A compact diode-end-pumped passively Q-switched dual-wavelength c-cut Tm,Ho:LuLiF 4 laser with a Cr:ZnS crystal as the saturable absorber is demonstrated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The maximum dual-wavelength average output power of 60 mW is obtained at 2065 and 2067 nm for the output coupler transmission of 5%, when the absorbed pump power is 2 W. The pulse width and pulse energy are about 54 ns and 6.5 µJ respectively, and are nearly independent of the absorbed pump power. The pulse repetition frequency can be tuned between 3 and 8.8 kHz by changing the absorbed pump power between 0.67 and 1.8 W. Furthermore, the influence of output coupler transmission on the laser performance is also investigated.
We first report on the polarization switching and optical bistability in the Tm,Ho:LLF laser. In the free-running operation, the switching of the π-polarization at 2069 nm and σ-polarization at 2066 nm are experimentally observed. By adjusting the tilting angle of an intracavity etalon, the orthogonally polarized dual-wavelength single-longitudinal-mode laser is obtained at 2054 and 2066 nm, and the π-polarized and σ-polarized single wavelength single-longitudinal-mode laser is obtained at 2057 and 2063 nm, which all show evident optical bistability.
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