LD-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4/YVO4 laser with an Nd3+:Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber

摘要

By using a piece of codoped Nd3+:Cr4+:YAG crystal as a saturable absorber, a laser-diode pumped passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4/YVO4 laser has been realized. The maximum laser output power of 2.452 W has been obtained at the incident pump power of 8.9 W for an 8.8% transmission of the output coupler at 1064 nm, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 30%. The other output laser characteristics of the laser have also been investigated. The laser with a Nd3+:Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber has a lower threshold pump power and a higher slope efficiency compared to that with a similar small-signal transmission of a Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber.