Gain-switched Fe:ZnSe laser pumped by a coupled-cavity Q-switched Er:ZrF₄ fiber laser

We report on a gain-switched operation of single-crystal Fe²⁺:ZnSe pumped by a coupled-cavity Q-switched Er³⁺:ZrF₄ fiber laser. With this approach, we use a continuous wave Er-doped ZrF₄ fiber laser whose cavity is coupled with the Fe:ZnSe laser cavity. A stable Q switching operation of the Er-doped fiber laser was achieved in this case and, as a result, a gain-switched operation of the Fe:ZnSe laser was obtained. The highest repetition rate was 79 kHz, the pulse duration of the pump Er-doped laser was ∼1.6 μs, and the pulse duration of the Fe:ZnSe was 62 ns. The maximum output power achieved from gain-switched Fe:ZnSe was 63 mW.