RESUMO
A new type of Q switching for a flash-lamp-pumped Nd:YAG laser based on the saturable absorption of rudibium dimers is demonstrated. The variation of laser parameters such as output energy, pulse length, and repetition rate by means of temperature-controlled vapor pressure is shown. For a temperature of 320°C, a train of 40-ns pulses separated by 6-µs intervals is generated. When the temperature is 360°C, a single giant pulse with energy of 100 mJ and a pulse length of 10-15 ns is observed. Comparison with a solid-state passive Q switch based on LiF is provided. The new cell construction, consisting of a sealed-off sapphire cell containing rubidium vapor, is proposed for reliable, efficient, adjustable Q switchingthat is applicable to all types of solid-state lasers. The advantages of this mechanism of Q switching, such as thermal insensitivity, frequency locking and line narrowing, and wide spectral bandwidth, covering 0.6-1.3 µm, are discussed.
