Smaller Output Beam Divergence in the Slowly Opened Q-Switch Operation

The mechanism of the slowly opened Q-switch operation was investigated thoroughly. Maximum energy extraction from the resonator could be optimized, and the smallest output beam divergence could be achieved. In this article, we present a detailed analysis that has numerically verified the mode-selection mechanism in the slowly opened Q-switch operation, and the degree of the smaller output laser beam divergence that has been achieved. The mechanism of the slowly opened Q-switch operation is the inherent advantage of the passive saturable absorber in this operation. We can use the maximum energy extraction and the smallest output beam divergence results of the slowly opened Q-switch operation to design and optimize various passive saturable absorbers: plastic dye sheets, LiF:F₂⁻ color center crystals, Cr4⁺: YAG crystals, RG1000 color glass filters, and the single crystal semiconductor saturable absorber wafers that are in developed in our microchip laser systems.     

YAG固体激光器的时间延迟特性

在电光调Q激光装置上,设计了KD*P晶体电光效应验证实验,总结了简单易行的光路调整方法,测试和讨论了调Q延迟时间对激光器输出能量和脉宽的影响.结果表明,最佳延迟时间的设定可以提高激光器输出能量.     

一种新型固体Q开关——Cr^4＋：YAG的实验研究

对一种适用于Ｎｄ＾３＋：ＹＡＧ激光系统的新型波动Ｑ开关－掺铬钇铝石榴石（Ｃｒ＾４＋：ＹＡＧ）进行了实验研究，得到单脉冲量为１４５ｍＪ，脉宽为３０～４０ｎｓ，效率接近１％，动静比达４０％以上的结果。     

凝胶基质高效可调谐固态染料激光器

采用溶胶－凝胶工艺制成激光染料掺杂有机改性凝胶玻璃。用室温下调ＱＮｄ：ＹＡＧ激光器倍频光泵浦凝 胶基,成功地获得了高转换效率,长寿命,可调谐固态染料激光器的激光输出。其中ＳｉＯ２－Ｏｒｍｏｓｉｌ基质Ｐｙｒｒｏｍｅｔｈｅｎｅ５９７染料激光器,激光输出阈值低于１０μＪ,斜率效率η＝６１％,５５０－５９４ｎｍ波长范围内连续可调谐,激光输出能量下降１０％所承受的激光脉冲数大于２．５＊１０＾４个（激光泵浦频     

Brewster-oriented passive Q-switch intracavity optical parametric oscillator

The behaviour of passively Q-switched solid-state lasers containing intracavity optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) is described, and a model to optimize this system‘s performance is developed. Meanwhile, an Nd:YAG laserpumped KTiOPO4 (KTP) intracavity OPO for eye safe laser output is studied experimentally. A Brewster-oriented bis-(4-dimethylaminodithiobenzil)-nickel (BDN) dye film is employed in laser cavity, which plays the double role of a passive Q-switch and a Brewster plate, to Q-switch the light to increase its intensity and polarize the light so that the polarization plane of fundamental irradiation is perpendicular to the Z-axis of KTP serving as the OPO nonlinear crystal, thereby providing type Ⅱ phase matching conditions to generate 1.572μm eye-safe signal laser. Eye-safe signal radiations of 6.6mJ per pulse at 1.572μm wavelength and pulse width as narrow as 6.0ns (FWHM) were obtained. Peak power was up to 1.1MW.     

A type of electro-optic Q-switch designed by using optically active crystal

A type of electro-optic Q-switch is designed by using optically active crystal La₃Ga₅SiO₁₄ (abbreviated as LGS), in which the polarization plane gyration and electro-optic effect exist simultaneously. The configuration of the Q-switch is based on the consideration that the total rotation angle of the polarization plane of the polarized laser is zero, while the laser in the cavity propagates through the Pockels cell back and forth. The Q-switch placed in a Nd^{3 +}:YAG laser behaves normally, like those without optical activity. Compared with the DKDP Q-switch, the LGS Q-switch has more superiorities, which make it a suitable replacement for the DKDP Q-switch in lasers with medium-output energy.     

Diode-pumped doubly Q-switched YVO4/Nd:YVO4 laser with BBO electric-optic Q-switch and Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber

In the experiment, we have demonstrated the performance of a laser-diode, end-pumped, doubly Q-switched YVO₄/Nd:YVO₄ laser with both a BBO electric-optic (EO) Q-switch and Cr⁴⁺:YAG saturable absorber. At a maximum incident pump power of 15 W and an EO Q-switch repetition rate of 8 kHz, the stable laser pulses with the pulse duration 5.28 ns, the single pulse energy 0.14 mJ, and the pulse peak power 26 kW are obtained. The experimental results show that the double Q-switched laser with EO and Cr⁴⁺:YAG can generate the shorter pulse and the higher peak power in comparison to singly Q-switched laser with EO.     

