Passively Q-switched laser operation in a composite Nd:YVO4/Nd:YVO4/Nd:YVO4 crystal with a GaAs saturable absorber

By using a piece of GaAs wafer as the saturable absorber, the performance of the passively Q-switched composite Nd:YVO₄ laser with different output couplers has been demonstrated for the first time as far as we know. The largest continuous wave output power of 1.52 W is obtained at the incident pump power of 5.31 W, giving an optical conversion efficiency of 28.7% and a slope efficiency of 30.2%. The shortest pulse width of 11 ns, the largest single-pulse energy of 2.49 μJ and the highest peak power of 190 W are also obtained.     

Diode-pumped doubly Q-switched mode-locked YVO4/Nd:YVO4 laser with AO and GaAs saturable absorber

By using both acousto-optic (AO) modulator and GaAs saturable absorber, a diode-pumped doubly Q-switched and mode-locked (QML) YVO₄/Nd:YVO₄ laser is presented. The average output power and the pulse width of the Q-switched envelope have been measured. The Q-switch pulse energy of the doubly QML laser are higher than that only with GaAs. The stability of the QML laser with the dual-loss-modulation is significantly improved if compared to that only with GaAs.The experimental results show that the doubly QML YVO₄/Nd:YVO₄ laser has nearly 80% modulation depth and deeper than that of the singly passively QML pulse. The doubly Q-switched mode-locked pulse inside the Q-switched envelope has a repetition rate of 111 MHz and its pulse width is estimated to be about 700 ps. By using a hyperbolic secant square function and considering the Gaussian distribution of the intracavity photon density, the coupled equations for diode-pumped dual-loss-modulated QML laser is given and the numerical solutions of the equations are in good agreement with the experimental results.     

Nd:YVO4自受激拉曼激光器调Q锁模特性

利用Nd:YVO4激光晶体的自受激拉曼效应,结合Cr:YAG被动锁模技术和倍频技术,实现了结构紧凑的1176 nm和588 nm黄光锁模激光输出。激光器为LD端面泵浦,三镜折叠腔结构,并且采用了透过率为10%的输出镜。Nd:YVO4晶体长度为10 mm,Nd3+离子掺杂质量分数为0.2%,Cr:YAG晶体的初始透过率为67%。10 W激光泵浦时,1176 nm激光平均输出功率为123 mW,调Q包络宽度为6 ns,调Q包络内的锁模脉冲重复频率高达1 GHz。588.2 nm 黄光的平均输出功率为8 mW。     

Q-switched and mode-locked diode-pumped Nd:YVO4 laser with an intracavity composite semiconductor saturable absorber

We have demonstrated a passively Q-switched and mode-locked Nd:YVO₄ laser with an intracavity composite semiconductor saturable absorber (ICSSA). Stable Q-switched and mode-locked pulses with Q-switched envelope pulse duration of 180 ns and pulse repetition rate of 72 KHz have been obtained. The maximum average output power was 1.45 W at 8 W incident pump power. The repetition rate of the mode-locked pulses inside the Q-switched envelope was 154 MHz. Experimental results revealed that this ICSSA was suitable for Q-switched and mode-locked solid-state lasers.     

High repetition rate passively Q-switched diode-pumped Nd:YVO4 laser

We demonstrated an efficient and compact, diode-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:YVO₄ laser operation at 1.064 μm wavelength with high repetition rate, using Cr⁴⁺:YAG as saturable absorber, formed with a simple flat–flat resonator. The maximum CW output power of 4.05 W was obtained at the incident pump power of 8 W. For Q-switched operation, the maximum average output power was measured to be 1.4 W with the corresponding repetition rate of 200 kHz, the pulse width of 60 ns when the initial transmission of Cr⁴⁺:YAG crystal was 85%. The shortest pulse width of 12 ns, the largest pulse energy of 36 μJ and the highest peak power of 3 kW were obtained when the Cr⁴⁺:YAG crystal with an initial transmission of 60% was used.     

The thermal effect in diode-end-pumped continuous-wave 914-nm Nd:YVO4 laser

The thermal effect and the heat generation in diode-end-pumped continuous-wave 914-nm Nd:YVO₄ lasers are investigated in detail. A theoretical model of a diode end-pumped solid-state laser is constructed to analyse the influence of fractional thermal loading on the thermal effect in the Nd:YVO₄ laser based on finite element analysis. The thermal focal lengths and the end-surface deformations of laser rods in Nd:YVO₄ quasi-three-level and four-level lasers are measured and compared with the results obtained by ordinary interferometry for the demonstration of higher thermal loading in 914-nm laser. Finally the fractional thermal loading in the Nd:YVO₄ quasi-three-level laser is calculated by matching the experimental and the simulated end deformations.     

