Title :
A kilohertz repetition rate 1.9 μm H2 Raman oscillator
Author :
Stewart, Robert B. ; Kung, Robert T V
Author_Institution :
ABIOMED, Danvers, MA, USA
fDate :
10/1/1989 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
Raman conversion of a high-repetition-rate Q-switched Nd:YAG laser using a gaseous H2 Raman medium is reported. With a H2 cell placed in a focusing intracavity Raman oscillator, 3 W of average power at 1.9 μm was obtained from a 15-W 1.06-μm laser operating at 2 kHz. Although the pump beam was multimode, the Stokes output was diffraction limited. At kilohertz repetition rates, conversion efficiencies were improved with a flowing gas cell which substantially reduced the thermal lensing effect in the Raman medium. A rate equation approach was used to model the intracavity conversion process
Keywords :
Q-switching; Raman lasers; focusing; gas lasers; hydrogen; laser cavity resonators; laser transitions; neodymium; optical pumping; solid lasers; 1.06 micron; 1.9 micron; 15 W; 2 kHz; 3 W; H2 gas; Raman conversion; Raman oscillator; Stokes output; YAG:Nd laser; YAl5O12:Nd; conversion efficiencies; diffraction limited Stokes output; flowing gas cell; focusing intracavity Raman oscillator; gaseous H2 Raman medium; high-repetition-rate Q-switched Nd:YAG laser; intracavity conversion process; kilohertz repetition rate; multimode laser beam; pump beam; rate equation approach; thermal lensing effect; Diffraction; Equations; Gas lasers; Laser beams; Laser excitation; Laser modes; Oscillators; Power lasers; Pump lasers; Thermal lensing;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
