High-efficiency 2  μm Tm:YAP laser with a compact mechanical Q-switch

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• Optoelectronics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Diode-pumped solid-state lasers are crucial for various applications.
• Efficient Q-switching mechanisms are essential for high-power laser generation.
• Thulium-doped lasers operating near 2 µm offer unique spectral properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a compact and highly efficient diode-pumped Tm:YAP laser.
• To implement a low-loss, low-power mechanically Q-switched system.
• To characterize the laser's performance at a 2 µm wavelength.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Tm:YAP crystal as the gain medium.
• Employed a diode-pumping scheme for efficient energy transfer.
• Implemented a torsion spring resonant mirror scanner for mechanical Q-switching.

Main Results:

• Achieved an average output power of 10.5 W at 1.94 µm.
• Generated Q-switched pulse energy of 1.05 mJ with a 31 ns pulse duration.
• Reached a peak power of 34 kW.
• Demonstrated maximum optical and electrical efficiencies of 51% and 26%, respectively.

Conclusions:

• The developed Tm:YAP laser is compact and highly efficient.
• The mechanically Q-switched system offers negligible optical loss and low drive power.
• The laser performance is suitable for applications requiring high-power, pulsed 2 µm radiation.