Frequency-doubled and Q-switched 946-nm Nd:YAG laser pumped by a diode-laser array

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Physics
• Nonlinear Optics

Background:

• Diode-laser-pumped solid-state lasers offer efficient and compact solutions for various applications.
• Q-switching is a technique used to produce high-energy, short-duration laser pulses.
• Second-harmonic generation (SHG) is a nonlinear optical process that converts light of one frequency into light of double the frequency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a Q-switched 946-nm Neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser pumped by a diode-laser array.
• To investigate the effect of crystal temperature on laser pulse characteristics.
• To achieve efficient second-harmonic generation for producing blue light.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a diode-laser array to pump a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser.
• Varied the temperature of the Nd:YAG crystal to optimize pulse duration.
• Employed a potassium niobate crystal for second-harmonic generation of the laser output.
• Maintained a constant pulse repetition rate of 1.5 kHz.

Main Results:

• Achieved laser pulses with 4.9-microJ energy and 68.5-ns duration at room temperature.
• Reduced pulse duration to 62 ns and increased peak power to 76 W by cooling the Nd:YAG crystal to 5°C.
• Generated blue light pulses at 473 nm with 42-ns duration and 22-W peak power via SHG.
• Demonstrated efficient blue light generation from a diode-laser-pumped Nd:YAG laser.

Conclusions:

• The developed Q-switched Nd:YAG laser system is effective for generating high-peak-power pulses.
• Temperature tuning of the Nd:YAG crystal allows for optimization of pulse characteristics.
• Efficient second-harmonic generation into the blue spectrum is achievable with this laser system.
• This technology holds potential for applications requiring pulsed blue light sources.