LD-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4 infrared and green lasers

A laser diode directly end-pumped, passively Q-switched Nd:YVO₄/Cr:YAG laser is presented in this paper. With 600 mW incident pump laser, Q-switched 1064 nm laser with an average power of 138 mW, pulse width of 19.8 ns, repetition rate of 170.1 kHz and peak power of 40.96 W is obtained. When a KTP crystal was inserted into the cavity, Q-switched 532 nm laser with an average power of 56 mW, pulse width of 28.4 ns, repetition rate of 118.2 kHz and peak power of 16.7 W is obtained at last.     

Characterization of laser-diode end-pumped intracavity frequency doubled, passively Q-switched and mode-locked Nd:YVO4 laser

Simultaneous Q-switching and mode-locking in a laser-diode end-pumped intracavity frequency doubled Nd:YVO₄/KTP green laser using Cr⁴⁺:YAG saturable absorber is experimentally demonstrated. The influence of the initial transmission (T₀) of the Cr⁴⁺:YAG crystal on the Q-switched mode-locked green pulses as well as on the average green power is characterized by using Cr⁴⁺:YAG crystal with various T₀. The effect of T₀ on the pulse build-up time in intracavity second harmonic configuration is theoretically investigated. It was found that the depth of modulation for the mode-locked pulses is greatly improved at the second harmonic wavelength as compared to that for the fundamental wavelength. The average pulse duration of the individual mode-locked pulse for the second harmonic beam measured to be less than 500 ps with a repetition rate of 400 MHz.     

Efficient and compact intracavity-frequency-doubled YVO4/Nd:YVO4/KTP laser through analysis of the interaction length

In this paper, a stable end-pumped intracavity-frequency-doubled green laser was demonstrated. The interaction length of different pump systems before setting up the experiment was analyzed in order to find out an effective pump system. The experimental results indicate that the pump system in our configuration is beneficial to the efficient CW Nd lasers. A continue-grown composite crystal YVO₄/Nd:YVO₄, with Nd³⁺ concentration doping of 0.3 at.%, is used as laser medium. With an incident pump power of 27.5 W, as high as 7.2 W of CW output power at 532 nm was achieved. The optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 26.2% was obtained in CW modes with a flat-flat cavity design.     

A novel orthogonally linearly polarized Nd:YVO4 laser

We presented a novel orthogonally linearly polarized Nd:YVO₄ laser. Two pieces of a-cut grown-together composite YVO₄/Nd:YVO₄ crystals were placed in the resonant cavity with the c-axis of the two crystals orthogonally. The polarization and power performance of the orthogonally polarized laser were investigated. A 26.2-W orthogonally linearly polarized laser was obtained. The power ratio between the two orthogonally polarized lasers was varied with the pump power caused by the polarized mode coupling. The longitudinal modes competition and the corresponding variable optical beats were also observed from the orthogonally polarized laser. We also adjusted the crystals with their c-axis parallele to each other, and a 40.7-W linearly polarized TEM₀₀ laser was obtained, and the beam quality factors were M²_x=1.37 and M²_y=1.25.     

Nd:YVO4自受激拉曼激光器调Q锁模特性

利用Nd:YVO4激光晶体的自受激拉曼效应,结合Cr:YAG被动锁模技术和倍频技术,实现了结构紧凑的1176 nm和588 nm黄光锁模激光输出。激光器为LD端面泵浦,三镜折叠腔结构,并且采用了透过率为10%的输出镜。Nd:YVO4晶体长度为10 mm,Nd3+离子掺杂质量分数为0.2%,Cr:YAG晶体的初始透过率为67%。10 W激光泵浦时,1176 nm激光平均输出功率为123 mW,调Q包络宽度为6 ns,调Q包络内的锁模脉冲重复频率高达1 GHz。588.2 nm 黄光的平均输出功率为8 mW。     

Continuous-wave diode-laser end-pumped Nd:YVO4/KTP high-power solid-state green laser

A simple folded-cavity used for intracavity frequency-doubled Nd:YVO₄ laser was analyzed by transmission matrix and numerical calculation. We have selected a set of proper cavity parameters which can be used readily by operating at high power levels with low threshold, high efficiency, and wide dynamic operating range. 5.6-W TEM₀₀ green laser has been obtained at a 22-W pumping power and with an optical–optical conversion efficiency of 25.5%.     

