350 mJ electro-optically Q-switched 2.79 µm Cr:Er:YSGG MOPA.

Area of Science:

• Lasers and Photonics
• Solid-State Lasers
• Optoelectronics

Background:

• Flashlamp-pumped lasers are crucial for various scientific and industrial applications.
• Optimizing laser cavity design is essential for achieving desired output parameters like pulse energy and duration.
• Specific applications require tailored pulse characteristics, such as high peak power or longer pulse durations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize novel flashlamp-pumped electro-optically Q-switched lasers.
• To investigate the performance of a lanthanum gallium silicate (La3Ga5SiO14) crystal as a Q-switch.
• To optimize laser cavity designs for different output pulse requirements.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of three flashlamp-pumped Cr:Er:YSGG lasers.
• Utilizing a La3Ga5SiO14 crystal for electro-optic Q-switching.
• Designing and testing both a short cavity for high peak power and a long cavity for extended pulse durations.
• Demonstrating a Master Oscillator Power Amplifier (MOPA) system.

Main Results:

• A short cavity laser achieved 300 mJ output energy in 15 ns pulses at 3 Hz repetition rate.
• A long cavity laser delivered 190 mJ output energy in 85 ns pulses.
• The Cr:Er:YSGG MOPA system produced 350 mJ output energy in 90 ns pulses with an amplification factor of 3.

Conclusions:

• The developed Cr:Er:YSGG lasers with La3Ga5SiO14 Q-switches are versatile for applications requiring specific pulse characteristics.
• The laser system can be optimized for high peak power or longer pulse durations by adjusting the cavity length.
• The MOPA configuration demonstrates efficient amplification for high-energy pulsed laser output.