Solar-pumped Er,Tm,Ho:YAG laser

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · Optics Letters; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.15.000036· OSTI ID:7001937

Benmair, R M.J.; Kagan, J; Kalisky, Y; Noter, Y; Oron, M; Shimony, Y; Yogev, A ^[1]

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1. Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel (IL)

Direct solar illumination was used to pump a 5-mm-diameter 62-mm exposed-length rod of Er,Tm,Ho:YAG to achieve a quasi-cw lasing of the Ho ion at an average power of 12 W. The solar radiation was chopped at a 20% duty cycle to avoid overloading of the cooling system. The peak power output was more than 65 W during the chopper's open times. The slope efficiency is 3.8%, and the threshold input energy is approximately 100 W. The laser was operated for long times (up to hours) while maintaining its performance. This is, to our knowledge, the first directly solar-pumped laser operating at 77 K.

• OSTI ID: 7001937
• Journal Information: Optics Letters; (USA), Vol. 15:1; ISSN 0146-9592
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
SOLID STATE LASERS
EFFICIENCY
PUMPING
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ERBIUM ADDITIONS
GARNETS
HOLMIUM ADDITIONS
LOW TEMPERATURE
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE
POWER RANGE 10-100 W
SOLAR RADIATION
THULIUM ADDITIONS
YTTRIUM COMPOUNDS
ALLOYS
ERBIUM ALLOYS
HOLMIUM ALLOYS
LASERS
MINERALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER RANGE
RADIATIONS
RARE EARTH ADDITIONS
RARE EARTH ALLOYS
SILICATES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
STELLAR RADIATION
THULIUM ALLOYS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
WATT POWER RANGE
426002* - Engineering- Lasers & Masers- (1990-)