Title :
Repetitive Q-switching of a CW Nd:YAG laser using Cr4+:YAG saturable absorbers
Author :
Shimony, Y. ; Burshtein, Z. ; Baranga, A. Ben-Amar ; Kalisky, Y. ; Strauss, M.
Author_Institution :
Nuclear Res. Center-Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
fDate :
2/1/1996 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
Repetitive Q-switching of a CW pumped Nd:YAG laser using a Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber was achieved for the first time, providing pulses 80-300 ns wide (FWHM) with repetition rates ranging between 2 and 29 kHz. Different ranges of repetition rates and pulse widths are obtained by using absorbers of different optical densities. Satisfactory quantitative description of the experimental results is obtained by a full numerical solution of the system rate equations according to the theory of Powell and Wolga. These equations involve the dynamics of the laser population inversion, the absorber state population, and the photon density in the laser cavity
Keywords :
Q-switching; chromium; garnets; laser cavity resonators; laser theory; neodymium; optical pumping; optical saturable absorption; population inversion; solid lasers; yttrium compounds; 80 to 300 ns; CW Nd:YAG laser; CW pumped Nd:YAG laser; Cr4+:YAG saturable absorbers; YAG:Cr; YAG:Nd; YAl5O12:Cr; YAl5O12:Nd; absorber state population; full numerical solution; laser cavity; laser population inversion; optical densities; photon density; pulse widths; repetition rates; repetitive Q-switching; system rate equations; Chromium; Equations; Laser excitation; Laser modes; Laser stability; Laser theory; Neodymium; Optical pulses; Optical pumping; Optical resonators; Power lasers; Pump lasers; Solid lasers; Space vector pulse width modulation;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
