Single-frequency, end-pumped Nd:YLF laser excited by a 12-mJ diode-laser array

Area of Science:

• Laser physics
• Nonlinear optics
• Solid-state lasers

Background:

• Diode-laser pumping offers an efficient method for exciting solid-state laser gain media.
• Neodymium-doped yttrium lithium fluoride (Nd:YLF) lasers are suitable for high-energy pulsed applications.
• Optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) are versatile sources for generating tunable laser light.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the development and performance of a diode-laser-pumped Nd:YLF laser.
• To investigate the Q-switching characteristics of the Nd:YLF laser.
• To demonstrate the use of this laser as a pump source for a singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (SRO).

Main Methods:

• Utilized a 12-mJ, 60-W quasicw diode-laser bar for end-pumping an Nd:YLF laser rod.
• Employed Q-switching techniques, including prelase Q-switching, to achieve high peak powers.
• Pumped a potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) crystal within a singly resonant cavity to generate parametric oscillation.

Main Results:

• Achieved multilongitudinal-mode, TEM(00) pulse energies exceeding 2 mJ.
• Observed Q-switched peak output powers greater than 118 kW.
• Demonstrated single-longitudinal-mode peak powers exceeding 90 kW using prelase Q-switching.
• Reported low-threshold operation of a KTP OPO at 1.539 micrometers pumped by the Nd:YLF laser.

Conclusions:

• The diode-laser-pumped Nd:YLF laser provides a high-energy, high-peak-power source.
• Q-switching techniques effectively enhance the peak power of the Nd:YLF laser.
• The developed Nd:YLF laser is a viable pump source for efficient optical parametric oscillation.