Efficient 1 W continuous-wave diode-pumped Er,Yb:YAl3(BO3)4 laser

We report the spectroscopy and high-power continuous-wave (CW) diode-pumped laser operation of Er:Yb:YAl3(BO3) crystal. Absorption and stimulated emission spectra, emission lifetimes, and efficiency of energy transfer from Yb3+ to Er3+ ions were determined. A CW Er:Yb:YAB laser emitting at 1602, 1555, and 1531 nm with output power as high as 1W and slope efficiency up to 35% was demonstrated.     

Passive mode locking of a self-frequency-doubling Yb:YAl(3) (BO(3))(4) laser

We report passive mode-locking experiments with a novel self-doubling laser crystal Yb:YAl(3)(BO(3))(4) (Yb:YAB). The diode-pumped laser was mode locked by an ion-implanted semiconductor saturable absorber mirror. Far off phase matching, soliton mode locking produced pulse widths of 198 fs to 1.4 ps, with up to 660-mW output and optical efficiency of 24% at 1040 nm. The shortest pulses had a peak power of 28 kW with 440-mW average power and 16% efficiency. A few degrees off phase matching, a total of 60 mW of green femtosecond pulses was generated simultaneously. Close to phase matching, the laser produced picosecond pulses and, without infrared output, a total of 270 mW of green output, corresponding to 10% conversion efficiency (absorbed pump to green output).     

New green self-frequency-doubling diode-pumped Nd:Ca4GdO(BO3)3 laser

3+ :Ca₄GdO(BO₃)₃ (Nd:GdCOB). 21 mW of green cw laser emission for an absorbed pump power of 820 mW were achieved under laser diode-pumping. 64 mW of green cw laser output were obtained with 1 W of absorbed pump power under titanium-sapphire pumping. Its availability in large-size crystals with good optical quality makes Nd:GdCOB a true challenger to the best SFD laser crystal reported so far: Nd:YAl₃(BO₃)₄ (Nd:YAB or NYAB). Received: 2 March 1998/Revised version: 20 May 1998     

Acousto-optic Q-switched self-frequency-doubling Er:Yb:YAl3(BO3)4 laser at 800 nm

Actively Q-switched self-frequency-doubling laser at 800 nm was first reported in an Er:Yb:YAl3(BO3)4 crystal by using an acousto-optical modulator. At incident pump power of 16 W and pulse repetition frequency of 1 kHz, 1600 nm fundamental pulse laser with energy of 130 μJ and width of 170 ns, and self-frequency-doubling 800 nm pulse laser with energy of 20 μJ and width of 96 ns were respectively achieved in a hemispherical resonator end-pumped by a 970 nm laser diode. Pulse characteristics of fundamental and self-frequency-doubling lasers at different pulse repetition frequencies were also investigated.     

Passively Q-switched microchip Er, Yb:YAl3(BO3)4 diode-pumped laser

We report, for the first time to our knowledge, a diode-pumped cw and passively Q-switched microchip Er, Yb:YAl(3)(BO(3))(4) laser. A maximal output power of 800 mW at 1602 nm in the cw regime was obtained at an absorbed pump power of 7.7 W. By using Co(2+):MgAl(2)O(4) as a saturable absorber, a TEM(00)-mode Q-switched average output power of 315 mW was demonstrated at 1522 nm, with pulse duration of 5 ns and pulse energy of 5.25 μJ at a repetition rate of 60 kHz.     

Polarized operation of Yb3+:YAl3(BO3)4 CW and mode-locked lasers

A diode-pumped Yb3+:YAl3(BOa)3(Yb:YAB) laser system was demonstrated with continuous wave (CW) and pulsed output. The polarized CW outputs and femtosecond mode-locked lasers with semiconductor saturable-absorber mirrors (SESAM) at the fundamental wavelength were measured. For the CW output, polarization ratios were 88.1% (for e-ray) and 87.2% (for o-ray). For the mode-locked system, polarization ratio reached 38.5%, and the repetition frequency was 117.6 MHz.     

Thermo-optic characterization of Yb:YAl3(BO3)4 laser crystal

Principal thermo-optic coefficients, dn _o/dT and dn _e/dT, are determined for 7at.%Yb: YAl₃(BO₃)₄ crystal by the use of a minimum deviation method, modified for anisotropic, optically uniaxial crystals. Direct measurements are accompanied by modeling of the dn/dT versus light wavelength dependence, yielding analytic thermo-optic dispersion formulae for the spectral range of 0.4–1.6 μm. At the wavelength of 1030 nm, dn _o/dT = 3.5 and dn _e/dT = 6.0 [10^?6 K^?1]. Sellmeier formulas are evaluated for the principal refractive indices n _o and n _e. The thermal coefficients of the optical path are determined for the principal crystal cuts of Yb:YAl₃(BO₃)₄, a-cut and c-cut, and light polarizations, π or σ. Finally, thermal lens parameters are evaluated for Yb:YAl₃(BO₃)₄ crystals on the basis of measured material parameters.     

