Abstract

We report a laser that emits two $Q$-switched pulses, one at 1.047 μm and the other at 1.064 μm, generated by a Nd:YLF and a $\mathrm{Nd}\text{:}{\mathrm{YVO}}_4$, respectively. The crystals are pumped by two fiber-coupled diode lasers (808 nm and 880 nm); the delay between the pulses can be controlled by adjusting the power of the pumps. Two kinds of $Q$-switching techniques are reported, passive (Cr:YAG saturable absorber) and active (electro-optic modulator). We model both the active and passive $Q$ switching and make a comparison between numerical simulations and experiments. We show experimentally and theoretically that in both cases the pulses can be synchronized; however, the stability of the synchronization (sensitivity to pump power fluctuations) is better for active than for passive $Q$ switching. We also report that under certain experimental conditions a third wavelength is obtained, 1156 nm, which corresponds to the first Stokes shift of the 1047 nm pulse produced by stimulated Raman scattering from the $\mathrm{Nd}\text{:}{\mathrm{YVO}}_4$ crystal.

© 2018 Optical Society of America

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