Abstract
With an optically active langasite (LGS) crystal as the electro-optic Q-switch, we demonstrate an efficient Q-switched laser with a repetition rate of 200 kHz. Based on the theoretical analysis of the interaction between optical activity and electro-optic property, the optical activity of the crystal has no influence on the birefringence during Q-switching if the quarter wave plate used was rotated to align with the polarization direction. With a Nd:LuVO4 crystal possessing a large emission cross-section and a short fluorescence lifetime as the gain medium, a stable LGS Q-switched laser was designed with average output power of 4.39 W, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 29.4% and with a minimum pulse width of 5.1 ns. This work represents the highest repetition rate achieved so far in a LGS Q-switched laser and it can provide a practical Q-switched laser with a tunable high repetition rates for many applications, such as materials processing, laser ranging, medicine, military applications, biomacromolecule materials, remote sensing, etc.
Highlights
Relying on its broadband transmission spectrum and electro-optic properties, a LGS Q-switched laser with the wavelength ranging from 1.06 μm to 2.79 μm was reported[21,22,23]
Based on Q-switching theory, the pulse width and peak power are dependent on the cavity length, which indicates that in LGS Q-switching based on the reversibility of optical activity would generate a larger pulse width, in spite of the design complications encountered with the laser cavity
We theoretically analyze the coupling between optical activity and the electro-optic properties of LGS during the Q-switching process and find that the only effect of optical activity is a rotation along the propagating direction, which can be eliminated by rotating the quarter wave plate
Summary
Using the “odd transit time” method and a Nd:LuVO4 crystal possessing a large emission cross-section and a short fluorescence lifetime as the gain medium, a LGS electro-optic Q-switched laser was constructed with a repetition rate of 200 kHz, average output power of 4.39 W and pulse width of 5.1 ns. These results indicate that LGS can be used as a high repetition rate Q-switch and free of piezoelectric ringing effects at least at a repetition rate of 200 kHz, and that it can provide a practical Q-switched laser with a tunable high repetition rate for many applications, such as materials processing, laser ranging, remote sensing, etc
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