Abstract

The holmium-doped calcium fluoride (Ho:CaF₂) crystal was shown to be an effective solid-state saturable-absorber Q-switch for a flash-lamp-pumped Tm,Cr:Y₃Al₅O₁₂ laser at 2.017 μm. With a 1-cm-thick Ho(0.5%),Er(5%):CaF₂ saturable absorber and a 6.3% output coupler, a single Q-switched laser pulse of 51 mJ in energy and 60 ns in duration was obtained at a flash-lamp input energy of 85 J. With a 14.6% output coupler, a typical Q-switched laser pulse of 84 mJ and 82 ns was observed.

© 1996 Optical Society of America

Ho:YVO₄ solid-state saturable-absorber Q switch for a 2-μm Tm, Cr:Y₃Al₅O₁₂ laser

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