Microsecond red laser pulses via overcoupled intracavity second harmonic generation

Abstract

Due to their advantages, solid-state lasers are widely used in a number of material processing technological processes. In addition, such features as non-invasive, selective, self-limiting and precise interaction contribute to many laser applications in medicine (surgery, ophthalmology, dermatology and dentistry) and art-work conservation. It is very important however to be able to remove specific layer of material while preserving adjacent ones. It requires in turn careful choice of laser radiation parameters such as fluency and interaction duration.According to few publications and own experience, microsecond laser pulses seem to meet these requirements [1,2].In the present paper, a setup of Nd: Y AG laser operated at 1.32 11m with intracavity second harmonic generation is presented. In the overcoupled regime [3] at the output, the laser allowed to achieve red pulses at wavelength of 0.66 11m with variable duration ranging from several hundred nanoseconds to about 3 microseconds. The optical scheme of the laser is shown in Fig. 1.