EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE PULSE ENERGY OF PULSED LD-PUMPED ACOUSTO-OPTICALLY Q-SWITCHED TM:YAG LASERS

摘要

We study a pulsed LD-pumped high-energy acousto-optically (AO) Q-switched Tm:YAG laser. The output pulse energy is mainly influenced by the output energy at free running and the energy-extraction efficiency under Q-switching operation. The output energy at free running can be improved by optimizing the parameters of the pump source, laser cavity, and laser medium. We show that, in order to avoid the insufficiency or waste of the population inversion and obtain higher energy-extraction efficiency, a proper pumping width and opening time of the Q switch can be found.