Apatite-structure crystal, Yb(3+):SrY(4)(SiO(4))(3)O, for the development of diode-pumped femtosecond lasers

We report what is believed to be the first diode-pumped Yb(3+): SrY(4)(SiO(4)) (3)O laser. We investigate both the cw and the mode-locked regimes. In the cw regime an average output power of 1.05 W is demonstrated for 3.6 W of incident pump power. In the femtosecond regime a pulse duration of 94 fs for an average power of 110 mW is obtained at a central wavelength of 1068 nm. This is, to our knowledge, the first femtosecond mode-locked oscillator made with an Yb-doped apatitelike crystal. These properties are related to the unique spectroscopic properties of Yb(3+) ions in this atypical apatite-family crystal.     

Intracavity frequency-doubled diode-pumped Nd : LaSc3(BO3)4 lasers

 An intracavity frequency-doubled 10%Nd : LaSc₃(BO₃)₄ (Nd : LSB) laser was investigated in different resonator configurations and in different operation modes under continuous wave (cw) and quasi-cw laser-diode pumping. With a Cr⁴⁺ : YAG passive modulator and a KTP crystal the second-harmonic output power at 531 nm amounted to 190 mW in Q-switched TEM₀₀ mode at 750 mW of pump power. In a sandwich resonator, when all the optical elements were in direct contact with each other, 0.8 W of green output power was obtained in cw mode under 2.7 W of pump power with a slope efficiency of 44%. In the same setup under fiber-coupled diode-laser array pumping (5.6 W of incident power), 1.2 W of green output power was achieved in cw mode and 1.4 W in quasi-cw mode. Received: 30 April 1996/Revised version: 1 July 1996     

Generation of 90-fs pulses from a mode-locked diode-pumped Yb(3+):Ca(4)GdO(BO(3))(3) laser

A diode-pumped Yb>(3+):Ca(4)GdO(BO>(3))(3) (Yb:GdCOB) laser generating 90-fs pulses at a center wavelength of 1045 nm is demonstrated. This is, to our knowledge, the shortest pulse duration obtained from an ytterbium laser with a crystalline host. This laser is mode locked with a high-finesse semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror and emits 40 mW of average power at a repetition rate of 100 MHz.     

Determination of the magnetic structure of SmFe(3)(BO(3))(4) by neutron diffraction: comparison with other RFe(3)(BO(3))(4) iron borates

Temperature dependent neutron diffraction studies were performed on SmFe(3)(BO(3))(4). The crystallographic structure was determined to stay as R32 over the whole studied temperature range of 2?K?相似文献   

Directly diode-pumped Yb:KY(WO(4))(2) regenerative amplifiers

Two Yb(3+) -doped KY(WO(4))(2) regenerative amplifiers, one end pumped by two 1.6-W single-stripe diodes at 940 nm and the other side pumped by one 20-W diode bar at 980 nm, are demonstrated. When the regenerative amplifiers are injected, 40-muJ , 400-fs and 65-muJ , 460-fs pulses at a 1-kHz repetition rate are obtained following compression from the end- and side-pumped amplifiers, respectively.     

Diode-pumped Yb:Sr(3)Y(BO(3))(3) femtosecond laser

We have developed a diode-pumped Yb(3+)Sr(3)Y(BO(3))(3) (Yb:BOYS) laser generating 69-fs pulses, at a central wavelength of 1062 nm. This laser is mode locked by use of a semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror and emits 80 mW of average power at 113 MHz. This is, to our knowledge, the first mode-locked Yb:BOYS laser and the shortest duration obtained from an ytterbium laser with a crystalline host. The central wavelength can be tuned from 1051 to 1070 nm, for sub-100-fs pulses. We have also achieved an average power as high as 300 mW with pulse duration of 86 fs at 1068 nm.     

