RESUMO
A diode-pumped Tm,Ho:KLu(WO4)2 microchip laser passively Q-switched with a Cr:ZnS saturable absorber generated an average output power of 131 mW at 2063.6 nm with a slope efficiency of 11% and a Q-switching conversion efficiency of 58%. The pulse characteristics were 14 ns/9 µJ at a pulse repetition frequency of 14.5 kHz. With higher modulation depth of the saturable absorber, 9 ns/10.4 µJ/8.2 kHz pulses were generated at 2061.1 nm, corresponding to a record peak power extracted from a passively Q-switched Tm,Ho laser of 1.15 kW. A theoretical model is presented, predicting the pulse energy and duration. The simulations are in good agreement with the experimental results.
RESUMO
This work reports on a liquid-nitrogen-cooled, SESAM mode-locked Yb:YGAG (Yb:Y(3)Ga(2)Al(3)O(12)) ceramic laser. The Yb:YGAG has a similar structure to Yb:YAG, but its emission spectrum at low temperature remains much broader, which is suitable for ultrashort pulse generation and amplification. A stable pulse train with 119-MHz repetition rate was obtained at a wavelength of 1026 nm. The measured pulse duration is 2.4 ps, which is more than four times shorter than that achieved with a cryogenically-cooled Yb:YAG. Furthermore, laser performance of the Yb:YGAG ceramics in continuous-wave operation and wavelength tunability at 80 K was investigated.