Ho:YV0(4) solid-state saturable-absorber Q switch for a 2-µm Tm, Cr:Y(3)Al(5)O(12) laser

The holmium-doped yttrium orthovanadate (Ho:YVO(4)) crystal was shown to be an effective solid-state saturable-absorber Q switch for a flash-lamp-pumped Tm,Cr:Y(3)Al(5)O(12) laser operating at 2.017 µm. A single Q-switched laser pulse of 3.5 mJ in energy and 45 ns in duration was observed with a 1-mm-thick 4% Ho:YVO(4) solid-state saturable absorber, which was grown with the high-temperature-solution-growth method.