Solid state saturable absorbers for Q-switching at 1 and 1.3 um: investigation and modeling

Jan Šulc D.D.S.; Pavel Arátor; Helena Jelínková; Karel Nejezchleb; Václav Škoda; Milan R. Kokta

doi:10.1117/12.760946

14 February 2008 Solid state saturable absorbers for Q-switching at 1 and 1.3μm: investigation and modeling

Jan Šulc D.D.S., Pavel Arátor, Helena Jelínková, Karel Nejezchleb, Václav Škoda, Milan R. Kokta

Proceedings Volume 6871, Solid State Lasers XVII: Technology and Devices; 68712D (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.760946
Event: Lasers and Applications in Science and Engineering, 2008, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

Yttrium and Lutecium garnets (YAG and LuAG) doped by Chromium or Vanadium ions (Cr⁴⁺ or V³⁺) were investigated as saturable absorbers potentially useful for passive Q-switching at wavelengths 1 μm and/or 1.3 μm. For comparison also color center saturable absorber LiF:F^-₂ and Cobalt doped spinel (Co:MALO) were studied. Firstly, low power absorption spectra were recorded for all samples. Next, absorbers transmission in dependence on incident energy/power density was measured using the z-scan method. Crystals Cr:YAG, Cr:LuAG, V:YAG, and LiF:F^-₂ were tested at wavelength 1064 nm. Therefore Alexandrite laser pumped Q-switched Nd:YAG laser was used as a radiation source (pulse length 6.9 ns, energy up to 1.5 mJ). Crystals V:YAG, V:LuAG, and Co:MALO were tested at wavelength 1338 nm. So diode pumped Nd:YAG/V:YAG microchip laser was used as a radiation source (pulse length 6.2 ns, energy up to 0.1 mJ). Using measured data fitting, and by their comparison with numerical model of a "thick" saturable absorber transmission for Q-switched Gaussian laser beam, following parameters were estimated: saturable absorber initial transmission T₀, saturation energy density w_s, ground state absorption cross-section σ_GSA, saturated absorber transmission T_s, excited state absorption cross-section σ_ESA, ratio γ = σ_GSA/σ_ESA, and absorbing ions density. For V:YAG crystal, a polarization dependence of T_s was also investigated. With the help of rate equation numerical solution, an impact of saturable absorber parameters on generated Q-switched pulse properties was studied in plane wave approximation. Selected saturable absorbers were also investigated as a Q-switch and results were compared with the model.

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Jan Šulc D.D.S., Pavel Arátor, Helena Jelínková, Karel Nejezchleb, Václav Škoda, and Milan R. Kokta "Solid state saturable absorbers for Q-switching at 1 and 1.3μm: investigation and modeling", Proc. SPIE 6871, Solid State Lasers XVII: Technology and Devices, 68712D (14 February 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.760946

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