A-O Q-switching of 2.1-μm laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Jia; Liu, Jingjiao; Tang, Yi; Hu, Yongzhao

2005-01-01

2.1μm solid state laser operating at room temperature is a very useful laser source for optical communication, medical care, air pollution monitoring and Lidar, etc. It is eye-safe. It is also a very ideal pump source for optic parametric oscillator to get 3μm -5μm radiation. In order to further explore its potential applications, higher peak power and shorter pulse width are very desirable. Q-switching the laser is a most practical way to realize those goals. Among the most common used Q-switching techniques, mechanical Q-switching is not preferred due to that it involves use of a rotating motor, which has lower life time and causes undesirable vibration. E-O Q-switch material in this wavelength range is very expensive and quite susceptible to optical damage. On the other hand, low OH concentration quartz material exhibits very low absorption at the 2.1μm. The Cr:Tm:Ho:YAG 2.1μm laser has undesirable lower gain from the laser efficiency point of view, but offers a feasibility of using the A-O device for the Q-switching even the laser is pulse pumped. The Cr:Tm:Ho:YAG 2.1μm laser is a so called quasi-three level laser, which is characterized as having a higher threshold and lower gain. This study is focused on the optimization of the laser resonator design and the A-O Q-switch design for a higher laser peak power and shorter pulse width. Factors considered in the study include AO Q-switch"s RF frequency, modulation depth, active aperture, resonator length, resonator loss and pumping design, etc. Experiment results are compared with the Q-switched quasi-three level laser model. Final result of the Q-switched 2.1μm laser after preliminary optimization will be presented.

Q-switched oscillation in thulium-doped fiber lasers using preloaded dynamic microbending technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakata, H.; Takahashi, N.; Ushiro, Y.

2018-01-01

We demonstrate Q-switched pulse generation in thulium-doped fiber lasers by introducing piezoelectric-driven microbend with preloaded stress. We employed a pair of corrugated chips each attached on piezoelectric actuators (PAs) to clamp the fiber in a ring laser resonator. The thulium-doped fiber is pumped by a laser diode emitting at 1.63 μm and generates the Q-switched laser pulses at around 1.9 μm by switching off the PAs. The laser pulse performance is improved by optimizing the preload and switch-off period for the PAs. The Q-switched pulses with a peak power of 2.8 W and a pulsewidth of 900 ns are observed for a launched pump power of 161 mW. We expect that the in-fiber Q-switching technique will provide efficient laser systems for environmental sensing and medical applications.

Fabrication of narrow pulse passively Q-switched self-stimulated Raman laser with c-cut Nd:GdVO4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Gao; Li, Zuo-han; Han, Ming

2016-11-01

Combining the self-stimulated Raman scattering technology and saturable absorber of Cr4+:YAG, a 1.17 μm c-cut Nd:GdVO4 picosecond Q-switched laser is demonstrated in this paper. With an incident pump power of 10 W, the Q-switched laser with average power of 430 mW for 1.17 μm, pulse width of 270 ps, repetition rate of 13 kHz and the first order Stokes conversion efficiency of 4.3% is obtained. The Q-switched pulse width can be the narrowest in our research. In addition, the yellow laser at 0.58 μm is also achieved by using the LiB3O5 frequency doubling crystal.

Delivering dispersion-managed soliton and Q-switched pulse in fiber laser based on graphene and nonlinear optical loop mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, W. B.; Wang, F.; Yu, Q.; Zhang, X.; Lu, Y. X.; Gu, J.

2016-11-01

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a bidirectional erbium-doped fiber laser delivering dispersion-managed soliton (DMS) and Q-switched pulse based on a graphene-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) saturable absorbers (SAs). In proposed structure, the DMS is achieved in clockwise (CW) direction and Q-switched pulse is obtained in counter-clockwise (CCW) direction. By properly adjusting the intracavity attenuators (ATT) and polarizer controllers (PCs), DMS in the CW direction and Q-switched pulse in the CCW direction can be obtained, respectively or simultaneously. The DMS with full width at half maximum (FWHM) of ~480 fs, signal to noise ratio (SNR) of ~60 dB and repetition frequency about 3.907 MHz is obtained. The Q-switched pulse is established at a pump power of 180 mW with a repetition rate of ~43.5 kHz and FWHM of ~8.18 μs. When the pump power is increased to 700 mW, Q-switched pulse with a repetition rate of ~107.1 kHz and FWHM of ~2.15 μs is generated. When the two type pulses are formed simultaneously, the maximum repetition rate of Q-switched pulse is 55.8 kHz and minimum FWHM is 2.81 μs, the DMS can be formed by properly adjusting PC and ATT in this case. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that Q-switched pulse and DMS have been acquired respectively or simultaneously in a fiber laser.

Radially polarized and passively Q-switched fiber laser

PubMed Central

Lin, Di; Xia, Kegui; Li, Ruxin; Li, Xiaojun; Li, Guoqiang; Ueda, Ken-ichi; Li, Jianlang

2017-01-01

We report, for the first time to our knowledge, a radially polarized and passively Q-switched Yb-doped fiber laser. By using a Cr4+:YAG crystal as a saturable absorber and a photonic crystal grating as a polarization mirror, a radially polarized pulse is produced, which has 202 W of peak power, 75 ns duration, and ~92% polarization purity at a 56.6 kHz repetition rate. The Q-switched pulse with radial polarization from the fiber laser would facilitate numerous applications. PMID:21042354

Theoretical and experimental analysis of injection seeding a Q-switched alexandrite laser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prasad, C. R.; Lee, H. S.; Glesne, T. R.; Monosmith, B.; Schwemmer, G. K.

1991-01-01

Injection seeding is a method for achieving linewidths of less than 500 MHz in the output of broadband, tunable, solid state lasers. Dye lasers, CW and pulsed diode lasers, and other solid state lasers have been used as injection seeders. By optimizing the fundamental laser parameters of pump energy, Q-switched pulse build-up time, injection seed power and mode matching, one can achieve significant improvements in the spectral purity of the Q-switched output. These parameters are incorporated into a simple model for analyzing spectral purity and pulse build-up processes in a Q-switched, injection-seeded laser. Experiments to optimize the relevant parameters of an alexandrite laser show good agreement.

Combination of CO2 and Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers is more effective than Q-switched Nd:YAG laser alone for eyebrow tattoo removal.

