Highly efficient continuous-wave and passively Q-switched Yb:YLuGdCOB compact lasers

Area of Science:

• Lasers and Photonics
• Materials Science
• Solid-State Physics

Background:

• Development of efficient and compact solid-state lasers is crucial for various applications.
• Yb:YLuGdCOB crystals offer promising properties for laser operation.
• Two-dimensional (2D) materials like Molybdenum Telluride (MoTe2) are emerging as effective saturable absorbers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate highly efficient continuous-wave (CW) and passively Q-switched operation of a compact Yb:YLuGdCOB laser.
• To investigate the performance of a 2D MoTe2 saturable absorber in a compact laser resonator.
• To achieve record-breaking pulse characteristics in a passively Q-switched solid-state laser.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a compact Yb:YLuGdCOB crystal laser resonator.
• Achieved dual-polarization oscillation for CW operation.
• Incorporated a 2D MoTe2 saturable absorber for passively Q-switched operation.

Main Results:

• Achieved 14.30 W output power at 1054 nm with 70.0% optical-to-optical efficiency.
• Demonstrated 11.37 W output power in dual-polarization oscillation (1080–1085 nm) with 76% slope efficiency.
• Generated 1.56 W pulsed output power at 1030 nm with 3.87 μJ pulse energy, 26.2 ns pulse duration, and 147.7 W peak power.

Conclusions:

• The Yb:YLuGdCOB compact laser exhibits highly efficient CW and passively Q-switched performance.
• The 2D MoTe2 saturable absorber enabled record-breaking short pulse durations and high peak power for solid-state lasers.
• This work highlights the potential of integrated 2D materials for advanced laser development.