Efficient self-Q-switched Tm:YAP pulse laser with a high output power

Abstract

An efficient and stable self-Q-switched Tm:YAP laser with a pulse peak power of several hundred watts was demonstrated for the first time. Without any other modulating device, the high power self-Q-switched Tm:YAP laser at 2028 nm was successfully realized by using a compact concave-plano cavity. At the incident pump power of 18.48 W, the maximum average output power of 6.59 W was obtained with the slope efficiency of 40.8 % and the optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 35.7 %. The maximum single pulse energy was 235.1 μJ and the narrowest pulse width was 540.1 ns, resulting in a maximum pulse peak power of 435.29 W. As far as we know, both the average output power of 6.59 W and the peak power of 435.29 W are the highest in the 2 µm waveband self-Q-switched solid-state lasers.