PubMed

Radmanesh, Mohammad; Rafiei, Zohreh

2015-04-01

The eyebrow tattoo removal using Q-switched lasers is usually prolonged. Other modalities may be required to enhance the efficacy and shorten the treatment course. To compare the efficacy of Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser alone versus combination of Q-switched Nd:YAG and Ultrapulse CO2 lasers for eyebrow tattoo removal after a single session. After local anesthesia, the right eyebrow of 20 patients was treated with Ultrapulse CO2 laser with the parameters of 4 J/cm(2) and 3.2 J/cm(2) for the first and the second passes. Both eyebrows were then treated with 1064-nm and 532-nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. The spot size and pulse duration were 3 mm and 5 nanoseconds for both wavelengths, and the fluence was 7 J/cm(2) for 1064 nm and 3 J/cm (2) for 532 nm. The side treated with combination of Q-switched Nd:YAG and CO2 lasers improved 75-100% in 6 of 20 patients versus only 1 of 20 in the side treated with Q-switched Nd:YAG alone. Similarly, the right side in 13 of 20 patients showed more than 50% improvement with combination therapy versus the left side (the monotherapy side), where only 6 of 20 cases showed more than 50% improvement. The Mann-Whitney test was 2.85 for the right side and 1.95 for the left side (P value = 0.007). Using Ultra pulse CO2 laser enhances the efficacy of Q-switched Nd:YAG laser in eyebrow tattoo removal.

Electro-optic Q-switch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zou, Yingyin (Inventor); Chen, Qiushui (Inventor); Zhang, Run (Inventor); Jiang, Hua (Inventor)

2006-01-01

An electro-optic Q-switch for generating sequence of laser pulses was disclosed. The Q-switch comprises a quadratic electro-optic material and is connected with an electronic unit generating a radio frequency wave with positive and negative pulses alternatively. The Q-switch is controlled by the radio frequency wave in such a way that laser pulse is generated when the radio frequency wave changes its polarity.

Pulse compression in an electro-optic Q-switched diode-pumped YVO4/Nd:YVO4 laser with a Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber.

PubMed

Li, Tao; Zhao, Shengzhi; Zhuo, Zhuang; Yang, Kejian; Li, Guiqiu; Li, Dechun

2009-04-20

A diode end-pumped doubly Q-switched YVO4/Nd:YVO4 laser has been realized for the first time to our knowledge by using both an electro-optic (EO) modulator and a Cr4):YAG saturable absorber. A 3.8 ns pulse width is generated by this laser under a pump power of 15 W at 2 kHz, which is obviously compressed in comparison with that of 8.8 ns from a single actively EO Q-switched laser. Under the same conditions, peak power values of 174.7 and 93 kW are also obtained. A coupled equation is given to theoretically analyze the experimental data. The experimental and theoretical results show that the doubly Q-switched laser has the advantages of a shorter pulse width and higher pulse peak power in contrast with a singly Q-switched laser.

An actively Q-switched fiber laser with cylindrical vector beam generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jiaojiao; Zhang, Zuxing; Cai, Yu; Wan, Hongdan; Wang, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Lin

2018-03-01

We demonstrate an actively Q-switched fiber laser with cylindrical vector beam (CVB) emission using a few-mode fiber Bragg grating as the mode selection component and an acousto-optic modulator to achieve Q-switching. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such demonstration. Using a linear cavity configuration, an actively Q-switched CVB with a pulse width of about 64 ns, a pulse energy of 4.25 µJ and a repetition rate of 20 kHz has been obtained. Moreover, by tuning the polarization controllers radially and azimuthally, polarized Q-switched beams can be excited separately with a polarization purity of  >94.5%. This compact Q-switched fiber laser with ns CVB pulse output could find potential applications in the field of material processing, nonlinear optics and so on.

Laser diode and pumped Cr:Yag passively Q-switched yellow-green laser at 543 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Y.; Ling, Zhao; Li, B.; Qu, D. P.; Zhou, K.; Zhang, Y. B.; Zhao, Y.; Zheng, Q.

2013-03-01

Efficient and compact yellow green pulsed laser output at 543 nm is generated by frequency doubling of a passively Q-switched end diode-pumped Nd:YVO4 laser at 1086 nm under the condition of sup-pressing the higher gain transition near 1064 nm. With 15 W of diode pump power and the frequency doubling crystal LBO, as high as 1.58 W output power at 543 nm is achieved. The optical to optical conversion efficiency from the corresponding Q-switched fundamental output to the yellow green output is 49%. The peak power of the Q-switched yellow green pulse laser is up to 30 kW with 5 ns pulse duration. The output power stability over 8 hours is better than 2.56% at the maximum output power. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest watt-level laser at 543 nm generated by frequency doubling of a passively Q-switched end diode pumped Nd:YVO4 laser at 1086 nm.

Q-switched slab RF discharge CO laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ionin, A. A.; Kochetkov, Yu V.; Kozlov, A. Yu; Mokrousova, D. V.; Seleznev, L. V.; Sinitsyn, D. V.; Sunchugasheva, E. S.; Zemtsov, D. S.

2017-05-01

A compact repetitively pulsed cryogenically cooled slab RF discharge CO laser with double path V-type laser resonator equipped with external Q-switching system based on rotating mirror was developed and studied. The laser produced mid-IR (λ ~ 5-7 µm) radiation pulses of ~1 ÷ 2 µs duration (FWHM), peak power up to ~3 kW, and pulse repetition rate up to 130 Hz. Averaged output laser power reached 0.5 W, the laser spectrum consisted of ~80 laser lines with individual peak power up to 80 W.

Pump beam waist-dependent pulse energy generation in Nd:YAG/Cr4+:YAG passively Q-switched microchip laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chao-yu; Dong, Jun

2016-08-01

The incident pump beam waist-dependent pulse energy generation in Nd:YAG/Cr4+:YAG composite crystal passively Q-switched microchip laser has been investigated experimentally and theoretically by moving the Nd:YAG/Cr4+:YAG composite crystal along the pump beam direction. Highest pulse energy of 0.4 mJ has been generated when the Nd:YAG/Cr4+:YAG composite crystal is moved about 6 mm away from the focused pump beam waist. Laser pulses with pulse width of 1.7 ns and peak power of over 235 kW have been achieved. The theoretically calculated effective laser beam area at different positions of Nd:YAG/Cr4+:YAG composite crystal along the pump beam direction is in good agreement with the experimental results. The highest peak power can be generated by adjusting the pump beam waist incident on the Nd:YAG/Cr4+:YAG composite crystal to optimize the effective laser beam area in passively Q-switched microchip laser.

All-fiber pulse shortening of passively Q-switched microchip laser pulses down to sub-200 fs.

PubMed

Lehneis, R; Steinmetz, A; Limpert, J; Tünnermann, A

2014-10-15

We present an all-fiber concept that generates ultrashort pulses using a passively Q-switched microchip seed laser. A proof-of-principle configuration combines nonlinear pulse compression applying a chirped fiber-Bragg-grating, dispersion-free pulse shortening by means of a fiber-integrated spectral filtering, and a final hollow-core-fiber compression to reach the sub-200-fs pulse-duration region. In a compact all-fiber pulse-shortening unit, initial 100 ps long microchip pulses at 1064 nm wavelength have been shortened to 174 fs and shifted to 1034 nm while preserving a high temporal quality.

