Injection seeded single-frequency pulsed Nd:YAG laser resonated by an intracavity phase modulator

Area of Science:

• * Lasers and Photonics
• * Materials Science

Background:

• * Development of reliable, single-frequency lasers is crucial for precision applications.
• * Q-switching and injection seeding are key techniques for laser performance enhancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To develop a reliable single-frequency Q-switched Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Nd:YAG) laser.
• * To utilize a lithium niobate crystal as an intracavity phase modulator for improved laser performance.

Main Methods:

• * Employed a lithium niobate crystal as an intracavity phase modulator.
• * Implemented injection seeding with an electro-optic crystal in a simplified cavity.
• * Utilized a Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Nd:YAG) gain medium.

Main Results:

• * Achieved a pulse energy of 4.8 mJ at a 400 Hz repetition rate.
• * Obtained a nearly Fourier-transform-limited spectral linewidth.
• * Measured a pulse duration of approximately 25 ns and a beam quality factor (M²) below 1.3.

Conclusions:

• * A reliable single-frequency Q-switched Nd:YAG laser was successfully developed.
• * The system demonstrates high pulse energy, excellent spectral purity, and good beam quality.
• * The simplified cavity design with lithium niobate offers an effective approach for high-performance laser generation.