High-power/high-brightness diode-pumped 1.9-/spl mu/m thulium and resonantly pumped 2.1-/spl mu/m holmium lasers

摘要

We report high power (<36 W) with beam propagation factor M/sup 2//spl sim/2 in a diode end-pumped Tm:LiYF/sub 4/ (Tm:YLF) laser generating output near the 1.91-/spl mu/m region. Using the 1.91-/spl mu/m emission and high brightness achieved with the Tm:YLF laser we resonantly end-pump the Holmium /sup 5/I/sub 7/ manifold in Ho:YAG and demonstrate /spl sim/19 W of continuous-wave (CW) output. The diode-to-Holmium optical to-optical conversion efficiency achieved is /spl sim/18%. Using a CW pumped and repetitively Q-switched configuration, the Tm:YLF pumped Ho:YAG laser achieves <16 W of output power with an M/sup 2//spl sim/1.48 at 15 kHz. A Q-switched frequency range of 9 to <50 kHz is also achieved.