Compact and efficient 2μm Tm:YAP lasers with mechanical or passive Q-switching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cole, Brian; Goldberg, Lew

2017-02-01

We describe compact and efficient Q-switched diode-pumped, Tm:YAP lasers operating at 1.94μm. Laser CW and Q-switched performance is compared, using both compact mechanical as well as passive Q-switching. For passive Q-switching using a Cr:ZnS saturable absorber (unsaturated transmission of 95%), the laser produced 0.5mJ pulses with an average power of 4.4W and 6.5kW peak power, and had an optical efficiency of 30%. A resonant mirror mechanical Q-switch resulted in a 4 kHz PRF pulse train, with an optical slope efficiency of 52% and an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 41%. The laser generated 1.5 mJ, 45 ns FWHM, 33kW peak power pulses, and 6.2W of average output. A second mechanically Q-switched laser operating at 10 kHz PRF produced 1mJ, 35kW peak power pulses, generating 11W average power with an optical efficiency of 46%, and a beam quality of 1.4x diffraction limit.

Compact self-Q-switched Tm:YLF laser at 1.91 μm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, B.; Li, L.; He, C. J.; Tian, F. J.; Yang, X. T.; Cui, J. H.; Zhang, J. Z.; Sun, W. M.

2018-03-01

We report self-Q-switching operation in a diode-pumped Tm:YLF bulk laser by exploiting saturable re-absorption under the quasi-three-level regime. Robust self-Q-switched pulse output at 1.91 μm in fundamental mode is demonstrated experimentally with 1.5 at.% doped Tm:YLF crystal. At maximum absorbed pump power of 4.5 W, the average output power and pulse energy are obtained as high as 610 mW and 29 μJ, respectively, with the corresponding slope efficiency of 22%. Pulse repetition rate is tunable in the range of 3-21 kHz with changing the pump power. The dynamics of self-Q-switching of Tm:YLF laser are discussed with the help of a rate equation model showing good agreement with the experiment. The compact self-Q-switched laser near 2 μm has potential application in laser radar systems for accurate wind velocity measurements.

Modeling and optimization of actively Q-switched Nd-doped quasi-three-level laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Renpeng; Yu, Xin; Li, Xudong; Chen, Deying; Gao, Jing

2013-09-01

The energy transfer upconversion and the ground state absorption are considered in solving the rate equations for an active Q-switched quasi-three-level laser. The dependence of output pulse characters on the laser parameters is investigated by solving the rate equations. The influence of the energy transfer upconversion on the pulsed laser performance is illustrated and discussed. By this model, the optimal parameters could be achieved for arbitrary quasi-three-level Q-switched lasers. An acousto-optical Q-switched Nd:YAG 946 nm laser is constructed and the reliability of the theoretical model is demonstrated.

Graphene Oxide saturable absorber for generating eye-safe Q-switched fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosol, A. H. A.; Jusoh, Z.; Rahman, H. A.; Rusdi, M. F. M.; Harun, S. W.; Latiff, A. A.

2017-06-01

This paper reports the generation of Q-switched fiber laser using thulium doped fiber (TDF) as a gain medium and graphene oxide (GO) as a saturable absorber (SA). The GO powder is embedded into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to form an SA film based on a drop-casting technique. GO-SA film is sandwiched between two fiber connectors and tighten by FC adapter before it is incorporated into an TDF laser cavity for Q-switching pulse generation. At 344 mW pump level, a stable Q-switching regime presence at 1943 nm with a 3-dB spectral bandwidth of 9 nm. The maximum repetition rate, pulse width, and pulse energy are at 25 kHz, 4.2 µs, and 0.68 µJ, respectively. All finding results are comparable with other reported pulse fiber lasers.

Laser-Tissue Interaction in Tattoo Removal by Q-Switched Lasers

PubMed Central

Barua, Shyamanta

2015-01-01

Q-switched (QS) lasers are widely considered the gold standard for tattoo removal, with excellent clinical results, impressive predictability, and a good safety profile. The generation of giant pulses by the method of Q-switching is responsible for the unique laser-tissue interaction that is seen in tattoo removal by QS lasers. The QS lasers work by impaction and dissolution of the tattoo pigments. Mechanical fragmentation of the tattoo pigments encased in intracellular lamellated organelles followed by their phagocytosis by macrophages is thought to be the major event in the clearance of pigments by QS lasers. A few novel techniques have been tried in recent times to hasten the clearance of tattoo pigments. PMID:25949016

Laser-tissue interaction in tattoo removal by q-switched lasers.

PubMed

Barua, Shyamanta

2015-01-01

Q-switched (QS) lasers are widely considered the gold standard for tattoo removal, with excellent clinical results, impressive predictability, and a good safety profile. The generation of giant pulses by the method of Q-switching is responsible for the unique laser-tissue interaction that is seen in tattoo removal by QS lasers. The QS lasers work by impaction and dissolution of the tattoo pigments. Mechanical fragmentation of the tattoo pigments encased in intracellular lamellated organelles followed by their phagocytosis by macrophages is thought to be the major event in the clearance of pigments by QS lasers. A few novel techniques have been tried in recent times to hasten the clearance of tattoo pigments.

Tm:germanate Fiber Laser: Tuning And Q-switching

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnes, Norman P.; Walsh, Brian M.; Reichle, Donald J.; DeYoung, R. J.; Jiang, Shibin

2007-01-01

A Tm:germanate fiber laser produced >0.25 mJ/pulse in a 45 ns pulse. It is capable of producing multiple Q-switched pulses from a single p ump pulse. With the addition of a diffraction grating, Tm:germanate f iber lasers produced a wide, but length dependent, tuning range. By s electing the fiber length, the tuning range extends from 1.88 to 2.04 ?m. These traits make Tm:germanate lasers suitable for remote sensin g of water vapor.

The pulsed dye laser versus the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser in laser-induced shock-wave lithotripsy.

PubMed

Thomas, S; Pensel, J; Engelhardt, R; Meyer, W; Hofstetter, A G

1988-01-01

To date, there are two fairly well-established alternatives for laser-induced shock-wave lithotripsy in clinical practice. The Q-switched Nd:YAG laser is distinguished by the high-stone selectivity of its coupler systems. The necessity of a coupler system and its fairly small conversion rate of light energy into mechanical energy present serious drawbacks. Furthermore, the minimal outer diameter of the transmission system is 1.8 mm. The pulsed-dye laser can be used with a highly flexible and uncomplicated 200-micron fiber. However, the laser system itself is more complicated than the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and requires a great deal of maintenance. Biological evaluation of damage caused by direct irradiation shows that both laser systems produce minor damage of different degrees. YAG laser lithotripsy with the optomechanical coupler was assessed in 31 patients with ureteral calculi. The instability and limited effectiveness of the fiber application system necessitated auxiliary lithotripsy methods in 14 cases. Dye-laser lithotripsy is currently being tested in clinical application. Further development, such as systems for blind application or electronic feedback mechanisms to limit adverse tissue effects, have yet to be optimized. Nevertheless, laser-induced shock-wave lithotripsy has the potential to become a standard procedure in the endourologic management of stone disease.

