequency of1 Hz when the Fe:ZnSe crystal is cooled to 77 K by liquid nitrogen, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 22.9%.The central wavelength and FWHM linewidth are 3957.4 nm and 23.2 nm, respectively. The output energy monotonically decreases as the crystal temperature increases in the range 77–293 K.