Abstract
A comparison of the CW laser performance of the 5I7-5I8 transition at 2 μm in erbium-thulium-sensitized Ho: YLF and Ho: YAG (αβHo: YLF and αβHo: YAG) crystals at liquid nitrogen temperature is reported. Multimode laser output power above 60 W was obtained with two compositions of αβHo: YLF (with a rod size of 5 mm in diameter and 75 mm in length) with 4.1 percent efficiency and 4.75 percent slope efficiency. Thermal load measurements on αβHo: YLF and αβHo: YAG laser rods and effects of the pumping lamp on the laser yield are also presented. Preliminary results on single-pulse operation of both αβHo: YLF and αβHo: YAG lasers in the free-running mode in the temperature range of 83-230 K are also reported. The laser threshold in both YLF and YAG is constant up to 110 K and increases with temperature above 110 K. The laser slope efficiency in YAG is quite constant up to 150 K, above which it decreases with temperature, while in the YLF the slope efficiency has a broad maximum around 150 K. The net result in YLF is a broad maximum of the laser output power around 130 K at high pumping levels.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1193-1200 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Jan 1988 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering