Pulsed laser system with a thulium-doped saturable absorber Q-switch

摘要

A pulsed laser system having a Tm³⁺-doped saturable absorber Q-switch unit, capable of outputting laser pulses sequentially by inputting a stable continuous-wave pump light source, is disclosed. When the gain excited in the Er³⁺ laser resonator exceeds the lasing threshold, the photons start resonating and being amplified in the Er³⁺ laser resonator. At the same moment, the Tm³⁺-doped saturable absorber Q-switch unit absorbs the resonant photons and quickly reaches the situation of absorption saturation. Then, sequentially Q-switched Er³⁺ laser pulses at 1570 nm are passively produced. In addition, the Tm³⁺-doped saturable absorber Q-switch unit can be designated as the gain material of a second laser resonator for producing a gain-switched Tm³⁺ laser pulse at 1950 nm after each of the Q-switched Er³⁺ laser pulses. Moreover, the Tm³⁺ and Ho³⁺ co-doped crystal can be designated as the saturable absorber Q-switch unit, for producing a gain-switched Ho³⁺ laser pulses at 2090 nm.