An erbium: YAG oscillator-amplifier laser system

• Published in: Optics communications Vol. 113; no. 4; pp. 453 - 457
• Main Authors: Wannop, N.M., Dickinson, M.R., King, T.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 1995; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Doped-insulator lasers and other solid state lasers; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Lasers; Optics; Physics; Solid state lasers; Theoretical study; Infrared radiation; Amplifiers; Experimental study; Erbium additions; YAG; Oscillators
• ISSN: 0030-4018; 1873-0310
• DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(94)00534-2

An erbium: YAG laser system operating at 2.94 μm, and comprising an oscillator and a single pass amplifier has been developed and investigated. The oscillator was operated in both free running and Q-switched modes. The erbium:YAG amplifier produced a small-signal gain coefficient of 0.130 ± 0.005 cm −1 thus explaining the relatively long pulse duration under Q-switched operation. Experimental data were compared to a theoretical model, and showed reasonable agreement.