Title :
Diode-pumped ytterbium-doped Sr5(PO4)3 F laser performance
Author :
Marshall, C.D. ; Smith, L.K. ; Beach, R.J. ; Emanuel, M.A. ; Schaffers, K.I. ; Skidmore, J. ; Payne, S.A. ; Chai, B.H.T.
Author_Institution :
Lawrence Livermore Nat. Lab., CA, USA
fDate :
4/1/1996 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
The performance of the first diode-pumped Yb3+-doped Sr 5(PO4)3F (Yb:S-FAP) solid-state laser is discussed. An InGaAs diode array has been fabricated that has suitable specifications for pumping a 3×3×30 mm Yb:S-FAP rod. The saturation fluence for diode pumping was deduced to be 5.5 J/cm 2 for the particular 2.8 kW peak power diode array utilized in our studies. This is 2.5× higher than the intrinsic 2.2 J/cm 2 saturation fluence as is attributed to the 6.5 nm bandwidth of our diode pump array. The small signal gain is consistent with the previously measured emission cross section of 6.0×10-20 cm2, obtained from a narrowband-laser pumped gain experiment. Up to 1.7 J/cm3 of stored energy density was achieved in a 6×6×44 mm Yb:S-FAP amplifier rod. In a free running configuration, diode-pumped slope efficiencies up to 43% (laser output energy/absorbed pump energy) were observed with output energies up to ~0.5 J per 1 ms pulse. When the rod was mounted in a copper block for cooling, 13 W of average power was produced with power supply limited operation at 70 Hz with 500 μs pulses
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; gallium arsenide; indium compounds; laser beams; optical pumping; semiconductor laser arrays; solid lasers; strontium compounds; ytterbium; 0.5 J; 1 ms; 13 W; 2.8 kW; 43 percent; 500 mus; 70 Hz; InGaAs; InGaAs diode array; Sr5(PO4)3F:Yb; Yb3+:Sr5(PO4)3F; absorbed pump energy; average power; diode pump array; diode pumping; diode-pumped laser; diode-pumped slope efficiencies; emission cross section; free running configuration; laser output energy; laser performance; narrowband-laser pumped gain experiment; output energies; peak power diode array; power supply limited operation; saturation fluence; signal gain; solid-state laser; stored energy density; Bandwidth; Diodes; Gain measurement; Indium gallium arsenide; Laser excitation; Pulse amplifiers; Pulsed power supplies; Pump lasers; Solid lasers; Strontium;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
