Resonantly pumped high efficiency Ho:GdTaO₄ laser

Area of Science:

• Solid-state laser technology
• Laser physics
• Materials science

Background:

• Development of efficient 2-µm lasers is crucial for various applications, including medical procedures and spectroscopy.
• Holmium-doped materials are promising gain media for generating laser emission in the 2-µm wavelength range.
• Exploring novel host materials for rare-earth doping can lead to improved laser performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a novel continuous-wave (CW) laser operating at 2.1 µm.
• To investigate the performance of a new Ho:GdTaO4 crystal as a gain medium.
• To evaluate the efficiency and beam quality of the developed laser system.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a 1940.3-nm thulium (Tm) fiber laser as the pump source.
• Employed a Ho:GdTaO4 crystal for laser generation.
• Operated the laser system at room temperature.
• Characterized the output power, wavelength, slope efficiency, and beam quality factor.

Main Results:

• Achieved a maximum CW output power of 11.2 W at a wavelength of 2068.39 nm.
• Recorded a high slope efficiency of 72.9%.
• Measured a beam quality factor (M²) of approximately 1.4 at the maximum output power.

Conclusions:

• The Ho:GdTaO4 crystal is a viable and efficient gain medium for 2.1-µm CW laser generation.
• The developed laser system offers high output power and good beam quality, suitable for demanding applications.
• Room-temperature operation simplifies the laser system design and reduces operational costs.