A comparative study of continuous laser operation on the F3/2-I9/2 transitions of Nd:GdVO4 and Nd:YVO4 crystals

A comparative study of Nd:GdVO₄ and Nd:YVO₄ crystal lasers pumped by a fiber-coupled diode array has been conducted at the ⁴F_3/2-⁴I_9/2 transitions wavelengths of 912 nm and 914 nm, as well as when intracavity frequency-doubled to 456 nm and 457 nm, respectively. At the fundamental wavelength of 912 nm and second harmonic wavelength of 456 nm, maximum output powers from the Nd:GdVO₄ crystal laser were 7.85 W and 4.6 W at a pump power of 29 W. All the results obtained from Nd:GdVO₄ were superior to those of Nd:YVO₄, indicating that Nd:GdVO₄ is a more efficient laser crystal than Nd:YVO₄ for laser operation on the ⁴F_3/2-⁴I_9/2 transitions.     

High-efficiency longitudinally-pumped miniature Nd:YVO4 laser

We report on fundamental and intracavity frequency-doubled emission in a miniature Nd:YVO₄ (3×3×1 mm) laser. A maximum slope efficiency of η_s=58.6%, with optical efficiency of η₀=53.0% at 780 mW pump power was realized in a TEM₀₀ output beam. To obtain the optimum pump-beam focusing conditions we applied a new formalism in which the pump-beam propagation in the active medium was described by its M² factor. A good agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental results was observed. In second-harmonic regime, obtained by a KTP crystal, 230 mW green power that corresponds to 54% nonlinear conversion efficiency was reached.     

Thermal effects of the diode end-pumped Nd:YVO4 slab

The thermal effects of the diode end-pumped Nd:YVO₄ slab laser crystal are investigated both analytically and numerically. The theoretical model is established with considering the divergence of the pump beam in the slab. A detailed theoretical analysis of the temperature, stress and the focal length of thermal lens are presented. Using 3D finite element analysis, an accurate numerical solution based on the theoretical model is achieved. Our analysis includes the thermal fracture damage of the thermally and optically anisotropic slab and the predicated values are compared with the experimental results.     

Passively Q-switched Nd:GdVO4 laser with GaAs saturable absorber

A xenon flash-lamp-pumped, passively Q-switched Nd:GdVO₄ laser with GaAs semiconductor saturable absorber is demonstrated. The static laser performance is investigated and the static output is 52 mJ when the pump energy is 9.45 J. The dynamic laser has the highest slope efficiency when the GaAs wafer is both the saturable absorber and output coupler. Pulses with duration of 64 ns and dynamic output of 47.6 mJ are obtained when the pump energy is 9.45 J. The highest dynamic–static ratio is 0.9:1. The coupled rate equations are used to simulate the Q-switched process of laser. The theoretical and experimental results are compared and discussed.     

LD-pumped actively Q-switched Nd:GdVO4/KTP red laser

LD-pumped actively Q-switched intracavity frequency-doubled Nd:GdVO₄/KTP red laser has been introduced. A maximum red average output power of 0.78 W at 671 nm was obtained at pulse-repetition frequency (PRF) of 15 kHz and the optical conversion efficiency was 6.5%. At the incident pump power of 12 W, the shortest laser pulse occurred at PRF of 15 kHz. Its full-width at half-maximum and the highest peak power were measured to be 35.8 ns and 3.38 kW. The largest single pulse energy of 56.3 μJ was achieved at PRF of 10 kHz. The influence factors on the Q-switched Nd:GdVO₄/KTP red laser have been discussed.     

Analysis of a diode-pumped Nd:YVO4 laser passively Q switched with GaAs

A diode-pumped Nd:YVO₄ laser passively Q switched with GaAs is studied theoretically and experimentally. We have demonstrated the influence of single-photon absorption, two-photon absorption and free-carrier absorption in GaAs on the Q-switched pulse characteristics. The pulse profile, pulse energy and pulse width of the Q switching with GaAs are simulated by using the conventional rate equations of the four-level laser system. The experimental results show reasonable agreement with the theoretical results on the whole.     

激光二极管抽运Nd:YVO4晶体的三维热效应分析

针对激光二极管抽运的以Nd:YVO4板条晶体为增益介质的激光器件,基于有限容积法数值分析各向异性介质的热传导方程,给出了Nd:YVO4晶体板条结构的热分布数值模型,并分别模拟仿真了808nm半导体激光器双端端面抽运,大面均匀抽运,大面周期分布抽运三种抽运结构,得到了Nd:YVO4板条晶体在这三种抽运结构下的非稳态时不同时刻的温度曲线和稳态时的三维温度分布切面图.     

Passively Q-switched Nd:GdVO4 laser with In0.25Ga0.75As being an output coupler

We report a diode-end-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:GdVO₄ laser operating at 1.06 μm with In_0.25Ga_0.75As being the saturable absorber as well as an output coupler. Q-switched pulses with a pulse duration of 20 ns, pulse energy 4.2 μJ and pulse repetition rate 200 kHz were produced, corresponding to peak power of 210 W.