Abstract

A novel, dual cavity, flashlamp pumped, Q-switched, laser produced 98 mJ at 0.946 µm. Nd:GYAG, Nd:Gd_xY_3-xAl₅O₁₂, and Nd:YAG, Nd:Y₃Al₅O₁₂, were evaluated and compared at 0.946, 1.064, and 1.338 µm. For normal mode operation at 0.946 µm, a slope efficiency of ≈0.01 was achieved while a 0.946 µm amplifier achieved a gain of ≈1.27. Second and third harmonic of the Q-switched, 0.946 µm laser achieved an efficiency of 0.42 and 0.31, respectively.

© 2000 Optical Society of America