Stable Q-switch mode-locking of Nd:YVO<Subscript>4</Subscript> lasers with a semiconductor saturable absorber

This paper reports on a passively mode-locked and Q-switched Nd:YVO₄ laser generating picosecond pulses with an average output power exceeding 7 W. In a first step Q-switch mode-locking was obtained by self Q-switching of a mode-locked oscillator with appropriate cavity design, pump power and output coupling. In a second system the Q-switching was actively controlled and stabilized by modulating the resonator internal losses with an acousto-optic modulator. In the Q-switch mode-locking operation the laser provided 12.8 ps long mode-locked pulses with a repetition rate of 80 MHz. The repetition rate of the Q-switch envelope was 185 kHz. The maximum pulse energy of a single ps pulse was 0.55 μJ which is 5.5 times the pulse energy measured for cw mode locking. The total energy of the pulses within the Q-switch envelope was 42 μJ. PACS  42.55.Xi; 42.60.Fc; 42.60.Gd     

声光调Q CO2激光器的输出特性

采用谐振腔内插入声光调制器（AOM）的方法获得了小型CO2激光器的高重频、窄脉宽、高峰值功率输出。通过分析CO2激光器声光调Q的工作原理,利用基于小信号增益和饱和光强的耦合输出数学模型给出了激光器最佳输出镜透过率的数值解,并运用相关实验装置对该数学模型进行了实验验证。理论分析和实验结果均表明：该声光调Q CO2激光器的最佳输出镜透过率为39%。研究了激光器输出性能随脉冲重复频率的变化规律,当脉冲重复频率〉1 kHz时,激光器输出峰值功率下降,这与CO2分子上能级寿命有关,并受声光调Q开关热效应的影响。实验中获得的激光器脉冲频率在1 Hz～100 kHz可调。在脉冲频率为1 kHz时,获得的激光脉冲宽度为156 ns,脉冲峰值功率为10 kW,且稳定性较好,非常适合于作激光与物质相互作用的光源。     

Polymeric saturable-absorber mirror for passive Q-switching of a laser-diode-pumped Nd3+:YVO4 microchip laser

A polymeric multilayered mirror doped with a saturable dye worked as a passive Q-switch of a laser-diode-pumped Nd(3+):YVO4 microchip laser. The multilayered mirror consisted of alternately spin-coated layers of polyvinylcarbazole (PVK) and cellulose acetate on a glass substrate. A dye of bis-(dimethylaminodithiobenzil)-nickel was doped in one of the layers of PVK, providing the repetitively Q-switched pulses. The pulse width and repetition rate were 4 ns and 68 kHz, respectively, for a laser-cavity length of 5 mm, and the average and the peak power were 40 mW and 156 W, respectively, for the highest pump power of 435 mW. The dependence of the Q-switched characteristics on the pump power and on the concentration of the doped dye is described.     

LD泵浦的Nd：YAG调Q激光器腔内倍频研究

DPL的调Q倍频是获得高重复率绿光输出的有效方法,本文研究了这种激光器的动态特性,提出存在使转换效率最高的最佳非线性耦合系数,它是调Q时反转粒子数超阈值倍数的函数.实验用国产200mWR的MQW—LDA泵浦Nd:YAG激光器,声光调Q,KTP腔内倍频,输出0.4μJ的倍频光,脉宽70ns,峰功率6W.     

Solid-state laser passively Q-switched in a new geometry

A new passive Q-switching geometry of a laser cavity has been proposed. In the proposed scheme, the volume of the passive Q-switch just partially overlaps the intracavity laser beam cross-section, leading, however, to the entire beam modulation. This technique was applied for passive Q-switching of a flash-lamp pumped multimode YAG:Nd³⁺ laser by LiF:F₂⁻ crystals. The giant pulse laser action threshold has been detected in the proposed geometry, and is lower than that in the scheme where the passive Q-switch operates in the traditional manner. Stable giant pulse oscillation of 1064 nm wavelength with a pulse duration of 24 ns, pulse energy of 450 mJ, and pulse repetition rates of up to 100 Hz, have been obtained.     

抽运角锥棱镜腔电光调Q固体激光器

利用角锥棱镜的退偏效应实现了电光调Q固体激光器的偏振耦合输出.器件采用热传导冷却半圆柱面LD阵列侧向泵浦Nd∶YAG泵浦几何,获得在20 Hz运行条件下,脉冲能量163 mJ/pulse、脉冲宽度6.5 ns、发散角3.5 mrad、能量稳定性±2.8％、光光效率16.7％的理想性能.与传统平行平面腔相比,具有效率高、峰值功率大、输出能量和脉宽可调,且输出稳定等优点.     

Laser-diode-pumped Passively Q-switched Nd:Sr5(PO4)3F Green Laser

By using a laser-diode as pump source, a Cr4+ :YAG crystal as saturable absorber for passive Q-switch and a KTP as intracavity frequency doubling crystal, we have realized the green Q-switched laser output at 0.5295 μm from a Nd: S-FAP crystal. Output green laser characteristics, such as average power, single pulse energy, pulse width, repetition rate for different small-signal transmission of Cr4+ :YAG and different pump power, were measured. Meanwhile, the coupling rate equations of intracavity frequency doubling with Cr4+ :YAG as passive Q-switch were given and the numerical solution of equations agreed with the experimental results.     

