Passively Q-switched Tm:BaY_2F_8 lasers

摘要

We demonstrate passive Q-switching (PQS) of the Tm-doped BaY_2F_8 (Tm:BYF) laser for the first time. The Tm:BYF laser is diode-pumped using an L-shaped hemispherical resonator. In the cw regime, the maximum output power with an 18% Tm-doped BYF crystal reached 1.12 W at ~1920 nm for an absorbed pump power of 3.06 W. In the PQS regime, maximum pulse energy (720 μJ) and peak power (17.1 kW) were obtained with an 8% Tm-doped BYF crystal and a Cr:ZnS saturable absorber with 92% low-signal transmission, again near 1920 nm, for a pulse width of ~40 ns and a repetition rate of 50 Hz.