Energy scaling of passively Q-switched lasers In the Mj-range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neumann, J.; Huss, R.; Kolleck, C.; Kracht, Dietmar

2017-11-01

Q-switched lasers systems with ns pulse duration and energies ranging from 1 to more than 100mJ are utilized for many spaceborne applications such as altimetry of planets and moons. Furthermore, Q-switched lasers can be used for distance measurements during docking and landing manoeuvres. To keep the diameter of the beam small over a large distance and to consequently achieve a good lateral resolution, a good beam propagation factor M² is required. Moreover, Q-switched lasers can be used directly on the planetary surface for exploration by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy or laser desorption mass spectrometry.

Passive Q switching of a solar-pumped Nd:YAG laser.

PubMed

Lando, M; Shimony, Y; Noter, Y; Benmair, R M; Yogev, A

2000-04-20

Passive Q switching is a preferable choice for switching the Q factor of a solar-pumped laser because it requires neither a driver nor an electrical power supply. The superior thermal characteristics and durability of Cr(4+):YAG single crystals as passive Q switches for lamp and diode-pumped high-power lasers has been demonstrated. Here we report on an average power of 37 W and a switching efficiency of 80% obtained by use of a solar-pumped Nd:YAG laser Q switched by a Cr(4+):YAG saturable absorber. Concentration of the pumping solar energy on the laser crystal was obtained with a three-stage concentrator, composed of 12 heliostats, a three-dimensional compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) and a two-dimensional CPC. The water-cooled passive Q switch also served as the laser rear mirror. Repetition rates of as much as 50 kHz, at pulse durations between 190 and 310 ns (FWHM) were achieved. From the experimental results, the saturated single-pass power absorption of the Cr(4+):YAG device was estimated as 3 ? 1%.

VCSEL End-Pumped Passively Q-Switched Nd:YAG Laser with Adjustable Pulse Energy

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-28

entire VCSEL array. Neglecting lens aberrations, the focused spot diameter is given by focal length of the lens times the full divergence angle of the...pump intensity distribution generated by a pump-light-focusing lens . ©2011 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: (140.3530) Lasers Neodymium...Passive Q-Switch and Brewster Plate in a Pulsed Nd: YAG Laser,” IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 31(10), 1738–1741 (1995). 6. G. Xiao, and M. Bass, “A

Large-energy, narrow-bandwidth laser pulse at 1645 nm in a diode-pumped Er:YAG solid-state laser passively Q-switched by a monolayer graphene saturable absorber.

PubMed

Zhou, Rong; Tang, Pinghua; Chen, Yu; Chen, Shuqing; Zhao, Chujun; Zhang, Han; Wen, Shuangchun

2014-01-10

Nonlinear transmission parameters of monolayer graphene at 1645 nm were obtained. Based on the monolayer graphene saturable absorber, a 1532 nm LD pumped 1645 nm passively Q-switched Er:YAG laser was demonstrated. Under the pump power of 20.8 W, a 1645 nm Q-switched pulse with FWHM of 0.13 nm (without the use of etalon) and energy of 13.5 μJ per pulse can be obtained. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest pulse energy for graphene-based passively Q-switched Er:YAG laseroperating at 1645 nm, suggesting the potentials of graphene materials for high-energy solid-state laser applications.

Efficient Q-switched Tm:YAG ceramic slab laser.

PubMed

Zhang, Shuaiyi; Wang, Mingjian; Xu, Lin; Wang, Yan; Tang, Yulong; Cheng, Xiaojin; Chen, Weibiao; Xu, Jianqiu; Jiang, Benxue; Pan, Yubai

2011-01-17

Characteristics of Tm:YAG ceramic for high efficient 2-μm lasers are analyzed. Efficient diode end-pumped continuous-wave and Q-switched Tm:YAG ceramic lasers are demonstrated. At the absorbed pump power of 53.2W, the maximum continuous wave (cw) output power of 17.2 W around 2016 nm was obtained with the output transmission of 5%. The optical conversion efficiency is 32.3%, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 36.5%. For Q-switched operation, the shortest width of 69 ns was achieved with the pulse repetition frequency of 500 Hz and single pulse energy of 20.4 mJ, which indicates excellent energy storage capability of the Tm:YAG ceramic.

Wavelength-tunable, sub-picosecond pulses from a passively Q-switched microchip laser system.

PubMed

Lehneis, R; Steinmetz, A; Limpert, J; Tünnermann, A

2013-07-15

We present a novel concept to generate sub-picosecond pulses from a passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4 microchip laser system with an adjustable wavelength shift up to a few tens of nanometers around the original emission wavelength of 1064 nm. This concept comprises two stages: one that carries out a nonlinear compression of fiber-amplified microchip pulses and a subsequent stage in which the compressed pulses are coupled into a further waveguide structure followed by a bandpass filter. In a proof-of-principle experiment, pedestal-free 0.62 ps long pulses have been demonstrated with a wavelength shift to 1045 nm.

Gold nanorod as saturable absorber for Q-switched Yb-doped fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xu-De; Luo, Zhi-Chao; Liu, Hao; Zhao, Nian; Liu, Meng; Zhu, Yan-Fang; Xue, Jian-Ping; Luo, Ai-Ping; Xu, Wen-Cheng

2015-07-01

We reported on the generation of Q-switched pulse in an Yb-doped fiber laser by using a filmy polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based gold nanorods (GNRs) saturable absorber (SA). The GNRs are synthesized through seed-mediated method whose longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption peak is located at 1038 nm. The modulation depth of the GNRs SA is ∼4.06%. By gradually increasing the pump power from 62 mW to 128 mW, the repetition rate of Q-switched pulse increases from 8.78 kHz to 20.78 kHz and the pulse duration decreases from 9.43 μs to 3.65 μs. In addition, the dual-wavelength switchable Q-switched operation was also observed. The obtained results further expand the applications of GNRs SA to the field of Q-switched pulsed fiber lasers at 1.0 μm waveband.

VCSEL end-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser with adjustable pulse energy.