Output-coupling-dependent polarization state of a continuous-wave Yb:YCa4O(BO3)3 laser

High-power continuous-wave laser operation was demonstrated with a y-cut Yb:YCa(4)O(BO(3))(3) crystal, showing critical dependence on the output coupler used. Polarized laser oscillation with E||x was obtained at 1085.6 nm by using a coupler of 0.5% transmission, yielding an output power of 7.3 W with an optical-to-optical efficiency of 63%. Higher output couplings (>/=2%) led to polarized oscillation with E||z at laser wavelengths 相似文献   

Efficient and tunable diode-pumped femtosecond Yb:glass lasers

Diode-pumped Yb:phosphate and Yb:silicate glass lasers have been passively mode locked for the first time to the authors' knowledge. Reliable self-starting mode locking without critical cavity alignment has been achieved with intracavity semiconductor saturable-absorber mirrors and soliton mode locking. We generated pulses as short as 58 fs with the Yb:phosphate laser and 61 fs with the Yb:silicate laser at average output powers of 65 and 53 mW, respectively. The pulse repetition rate was 112 MHz. Additionally, we demonstrated tunability of femtosecond pulses from 1025 to 1065 nm for the Yb:phosphate and from 1030 to 1082 nm for the Yb:silicate glasses. The highest mode-locked output power was 405 mW, with 183-fs pulses from the phosphate glass. The diode pump power was 1.68 W, corresponding to 24% optical-to-optical efficiency. The highest cw output power was 510 mW at the same incident pump power.     

Spectroscopy and continuous-wave diode-pumped laser action of Yb3+:YVO4

The growth, spectroscopic properties, and laser performance of Yb:YVO4 crystal with laser diode pumping are reported. A peak absorption cross section of 7.4 x 10(-20) cm2 at 985 nm, a radiative lifetime of 0.25 ms, and a stimulated-emission cross section of 1.25 x 10(-20) cm2 at 1008 nm for pi polarization were determined for the Yb3+ ions in YVO4. Continuous-wave laser action of Yb:YVO4 at 1020-1027 nm was demonstrated with an output power of 610 mW and a slope efficiency of 49%.     

Energy transfer between Yb3+ and Er3+ ions in an Er,Yb:YAl3(BO3)4 crystal

The electron-excitation energy transfer between Er³⁺ and Yb³⁺ ions in Er,Yb:YAl₃(BO₃)₄ crystals has been investigated. Crystals with different concentrations of active ions have been grown, and their luminescence decay kinetics in the spectral range near 1 μm have been experimentally measured. The energy-transfer microparameters have been calculated. It is shown that, to correctly describe the energy transfer in Er,Yb:YAl₃(BO₃)₄ crystals, one must take into account the interactions of higher orders than dipole-dipole interactions.     

Diode-pumped passively mode-locked Er,Yb:YAl3(BO3)4 laser at 1.5-1.6 microm

We report the first demonstration to our knowledge of passive mode locking in a diode-pumped Er(3+) and Yb(3+) codoped YAl(3)(BO(3))(4) laser operating in the 1.5-1.6 microm spectral region. Low-loss GaInNAs quantum-well semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors are used for the initiation and stabilization of the ultrashort-pulse generation. Pulses as short as 4.8 ps were generated at 1530 nm with an average output power up to 280 mW for 2 W of absorbed pump power produced by a high-brightness tapered 980 nm laser diode. Passive mode locking has also been demonstrated around 1555 nm with typical average powers of around 100 mW and pulse durations of 5.1 ps.     

Efficient continuous-wave and Q-switched operation of a diode-pumped Yb:KLu(WO4)2 laser with self-Raman conversion

Efficient cw and passively Q-switched operation with self-stimulated Raman scattering conversion was demonstrated in a compact diode-pumped Yb:KLu(WO4)2 laser. A cw output power of 3.28 W was obtained with an optical efficiency of 48.2% and a slope efficiency of 78.2% with respect to the incident pump power. Stable Q-switched operation was achieved with a Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber, generating 32.4 microJ fundamental pulses with a duration of 1.41 ns at 1030.6 nm and 14.4 microJ Raman pulses with a duration of 0.71 ns at 1137.6 nm. At an incident pump power of 7.0 W, the average output power reached 0.9 and 0.4 W for fundamental and Raman radiation, with slope efficiencies of 32.1% and 14.1%, respectively.     

YAB晶体中Yb3+到Er3+的能量传递

1.55 μm波段是光通讯的一个重要波段,而且对人眼安全,有高的大气透过率,因此可以广泛应用于通讯和遥感测距等领域。由于Er³⁺离子对商品化的InGaAs激光二极管的抽运波长不能有效吸收,因此一般通过在基质中共掺杂Yb³⁺和Er³⁺离子来获得1.55 μm波段激光输出。采用助熔剂法生长了不同Yb³⁺和Er³⁺掺杂浓度的YAl₃(BO₃)₄(YAB)晶体。运用速率方程模型研究了晶体中Yb³⁺到Er³⁺能量传递过程,得到了根据Yb³⁺离子的荧光寿命计算能量传递系数的简单计算公式。计算了不同掺杂离子浓度的YAB晶体中的能量传递系数等相关参数。结果表明,在YAB晶体中,Yb³⁺到Er³⁺能量传递非常有效,YAB晶体可以作为一种能获得1.55 μm激光输出的良好介质材料。