Chromium- and neodymium-activated yttrium scandium gallium garnet laser with an efficiency of 3.6% emitting linearly polarized radiation of energy of 0.46 J per single pulse, and a pulse repetition frequency 50 Hz

Abstract

An investigation was made of a YSGG:Cr:Nd laser using a resonator and a polarization method for coupling out radiation. The Q factor was switched electrooptically (pulse duration 10 ns) and the repetition frequency was up to 50 Hz. The differential efficiency was 5.6% and the absolute efficiency was 3.6% when the output energy per pulse was 0.46 J. The highest average output power of single pulses of linearly polarized radiation was 23 W when the average pump power was 640 W. The results indicated that in the pulse-periodic regime the polarization method of coupling out the output radiation ensured near-optimal conditions so that the efficiency was high, approaching that of a YSGG:Cr:Nd laser with a conventional resonator and coupling out of radiation via a transparent mirror operating in the single-pulse free-running regime.