Continuous-wave and passively Q -switched cladding-pumped planar waveguide lasers

Greater than 12W of average output power has been generated from a diode-pumped YbYAG cladding-pumped planar waveguide laser. The laser radiation developed is linearly polarized and diffraction limited in the guiding dimension. A slope efficiency of 0.5WW with a peak optical optical conversion efficiency of 0.31WW is achieved. In a related structure, greater than 8W of Q -switched average output power has been generated from a NdYAG cladding-pumped planar waveguide laser by incorporation of a Cr 4+ YAG passive Q switch monolithically into the waveguide structure. Pulse widths of 3ns and pulse-repetition frequencies as high as 80kHz have been demonstrated. A slope efficiency of 0.28WW with a peak optical optical conversion efficiency of 0.21WW is achieved

CW and passively Q-switched double-clad planar waveguide lasers

Greater than 12 W of average output power have been generated from a diode pumped Yb:YAG cladding-pumped planar waveguide laser. The developed laser radiation is linearly polarized and diffraction limited in the guiding dimension. A slope efficiency of 0.5 W/W with a peak optical-optical conversion efficiency of 0.31 W/W is achieved. In a related structure, greater than 8 W of Q-switched average output power has been generated from a Nd:YAG cladding-pumped planar waveguide incorporating Cr:YAG passive Q-switch monolithically into the waveguide structure. Pulse widths of 3 nsec and PRFs as high as 80 kHz have been demonstrated. A slope efficiency of 0.28 W/W with a peak optical-optical conversion efficiency of 0.21 W/W is achieved

Specific heat loading in Nd:glass lasers

The specific thermal load parameter, chi, for xenon flashlamp-pumped Nd:glass gain media is written as a function of neodymium concentration, pump pulse duration, and energy extraction efficiency. The currently available data on radiative and nonradiative decay probabilities of several commercial Nd:glasses are used to calculate and graph specific thermal load parameter values. By factoring these results into performance scaling relationships for zig-zag and disk lasers, specific Nd:glasses can be selected for optimized laser performance

MATERIALS FOR DIODE PUMPED SOLID STATE LASERS

The advantages of semiconductor diode lasers and laser arrays as pump sources for solid state lasers are reviewed. The properties desired for solid state laser media for various diode pumping applications are discussed, and the characteristics of several promising media are summarized

Emission cross sections and energy extraction for the mid-infrared transitions of Er, Tm, and Ho in oxide and fluoride crystals

Emission cross sections have been measured for the transitions between the two lowest spin orbit multiplets of Er, Tm, and Ho in several fluoride and oxide crystals. Properties affecting energy extraction efficiency are summarized and pulsed extraction performance is calculated for several of these quasi-three-level laser media. 4 refs., 9 figs