Theoretical and experimental study of a laser diode end-pumped passively <inline-formula><math display="inline" overflow="scroll"><mi>Q</mi></math></inline-formula>-switched <inline-formula><math display="inline" overflow="scroll"><msub><mi>Nd:YVO</mi><mrow><mn>4</mn></mrow></msub></math></inline-formula> laser with <inline-formula><math display="inline" overflow="scroll"><msup><mrow><mi>Cr</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>4</mn><mo>+</mo></mrow></msup><mo>:</mo><mi>YAG</mi></math></inline-formula> saturable absorber

Abstract

The intracavity photon density and the initial population-inversion density are assumed to be Gaussian spatial distributions in the rate equations of a laser diode end-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4 laser with Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber. These space-dependent rate equations are solved numerically. In an experiment, such a laser has been realized. The dependences of pulse width, pulse repetition rate, single-pulse energy, and peak power on incident pump power were measured, and the experimental results are consistent with the numerical solutions.