High-efficiency resonantly pumped room temperature Ho:YVO4 laser

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• Solid-State Lasers
• Photonics

Background:

• Efficient laser sources are crucial for various applications, including spectroscopy, medical treatments, and materials processing.
• Holmium-doped materials are known for their emission in the 2 μm wavelength range, which is valuable for specific applications.
• Resonant pumping schemes can significantly enhance laser efficiency and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate, for the first time, an efficient 2 μm room temperature Ho:YVO(4) laser.
• To utilize a 1.94 μm Tm:YAP laser for resonant pumping of the Ho:YVO(4) gain medium.
• To characterize the output power, beam quality, and optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of the developed laser system.

Main Methods:

• A Ho:YVO(4) crystal was employed as the gain medium.
• Resonant pumping was achieved using a Tm:YAP laser operating at 1.94 μm.
• The laser system was operated at room temperature.
• Output power, wavelength, and beam quality (M² factor) were measured.

Main Results:

• Up to 8.58 W of laser output at 2053 nm was achieved.
• The optical-to-optical conversion efficiency reached as high as 41.2%.
• The output beam quality was characterized with M² factors of Mx²=3.58 and My²=1.76 at 8 W output.
• Additional outputs at 2066 nm (4.18 W, 27.8% efficiency) and 2040 nm (7.04 W, 33.8% efficiency) were also obtained.

Conclusions:

• An efficient 2 μm room temperature Ho:YVO(4) laser, resonantly pumped by a Tm:YAP laser, has been successfully demonstrated.
• The system offers high output power and excellent conversion efficiency, making it a promising source for 2 μm applications.
• The achieved performance highlights the potential of resonant pumping for optimizing solid-state laser systems.