Laser-diode-pumped Passively Q-switched Nd:Sr5(PO4)3F Green Laser

By using a laser-diode as pump source, a Cr4+ :YAG crystal as saturable absorber for passive Q-switch and a KTP as intracavity frequency doubling crystal, we have realized the green Q-switched laser output at 0.5295 μm from a Nd: S-FAP crystal. Output green laser characteristics, such as average power, single pulse energy, pulse width, repetition rate for different small-signal transmission of Cr4+ :YAG and different pump power, were measured. Meanwhile, the coupling rate equations of intracavity frequency doubling with Cr4+ :YAG as passive Q-switch were given and the numerical solution of equations agreed with the experimental results.     

Q-switch operation of a c-cut 2132-nm Tm, Ho:YAP laser pumped by a laser diode of 794.3 nm

Q-switch operation of a c-cut Tm (5 at %), Ho (0.3 at %):YAP laser at 2132 nm wavelength were reported in this paper. In the temperature of 77 K, the Tm, Ho:YAP crystal was double end-pumped by a 21.4-W fiber-coupled laser diode (LD) at the center wavelength of 794.3 nm. A 5.29-W Q-switch output power was acquired at pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 10 kHz, corresponding to an optical-optical conversion efficiency of 24.7% and a slope efficiency of 28.1%. The energy per pulse of 3.57 mJ in 38 ns was achieved at 1.25 kHz with the peak power of 93.9 kW.     

Experimental analysis of a continuously pumped,repetitively Q-switched Nd/YAG laser

The threshold operation and performance of a high pulse repetition frequency Nd/YAG laser are discussed. A rotating mirror Q-switch was used, and detailed studies of the variation of Q-switched threshold with motor frequency, and of the pulse build-up time with input power have been carried out. The results indicate that the switching angle varies with mirror reflectivity but is practically independent of resonator length. The latter is attributed to thermal lens action in the laser rod modifying the nominally plane parallel resonator configuration thereby leading to a spherical configuration. Under these conditions, the switching angle becomes independent of resonator length, but depends strongly on the induced focal length of the lens (laser rod). The degrading effect on the Q-switched laser performance of the mis-match at the laser rod surfaces is then discussed and finally the conditions for achieving maximum energy output in a single pulse are derived and experimentally verified.     

LD抽运角锥棱镜腔电光调Q固体激光器

利用角锥棱镜的退偏效应实现了电光调Q固体激光器的偏振耦合输出.器件采用热传导冷却半圆柱面LD阵列侧向泵浦Nd:YAG泵浦几何,获得在20 Hz运行条件下,脉冲能量163 mJ/pulse、脉冲宽度6.5 ns、发散角3.5 mrad、能量稳定性土2.8%、光光效率16.7%的理想性能.与传统平行平面腔相比,具有效率高、峰值功率大、输出能量和脉宽可调,且输出稳定等优点.     

Continuous wave and AO Q-switch operation of a b-cut Tm,Ho:YAP laser with dual wavelengths pumped by a laser diode of 792 nm

Continuous wave (CW) and AO Q-switch operation of a b-cut Tm,Ho:YAP laser with dual wavelengths were reported in this paper. In the temperature of 77 K, the b-cut Tm,Ho:YAP crystal was double endpumped by a 7.21-W fiber-coupled laser diode (LD) at the center wavelength of 792 nm. A 1.17-W Q-switch output power was acquired at pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 10 kHz, corresponding to an effective optical-optical conversion efficiency of 25.9% and an effective slope efficiency of 31.5%. The energy per pulse of 0.46 mJ in 100 ns was achieved at 2.5 kHz with the peak power of 4.6 kW.     

掺杂红外染料聚叠氮缩水甘油醚工质激光烧蚀推进性能优化探索

选择含能聚合物聚叠氮缩水甘油醚(GAP)作为激光烧蚀微推力器的工质,分析了红外染料掺杂对激光烧蚀GAP工质推进性能的影响.通过对比掺杂红外染料GAP在不同激光功率密度、掺杂浓度、靶材厚度和激光烧蚀模式下的推进性能数据和烧蚀羽流,初步探索了掺杂红外染料GAP工质的推进性能优化方式.实验结果表明:透射式激光烧蚀模式下,激光能量的指数衰减特性和掺杂红外染料GAP的强黏性使得烧蚀羽流中易存在未充分烧蚀的工质; GAP的推进性能受红外染料掺杂浓度和靶材厚度的综合影响,当靶材厚度与激光吸收深度接近时,靶材充分吸收激光能量使中心烧蚀区达到化学能释放的温度阈值,同时沿激光传播方向未充分烧蚀的质量最少,此时推进性能达到最优值.反射式下掺杂红外染料的聚合物的激光烧蚀过程遵循"先吸收激光能量先喷射"的规律,工质分解充分,推进性能优于透射式.