Title :
Tunable single-frequency Yb:YAG microchip green laser
Author :
Saikawa, J. ; Kurimura, Sunao ; Shoji, Ichiro ; Taira, Takunori
Author_Institution :
Inst. for Molecular Sci., Laser Res. Center, Okazaki, Japan
Abstract :
Summary form only given. Yb:YAG is an attractive quasi-four level laser, because there is only one excited-state manifold. Thus there are no undesirable loss processes such as excited-state absorption, upconversion and concentration quenching. These characteristics bring about several advantages relative to Nd:YAG for diode laser pumping, which are a high quantum efficiency of over 90%, reduced heat generation in the laser material and a longer upper-state lifetime of nearly 1 ms. In addition, the wide emission bandwidth of the material around 1 /spl mu/m allows tunable and/or mode-locked operation. Specifically, a widely tunable green laser is achievable around the Ar-ion laser wavelength of 515 nm by frequency doubling. Therefore a frequency-doubled Yb:YAG laser is able to replace an Ar-ion laser and its applications. We report a widely tunable intracavity frequency-doubled Yb:YAG microchip laser in single-axial-mode oscillation.
Keywords :
laser beams; laser mode locking; laser modes; laser tuning; micro-optics; optical harmonic generation; optical pumping; solid lasers; ytterbium; 1 mum; 515 nm; 90 percent; Ar; Ar-ion laser wavelength; YAG:Yb; YAl5O12:Yb; Yb:YAG laser; Yb:YAG microchip green laser; diode laser pumping; emission bandwidth; excited-state manifold; frequency doubling; laser material; loss processes; mode-locked operation; quantum efficiency; quasi-four level laser; reduced heat generation; tunable operation; tunable single-frequency microchip green laser; upper-state lifetime; widely tunable green laser; Absorption; Diode lasers; Frequency; Heat pumps; Laser excitation; Laser mode locking; Microchip lasers; Optical materials; Pump lasers; Tunable circuits and devices;
Conference_Titel :
Lasers and Electro-Optics, 2000. (CLEO 2000). Conference on
Conference_Location :
San Francisco, CA, USA
Print_ISBN :
1-55752-634-6
DOI :
10.1109/CLEO.2000.907220