PubMed

Goldberg, Lew; McIntosh, Chris; Cole, Brian

2011-02-28

A compact, passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser utilizing a Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber, is end-pumped by the focused emission from an 804 nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array. By changing the VCSEL operating current, we demonstrated 2x adjustability in the laser output pulse energy, from 9 mJ to 18 mJ. This energy variation was attributed to changes in the angular distribution of VCSEL emission with drive current, resulting in a change in the pump intensity distribution generated by a pump-light-focusing lens.

Compact passively Q-switched single-frequency Er3+/Yb3+ codoped phosphate fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yuanfei; Wang, Simin; Lin, Wei; Mo, Shupei; Zhao, Qilai; Yang, Changsheng; Feng, Zhouming; Deng, Huaqiu; Peng, Mingying; Yang, Zhongmin; Xu, Shanhui

2017-05-01

We present a compact passively Q-switched single-frequency fiber laser based on a 12-mm-long laboratory-built highly Er3+/Yb3+ codoped phosphate fiber (EYDPF) and a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). An effective cavity length of less than 20 mm ensures the stable single-frequency operation of the Q-switched fiber laser. By employing a SESAM for Q-switching, a single-pulse energy of more than 34.4 nJ is realized with the narrowest pulse duration of 95 ns, and the repetition rate of the Q-switched fiber laser reaches over 600 kHz. In addition, the optical signal-to-noise ratio of the output laser is as high as 68.0 dB.

High-power highly stable passively Q-switched fiber laser based on monolayer graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Hanshuo; Song, Jiaxin; Wu, Jian; Xu, Jiangming; Xiao, Hu; Leng, Jinyong; Zhou, Pu

2018-03-01

We demonstrate a monolayer graphene-based passively Q-switched fiber laser with three-stage amplifiers that can deliver an average power of over 80 W at 1064 nm. The highest average power achieved is 84.1 W, with a pulse energy of 1.67 mJ. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of a high-power passively Q-switched fiber laser in the 1 µm range. More importantly, the Q-switched fiber laser operated stably during a week of tests for a few hours per day, which proves the stability and practical application potential of graphene in high-power pulsed fiber lasers.

Single-frequency operation of diode-pumped 2 microm Q-switched Tm:YAG laser injection seeded by monolithic nonplanar ring laser.

PubMed

Gao, Chunqing; Lin, Zhifeng; Gao, Mingwei; Zhang, Yunshan; Zhu, Lingni; Wang, Ran; Zheng, Yan

2010-05-20

We present a diode-pumped, 2mum single-frequency Q-switched Tm:YAG laser. The Q-switched laser is injection seeded by a monolithic Tm:YAG nonplanar ring oscillator with the ramp-hold-fire technique. The output energy of the 2mum single-frequency Q-switched pulse is 2.23mJ, with a pulse width of 290ns and a repetition rate of 200Hz. From the heterodyne beating measurement, the frequency difference between the seed laser and the Q-switched laser is determined to be 37.66MHz, with a half-width of the symmetric spectrum of about 2 MHz.

Photoablation of the cornea with a Q-switched Er:YAG laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubatschowski, Holger; Hetzel, U.; Kermani, Omid; Ziolek, Carsten; Drommer, Wolfgang; Ertmer, Wolfgang

1997-12-01

In this study the ablation characteristics and the wound healing process of rabbit cornea irradiated with a Q- switched Er:YAG laser was evaluated. The laser, emitting at 2.94 micrometers wavelength, has a pulse width of 100 ns. The spot size on the corneal surface was 1 mm in diameter at a fluence of 750 mJ/cm2. The laser beam was applied by a `flying spot' mode, performing refractive ablations of -7 to -8 dpt. As a biological model, the corneas of 9 rabbits were irradiated. The post-treatment follow-up was as long as 39 days. The treated corneas were investigated by light and electron microscopy. The wound healing on rabbit cornea of the Q-switched Er:YAG laser radiation in corneal tissue processing resembles to what is known from ArF- excimer laser application. To shorten the pulse width by means of Q-switching is one major key to the successful application of the Er:YAG laser for PRK.

Wavelength-tunable Q-switched Raman fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Jun; Xu, Jiangming; Zhang, Hanwei; Wu, Jian; Zhou, Pu

2018-03-01

In this presentation, a wavelength-tunable Q-switched Raman fiber laser is presented for the first time, which has a backward pumped configuration, including a section of 3 km passive fiber, a homemade tunable pump source and a highly reflective fiber loop mirror. The output wavelength of the Raman fiber laser can be tuned continuously with ~44 nm range via adjusting the pump wavelength. By inserting an acoustic-optical modulator, the Q-value of the cavity can be switched between high and low level. As a result, pulsed output with a repetition rate of 500 kHz and duration time of 60-80 ns is achieved.

Hollow fiber optics with improved durability for high-peak-power pulses of Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers.

PubMed

Matsuura, Yuji; Tsuchiuchi, Akio; Noguchi, Hiroshi; Miyagi, Mitsunobu

2007-03-10

To improve the damage threshold of hollow optical waveguides for transmitting Q-switched Nd:YAG laser pulses, we optimize the metallization processes for the inner coating of fibers. For silver-coated hollow fiber as the base, second, and third Nd:YAG lasers, drying silver films at a moderate temperature and with inert gas flow is found to be effective. By using this drying process, the resistance to high-peak-power optical pulse radiation is drastically improved for fibers fabricated with and without the sensitizing process. The maximum peak power transmitted in the fiber is greater than 20 MW. To improve the energy threshold of aluminum-coated hollow fibers for the fourth and fifth harmonics of Nd:YAG lasers, a thin silver film is added between the aluminum film and the glass substrate to increase adhesion of the aluminum coating. By using this primer layer, the power threshold improves to 3 MW for the fourth harmonics of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser light.

Passive Q-switching of microchip lasers based on Ho:YAG ceramics.

PubMed

Lan, R; Loiko, P; Mateos, X; Wang, Y; Li, J; Pan, Y; Choi, S Y; Kim, M H; Rotermund, F; Yasukevich, A; Yumashev, K; Griebner, U; Petrov, V

2016-06-20

A Ho:YAG ceramic microchip laser pumped by a Tm fiber laser at 1910 nm is passively Q-switched by single- and multi-layer graphene, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), and Cr²⁺:ZnSe saturable absorbers (SAs). Employing SWCNTs, this laser generated an average power of 810 mW at 2090 nm with a slope efficiency of 68% and continuous wave to Q-switching conversion efficiency of 70%. The shortest pulse duration was 85 ns at a repetition rate of 165 kHz, and the pulse energy reached 4.9 μJ. The laser performance and pulse stability were superior compared to graphene SAs even for a different number of graphene layers (n=1 to 4). A model for the description of the Ho:YAG laser Q-switched by carbon nanostructures is presented. This modeling allowed us to estimate the saturation intensity for multi-layered graphene and SWCNT SAs to be 1.2±0.2 and 7±1  MW/cm², respectively. When using Cr²⁺:ZnSe, the Ho:YAG microchip laser generated 11 ns/25 μJ pulses at a repetition rate of 14.8 kHz.

