High-pulse-energy 3.9-µm lasers in Ho:BYF

Russell Stutz; Harold C. Miller; Kenneth M. Dinndorf; Arlete Cassanho; Hans P. Jenssen

doi:10.1117/12.538417

8 July 2004 High-pulse-energy 3.9-μm lasers in Ho:BYF

Russell Stutz, Harold C. Miller, Kenneth M. Dinndorf, Arlete Cassanho, Hans P. Jenssen

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5332, Solid State Lasers XIII: Technology and Devices; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.538417
Event: Lasers and Applications in Science and Engineering, 2004, San Jose, Ca, United States

Abstract

Experimental results describing pulsed lasers operating near 3.9 μm on the Ho³⁺(⁵I₅-⁵I₆) transition in highly-doped (> 10 at. %) barium yttrium fluoride (BaY₂F₈ or BYF) will be presented. The ⁵I₅ manifolds in Ho:BYF were pumped using a flashlamp excited, free-running Cr:LiSAF laser tuned to the Ho³⁺ absorption peak near 889nm. Ho³⁺ concentrations of 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% in BYF were lased in a simple end-pumped resonator. Some similar data was also obtained in 10% and 20% Ho:YLF. The highest 3.9 μm pulse energy obtained in the comparative study was 55 mJ (at ~10% optical-to-optical efficiency) using the 30% Ho:BYF crystal. A dual end-pumped laser in 30% Ho:BYF was also demonstrated, providing a pulse energy of 90 mJ in a near diffraction limited beam (M² ~ 1.2). Emission decay data was taken to shed light on the observed dependence of laser efficiency on holmium concentration and excitation density. The lifetimes of both lasing levels (⁵I₅ and ⁵I₆) deviate rather significantly from their low-concentration values. Plausible energy transfer processes that may be responsible for the observed trends in the laser and emission data will also be discussed.

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Russell Stutz, Harold C. Miller, Kenneth M. Dinndorf, Arlete Cassanho, and Hans P. Jenssen "High-pulse-energy 3.9-μm lasers in Ho:BYF", Proc. SPIE 5332, Solid State Lasers XIII: Technology and Devices, (8 July 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.538417

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