Synchronous radiation with Er:YAG and Ho:YAG lasers for efficient ablation of hard tissues

Er:YAG and Ho:YAG laser beams were combined to irradiate hard tissues to achieve highly efficient ablation with low laser power. The delay time between pulses of the two lasers was controlled to irradiate alumina ceramic balls used as hard tissue models. With optimized delay time, the combined laser beam perforated the sample 40% deeper than independent radiation by either an Er:YAG or Ho:YAG laser. An ultra-high-speed camera and an infrared thermography camera were used to observe and investigate the ablation mechanisms.