The eye-safe Q-switched Er:YAG laser

W. Zendzian; J. Jabczynski; L. Galecki; L. Gorajek; J. Kwiatkowski; H. Jelinkowa; M. Nemec; J. Šulc

doi:10.1117/12.853700

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17 May 2010 The eye-safe Q-switched Er:YAG laser

W. Zendzian, J. Jabczynski, L. Galecki, L. Gorajek, J. Kwiatkowski, H. Jelinkowa, M. Nemec, J. Šulc

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Proceedings Volume 7721, Solid State Lasers and Amplifiers IV, and High-Power Lasers; 772114 (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.853700
Event: SPIE Photonics Europe, 2010, Brussels, Belgium

Abstract

The study describes the efficient, acousto-optic Q-switching of the Er:YAG laser at the 1645 nm 'eye-safe' wavelength. For longitudinal pumping at the wavelength of 1532 nm, a linearly-polarized 10 W erbium fiber laser radiation was used. The investigated Er:YAG crystal was 40 mm long and its erbium concentration was 0.25 %. The active crystal was mounted in a copper heat-sink maintaining a 15°C temperature of coolant water. For giant pulse generation, the fused-silica acousto-optic modulator was inserted inside the Er:YAG laser oscillator near the output mirror of the resonator. Laser output characteristics were performed depending on the parameters of output coupler reflectance (R= 95%, 90%, 85%) and the repetition rate (from 0.1 to 10 kHz). In free running experiments almost 2.8 W of output power with 55% slope efficiency with respect to incident pump power was obtained. In Q-switching regime the high peak power generation was demonstrated. For maximum incident pump power of 7.8 W, pulse energy up to 4 mJ was generated with a pulse duration less than 40 ns at a 500-Hz repetition rate, which corresponds to nearly 110 kW of peak power. This laser source can find application as a transmitter in 'eye-safe' rangefinders, ladars etc.

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W. Zendzian, J. Jabczynski, L. Galecki, L. Gorajek, J. Kwiatkowski, H. Jelinkowa, M. Nemec, and J. Šulc "The eye-safe Q-switched Er:YAG laser", Proc. SPIE 7721, Solid State Lasers and Amplifiers IV, and High-Power Lasers, 772114 (17 May 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.853700

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