Compact passively Q-switched diode-pumped Tm:LiLuF_4 laser with 126 mJ output energy

Abstract

We demonstrate efficient continuous-wave (CW) and passively Q-switched Tm:LiLuF(4) laser operation near 1.9 μm. The CW slope efficiency reached 54.8% with respect to absorbed power. Stable passive Q-switching with Cr(2+):ZnS saturable absorbers resulted in minimum pulse duration of 7.6 ns and maximum pulse energy and peak power of 1.26 mJ and 166 kW, respectively.

Passively Q-switched Nd:YAlO_3 nanosecond laser using MoS_2 as saturable absorber

“…From the viewpoint of materials, SAs used so far can be grouped into three categories, namely transition-metal-ion-doped materials, semiconductors and nanosheets materials. Transition-metal-ion-doped SAs mainly include Cr 4+ -doped host crystals like Cr:YAG [1], Cr:GSGG [2], Cr:YSO [3], Cr:SFS or Cr:CGS [4], but also Cr 2+ -, V 3+ -and Co 2+ -doped crystals like Cr:ZnSe, Cr:ZnS [5], Cr:CdMnTe [6], V:YAG [7], Co:MALO and Co:LMA [8]. SESAMs (semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors) [9] are the representative of semiconductor SAs.…”

Tm 3+ doped α-NaYF 4 single crystal for 2 μm laser application

“…[1][2][3]. Many Tm 3+ doped single crystals such as LiLuF 4 and LiYF 4 [4,5] have been synthesized as media for lasers operating at $2.0 lm.…”

Passively Q-switched mode-locking of Tm:YAP laser based on Cr:ZnS saturable absorber

“…In particular, the Cr:ZnS absorber shows great potential for passive Q-switching of rare-earth-doped lasers on account of the roughly one order of magnitude higher absorption and emission cross sections than those of rare-earth ions around 2 μm. Currently, the Cr:ZnS SAs have been applied in many kinds of passively Q-switched lasers at 2 μm, such as Tm:LiLuF 4 , Tm,Ho:YLF, Tm; Ho:GdVO 4 , and Tm:YLF [19][20][21][22]. However, as far as we know, there has been no report on the QML laser with Cr:ZnS as the SA around 2 μm.…”