The simultaneous generation of soliton bunches and Q-switched-like pulses in a partially mode-locked fiber laser with a graphene saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhenhong; Wang, Zhi; Liu, Yan-ge; He, Ruijing; Wang, Guangdou; Yang, Guang; Han, Simeng

2018-05-01

We experimentally report the coexistence of soliton bunches and Q-switched-like pulses in a partially mode-locked fiber laser with a microfiber-based graphene saturable absorber. The soliton bunches, like isolated spikes with extreme amplitude and ultrashort duration, randomly generate in the background of the Q-switched-like pulses. The soliton bunches have some pulse envelopes in which pulses operate at a fundamental repetition rate in the temporal domain. Further investigation shows that the composite pulses are highly correlated with the noise-like pulses. Our work can make a further contribution to enrich the understanding of the nonlinear dynamics in fiber lasers.

Sub-20-ps pulses from a passively Q-switched microchip laser at 1  MHz repetition rate.

PubMed

Mehner, Eva; Bernard, Benjamin; Giessen, Harald; Kopf, Daniel; Braun, Bernd

2014-05-15

We present a 50 μm Nd3+:YVO4 microchip laser that is passively Q-switched by a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror. To reduce handling problems caused by the small crystal dimensions, the 50 μm Nd3+:YVO4 crystal is optically bonded to an undoped YVO4 crystal of a length of about 500 μm. By using a saturable absorber mirror with an effective modulation depth of >10% the system is able to deliver 16 ps pulses at a repetition rate of up to 1.0 MHz. The average laser power is 16 mW at 1064 nm. To our knowledge these are the shortest Q-switched pulses ever reported from a solid-state laser. The limits in terms of pulse width, repetition rate, output power, and system stability are discussed. Additionally, continuous-wave behavior is analyzed. Experimental data is compared with the simulation results of the coupled rate equations.

Every Good Virtue You Ever Wanted in a Q-switched Solid-state Laser and More: Monolithic, Diode-pumped, Self-q-switched, Highly Reproducible, Diffraction-limited Nd:yag Laser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Y. C.; Lee, K. K.

1993-01-01

The applications of Q-switched lasers are well known, for example, laser radar, laser remote sensing, satellite orbit determination, Moon orbit and 'moon quake' determination, satellite laser communication, and many nonlinear optics applications. Most of the applications require additional properties of the Q-switched lasers, such as single-axial and/or single-transverse mode, high repetition rate, stable pulse shape and pulse width, or ultra compact and rugged oscillators. Furthermore, space based and airborne lasers for lidar and laser communication applications require efficient, compact, lightweight, long-lived, and stable-pulsed laser sources. Diode-pumped solid-state lasers (DPSSL) have recently shown the potential for satisfying all of these requirements. We will report on the operating characteristics of a diode-pumped, monolithic, self-Q-switched Cr,Nd:YAG laser where the chromium ions act as a saturable absorber for the laser emission at 1064 nm. The pulse duration is 3.5 ns and the output is highly polarized with an extinction ratio of 700:1. It is further shown that the output is single-longitudinal-mode with transform-limited spectral line width without pulse-to-pulse mode competition. Consequently, the pulse-to-pulse intensity fluctuation is less than the instrument resolution of 0.25 percent. This self-stabilization mechanism is because the lasing mode bleaches the distributed absorber and establishes a gain-loss grating similar to that used in the distributed feedback semiconductor lasers. A repetition rate above 5 KHz has also been demonstrated. For higher power, this laser can be used for injection seeding an amplifier (or amplifier chain) or injection locking of a power oscillator pumped by diode lasers. We will discuss some research directions on the master oscillator for higher output energy per pulse as well as how to scale the output power of the diode-pumped amplifier(s) to multi-kilowatt average power.

Diode-pumped Alexandrite laser with passive SESAM Q-switching and wavelength tunability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parali, Ufuk; Sheng, Xin; Minassian, Ara; Tawy, Goronwy; Sathian, Juna; Thomas, Gabrielle M.; Damzen, Michael J.

2018-03-01

We report the first experimental demonstration of a wavelength tunable passively Q-switched red-diode-end pumped Alexandrite laser using a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). We present the results of the study of passive SESAM Q-switching and wavelength-tuning in continuous diode-pumped Alexandrite lasers in both linear cavity and X-cavity configurations. In the linear cavity configuration, pulsed operation up to 27 kHz repetition rate in fundamental TEM00 mode was achieved and maximum average power was 41 mW. The shortest pulse generated was 550 ns (FWHM) and the Q-switched wavelength tuning band spanned was between 740 nm and 755 nm. In the X-cavity configuration, a higher average power up to 73 mW, and obtained with higher pulse energy 6 . 5 μJ at 11.2 kHz repetition rate, in fundamental TEM00 mode with excellent spatial quality M2 < 1 . 1. The Q-switched wavelength tuning band spanned was between 775 nm and 781 nm.

Passively Q-switched Nd3+ solid-state lasers with antimonene as saturable absorber.

PubMed

Wang, Mengixa; Zhang, Fang; Wang, Zhengping; Wu, Zhixin; Xu, Xinguang

2018-02-19

Based on the saturable absorption feature of a two-dimensional (2D) nano-material, antimonene, the passively Q-switched operation for solid-state laser was realized for the first time. For the 946 and 1064 nm laser emissions of the Nd:YAG crystal, the Q-switched pulse widths were 209 and 129 ns, and the peak powers were 1.48, 1.77 W, respectively. For the 1342 nm laser emission of the Nd:YVO 4 crystal, the Q-switched pulse width was 48 ns, giving a peak power of 28.17 W. Our research shows that antimonene can be used as a stable, broadband optical modulating device for a solid-state laser, which will be particularly effective for long wavelength operation.

