Abstract
Diode-pumped solid-state micro lasers are compact (centimetre-scale), highly stable, and efficient. Previously, we reported Q-switched lasers incorporating rare-earth substituted iron garnet (RIG) film. Here, the first demonstration of the magnetooptical (MO) Q-switch in an Nd:YAG laser cavity is performed. We fabricate a quasi-continuous-wave (QCW) diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser cavity, which is shortened to 10 mm in length and which contains an RIG film and a pair of small coils. This cavity yields a 1,064.58-nm-wavelength pulse with 25-ns duration and 1.1-kW peak power at a 1-kHz repetition ratio. Further, the polarisation state is random, due to the isotropic crystal structure of Nd:YAG and the fact that the MO Q-switch incorporating the RIG film does not require the presence of polarisers in the cavity. This is also the first report of an MO Q-switch producing random polarisation.
Highlights
Since their initial development, lasers have been implemented as irreplaceable components of various applications, e.g., mass spectrometers[1], laser machining devices[2,3,4,5], car ignition plugs[6,7], satellite propulsion devices[8,9,10], and medical equipment[11,12]
The crystal structure of Nd:YAG is similar to rare-earth substituted iron garnet (RIG), and these materials have similar thermal expansion coefficients[27,28,29,30]; RIG film can grow on the Nd:YAG via epitaxial growth techniques[31] or bond to
Dielectric multilayer coating was present on the input and output surfaces of the Nd:YAG, having high reflectance (HR) of 99.8% at the 1,064-nm wavelength and high transmittance (HT) of 98% at 808-nm wavelength on the input side, and 98% HT and 99.8% HR at 1,064- and 808-nm wavelengths, respectively
Summary
Lasers have been implemented as irreplaceable components of various applications, e.g., mass spectrometers[1], laser machining devices[2,3,4,5], car ignition plugs[6,7], satellite propulsion devices[8,9,10], and medical equipment[11,12]. In one of our previous studies, we demonstrated the MO Q-switch in a diode-pumped Nd:GdVO4 laser system and showed the potential of this Q-switch, for which a notably compact system size was obtained (cavity length L: 10 mm). Note that such a small L is impossible using other active Q-switches, for example, electro-optic (EO)[22] and acousto-optic (AO)[23] Q-switches. The latter material possesses a garnet structure and a similar thermal expansion coefficient, and has been reported as an appropriate material for a passive Q-switch with high miniaturisation[34,35]. The RIG-based Q-switch does not require the presence of a polariser in the cavity; the isotropic structure of the Nd:YAG must affect the output polarisation state
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