Small signal gain investigations for a continuous-wave diode-pumped Q:switch Cr:LiSAF laser

Franck Falcoz (1) , F. Kerboull (1) , Frédéric Druon (1) , François Balembois (1) , Patrick Georges (1) , Alain Brun (1)

1 Laboratoire Charles Fabry de l'Institut d'Optique / Elsa

We measured small-signal gain in a cw diode-pumped Cr:LiSAF and showed that upconversion and thermal quenching of f luorescence strongly limit small-signal gain. Then we optimized the gain in a Cr:LiSAF laser pumped by two 400-mW red diodes. In Q-switched operation, this laser produced tunable nanosecond pulses between 800 and 900 nm. At 850 nm, we obtained 230-ns pulses with an energy of 6.5 mJ at a repetition rate of 10 kHz

Domains: Optics [physics.optics]

Franck Falcoz, F. Kerboull, Frédéric Druon, François Balembois, Patrick Georges, et al.. Small signal gain investigations for a continuous-wave diode-pumped Q:switch Cr:LiSAF laser. Optics Letters, 1996, 21 (16), pp.1253-1255. ⟨hal-00691262⟩