A 2. mu. m holmium laser
A comparison of the CW laser performance of the /sup 5/I/sub 7/-/sup 5/I/sub 8/ transition at 2 ..mu..m erbium-thulium-sensitized Ho:YLF and Ho:YAG (..cap alpha..BETAHo:YLF and ..cap alpha..BETAHo:YAG) crystals at liquid nitrogen temperature is reported. Multimode laser output power above 60 W was obtained with two compositions of ..cap alpha..BETAHo:YLF (with a rod size of 5 mm in diameter and 75 mm in length) with 4.1 percent efficiency and 4.75 percent slope efficiency. Thermal load measurements on ..cap alpha..BETAHo:YLF and ..cap alpha..BETAHo:YAG laser rods and effects of the pumping lamp on the laser yield are also presented. Preliminary results on single-pulse operation of both ..cap alpha..BETAHo:YLF and ..cap alpha..BETAHo:YAG lasers in the free-running mode in the temperature range of 83-230 K are also reported. The laser threshold in both YLF and YAG is constant up to 110 K and increases with temperature above 110 K. The laser slope efficiency in YAG is quite constant up to 150 K, above which to decreases with temperature, while in the YLF the slope efficiency has a broad maximum around 150 K. The net result in YLF is a broad maximum of the laser output power around 130 K at high pumping levels.
- Research Organization:
- Laser Dept., Nuclear Research Centre-Negev, Beer-Sheva (IL)
- OSTI ID:
- 6832054
- Journal Information:
- IEEE J. Quant. Electron.; (United States), Vol. 24:6
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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