Cavity length dependence of mode beating in passively Q-switched Nd-solid state lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zameroski, Nathan D.; Wanke, Michael; Bossert, David

2013-03-01

The temporal intensity profile of pulse(s) from passively Q-switched and passively Q-switched mode locked (QSML) solid-state lasers is known to be dependent on cavity length. In this work, the pulse width, modulation depth, and beat frequencies of a Nd:Cr:GSGG laser using a Cr+4:YAG passive Q-switch are investigated as function cavity length. Measured temporal widths are linearly correlated with cavity length but generally 3-5 ns larger than theoretical predictions. Some cavity lengths exhibit pulse profiles with no modulation while other lengths exhibit complete amplitude modulation. The observed beat frequencies at certain cavity lengths cannot be accounted for with passively QSML models in which the pulse train repetition rate is τRT-1, τRT= round-trip time. They can be explained, however, by including coupled cavity mode-locking effects. A theoretical model developed for a two section coupled cavity semiconductor laser is adapted to a solid-state laser to interpret measured beat frequencies. We also numerically evaluate the temporal criterion required to achieve temporally smooth Q-switched pulses, versus cavity length and pump rate. We show that in flash lamp pumped systems, the difference in buildup time between longitudinal modes is largely dependent on the pump rate. In applications where short pulse delay is important, the pumping rate may limit the ability to achieve temporally smooth pulses in passively Q-switched lasers. Simulations support trends in experimental data. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Compact conductively cooled electro-optical Q-switched Nd:YAG laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chaoyang; Lu, Chengqiang; Li, Chuan; Zang, Yannan; Yang, Zhen; Han, Song; Li, Ye; Yang, Ning; Shi, Junfeng; Zhou, Zewu

2017-11-01

We report on a compact conductively cooled high-repetition-rate nanosecond Nd:YAG laser. The oscillator was an laser diode side-pumped electro-optical (EO) Q-switched Nd:YAG rod laser adopting unstable cavity with a variable reflectivity mirror. A pulse train of 142 mJ with duration of 10 ns, repetition rate of 80 Hz at 1064 nm has been achieved. Maximum pulse energy was obtained at the pump energy of 1380 mJ, corresponding to the optical-optical conversion efficiency of 10.3%. The peak power was deduced to be 14.2 MW. The near-field pattern demonstrated a nearly super Gaussian flat top profile. To our knowledge, this is the highest repetition rate operation for a conductively cooled EO Q-switched Nd:YAG rod laser.

Q-switched and mode-locked Er{sup 3+}-doped fibre laser using a single-multi-single fibre filter and piezoelectric

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ji Wang; Yunjun Zhang; Aotuo Dong

2014-04-28

The active Q-switched and passive mode-locked Er{sup 3+}-doped all-fibre laser is presented. The fibre laser centre wavelength is located at 1563 nm and determined by the homemade singlemulti- single (SMS) in-line fibre filter. The laser spectrum width is nearly 0.1 nm. The active Q-switched mechanism relies on the polarisation state control using a piezoelectric to press a segment of passive fibre on the circular cavity. The nonlinear polarisation rotation technology is used to realise the passive self-started modelocked operation. In the passive mode-locked regimes, the output average power is 2.1 mW, repetition frequency is 11.96 MHz, and single pulse energymore » is 0.18 nJ. With the 100-Hz Q-switched regimes running, the output average power is 1.5 mW. The total Q-switched pulse width is 15 μs, and every Q-switched pulse is made up by several tens of mode-locked peak pulses. The calculated output pulse energy of the Q-switched fibre laser is about 15 μJ, and the energy of every mode-locked pulse is about 64–68 nJ during a Q-switched pulse taking into account the power fraction propagating between pulses. (lasers)« less

Highly efficient actively Q-switched Yb:LGGG laser generating 3.26 mJ of pulse energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yanbin; Zhang, Jian; Zhao, Ruwei; Zhang, Baitao; He, Jingliang; Jia, Zhitai; Tao, Xutang

2018-05-01

An efficient acousto-optic Q-switched laser operation of Yb:(LuxGd1-x)3Ga5O12 (x = 0.062) (Yb:LGGG) crystal is demonstrated, producing stable pulses with repetition rate ranging from 1 to 20 kHz. Under the absorbed pump power of 8.75 W, the maximum average output power of 3.26 W is obtained at the pulse repletion rate of 1 kHz, corresponding to the slope efficiency as high as 52%. The pulse width of 14.5 ns is achieved with the pulse energy and peak power of 3.26 mJ and 225 kW, respectively. It indicates great potential of Yb:LGGG crystal for generating pulsed lasers.

High peak power actively Q-switched mid-infrared fiber lasers at 3 μm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yanlong; Wang, Yishan; Luan, Kunpeng; Chen, Hongwei; Tao, Mengmeng; Si, Jinhai

2017-04-01

Diode-pumped pulsed Er3+-doped ZBLAN fiber lasers at 2.8 μm actively Q-switched by using an mechanical Q-switch with feedbacks of a protected gold mirror and a blazing grating were investigated, respectively. A pulse energy of 0.13 mJ and repetition rate of 10 kHz with a pulse width of 127.3 ns at 2.78 μm was obtained when using a protected gold mirror as the feedback. By replacing the mirror with a blazing grating in Littrow configuration, the wavelength of the Q-switched pulse train was tunable with over 100 nm tuning range from 2.71 to 2.82 μm and a linewidth of 1.5 nm. A maxinmum pulse energy of up to 0.15 mJ and repetition rate of 10 kHz with a pulse width of 92.6 ns was achieved, yielding the maximum peak power of exceeding 1.6 kW. The pulse energy and peak power, to our knowledge, are the highest ever reported in the mid-infrared Q-switched fiber lasers.

Simulation of laser-tattoo pigment interaction in a tissue-mimicking phantom using Q-switched and long-pulsed lasers.

PubMed

Ahn, K J; Kim, B J; Cho, S B

2017-08-01

Laser therapy is the treatment of choice in tattoo removal. However, the precise mechanisms of laser-tattoo pigment interactions remain to be evaluated. We evaluated the geometric patterns of laser-tattoo pigment particle interactions using a tattoo pigment-embedded tissue-mimicking (TM) phantom. A Q-switched (QS) neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser was used at settings of 532-, 660-, and 1064-nm wavelengths, single-pulse and quick pulse-to-pulse treatment modes, and spot sizes of 4 and 7 mm. Most of the laser-tattoo interactions in the experimental conditions formed cocoon-shaped or oval photothermal and photoacoustic injury zones, which contained fragmented tattoo particles in various sizes depending on the conditions. In addition, a long-pulsed 755-nm alexandrite laser was used at a spot size of 6 mm and pulse widths of 3, 5, and 10 ms. The finer granular pattern of tattoo destruction was observed in TM phantoms treated with 3- and 5-ms pulse durations compared to those treated with a 10-ms pulse. We outlined various patterns of laser-tattoo pigment interactions in a tattoo-embedded TM phantom to predict macroscopic tattoo and surrounding tissue reactions after laser treatment for tattoo removal. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Semiconductor saturable absorber mirror passively Q-switched 2.97 μm fluoride fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jianfeng; Luo, Hongyu; He, Yulian; Liu, Yong; Luo, Binbin; Sun, Zhongyuan; Zhang, Lin; Turitsyn, Sergei K.

2014-05-01

A diode-cladding-pumped mid-infrared passively Q-switched Ho3+-doped fluoride fiber laser using a reverse designed broad band semiconductor saturable mirror (SESAM) was demonstrated. Nonlinear reflectivity of the SESAM was measured using an in-house Yb3+-doped mode-locked fiber laser at 1062 nm. Stable pulse train was produced at a slope efficient of 12.1% with respect to the launched pump power. Maximum pulse energy of 6.65 μJ with a pulse width of 1.68 μs and signal to noise ratio (SNR) of ~50 dB was achieved at a repetition rate of 47.6 kHz and center wavelength of 2.971 μm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first 3 μm region SESAM based Q-switched fiber laser with the highest average power and pulse energy, as well as the longest wavelength from mid-infrared passively Q-switched fluoride fiber lasers.

Semiconductor saturable absorber mirror passively Q-switched 2.97 μm fluoride fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, J. F.; Luo, H. Y.; He, Y. L.; Liu, Y.; Zhang, L.; Zhou, K. M.; Rozhin, A. G.; Turistyn, S. K.

2014-06-01

A diode-cladding-pumped mid-infrared passively Q-switched Ho3+-doped fluoride fiber laser using a reverse designed broad band semiconductor saturable mirror (SESAM) was demonstrated. Nonlinear reflectivity of the SESAM was measured using an in-house Yb3+-doped mode-locked fiber laser at 1062 nm. Stable pulse train was produced at a slope efficient of 12.1% with respect to the launched pump power. Maximum pulse energy of 6.65 µJ with a pulse width of 1.68 µs and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of ~50 dB was achieved at a repetition rate of 47.6 kHz and center wavelength of 2.971 µm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first 3 µm region SESAM-based Q-switched fiber laser with the highest average power and pulse energy, as well as the longest wavelength from mid-infrared passively Q-switched fluoride fiber lasers.

In-band pumped Q-switched fiber laser based on monolayer graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Hanshuo; Wu, Jian; Xiao, Hu; Leng, Jinyong; Xu, Jiangming; Zhou, Pu

2017-06-01

We propose and demonstrate an in-band pumped all-fiberized passively Q-switched laser emitting at 1080 nm. A single mode 1030 nm fiber laser is used as the pump source, while a 2D material, CVD-grown monolayer graphene, is adopted as a saturable absorber inside the ring cavity. The repetition rate of the output pulses can be varied from 12.74 to 24.6 kHz with the pulse duration around 12 µs. The maximum average output power is 34.25 mW, with the pulse energy of 1.392 µJ. This work proves the practicability of achieving passively Q-switched operation via in-band pump.

Comparison of two Q-switched lasers and a short-pulse erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser for treatment of cosmetic tattoos containing titanium and iron in an animal model.

PubMed

Wang, Chia-Chen; Huang, Chuen-Lin; Yang, An-Hang; Chen, Chih-Kang; Lee, Shao-Chen; Leu, Fur-Jiang

2010-11-01

Cosmetic tattoos contain titanium and ferric oxide and darken through reduction after Q-switched laser irradiation. The optimal treatment for removing these pigments remains unknown. To compare the effects of two Q-switched lasers and a short-pulse erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (SP Er:YAG) laser to remove cosmetic tattoos in an animal model. Rats were tattooed using white, flesh-colored, and brown inks (4 bands of each color) on their backs. For each color, one band was left untreated, and one each was treated with a Q-switched neodymium-doped YAG laser, a Q-switched alexandrite laser, and a SP Er:YAG laser every 3 weeks until the pigments were clear. The two Q-switched lasers were equally effective; all three pigments darkened initially and then resolved gradually. Up to 20, 18, and 10 sessions were required to remove white, flesh-colored, and brown tattoos, respectively. Only six sessions were required with the SP Er:YAG laser. Minimal scarring was observed with all lasers. Skin biopsies confirmed pigment granule fragmentation after Q-switched laser treatment and a decrease in the amount of pigment after SP Er:YAG laser treatment. The SP Er:YAG laser was superior to the Q-switched lasers for removing cosmetic tattoos. © 2010 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc.

Diode end-pumped passively Q-switched Tm:YAP laser with 1.85-mJ pulse energy.

PubMed

Sebbag, Daniel; Korenfeld, Arik; Ben-Ami, Udi; Elooz, David; Shalom, Eran; Noach, Salman

2015-04-01

Passive Q switching of a Tm:YAP solid-state laser at 1935 nm with Cr:ZnSe and Cr:ZnS polycrystalline saturable absorbers is demonstrated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. With Cr:ZnS, a maximum pulse energy of 1.85 mJ is obtained for a pulse duration of 35.8 ns, resulting in a peak power of 51.7 kW. With Cr:ZnSe, the achieved pulse energy of 1.55 mJ with a pulse duration of 42.2 ns leads to 36.7-kW peak power. These high pulse energies, together with the unique lasing wavelength at 1935 nm, make this laser a promising tool for biomedical and microsurgery applications.

Reduction of timing jitter in passively Q-switched microchip lasers using self-injection seeding.

PubMed

Steinmetz, Alexander; Nodop, Dirk; Martin, Andreas; Limpert, Jens; Tünnermann, Andreas

2010-09-01

We present an efficient, simple, and passive technique for the reduction of timing jitter in passively Q-switched microchip lasers via self-injection seeding using a fiber delay line. The presented approach mitigates one inherent issue of passively Q-switched lasers without the need for active stabilization. At a repetition rate of a few hundred kilohertz and pulse duration of approximately 200 ps delivered by a microchip laser, the rms jitter is reduced from several nanoseconds down to 20 ps, hence, significantly below the pulse duration of the laser source.

Room-temperature Q-switched Tm:BaY2F8 laser pumped by CW diode laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coluccelli, Nicola; Galzerano, Gianluca; Laporta, Paolo; Parisi, Daniela; Toncelli, Alessandra; Tonelli, Mauro

2006-02-01

We report on the realization of CW diode-pumped Tm:BaY2F8 Q-switched laser at 1.93 µm. Active Q-switching was obtained by means of an intracavity Pockels cell. A functional characterization of the laser performance is presented with particular attention to output energy, pulse duration, pulse stability, and wavelength tunability. Pulses with time duration as short as 170 ns were demonstrated at the minimum repetition rate of 5 Hz with an energy of 3.2 mJ (corresponding to a peak power of 19 kW). A wavelength tunability range from 1905 nm to 1990 nm has been observed.

Active Q switching of a fiber laser with a microsphere resonator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kieu, Khanh; Mansuripur, Masud

2006-12-01

We propose and demonstrate an active Q-switched fiber laser using a high-Q microsphere resonator as the Q-switching element. The laser cavity consists of an Er-doped fiber as the gain medium, a glass microsphere reflector (coupled through a fiber taper) at one end of the cavity, and a fiber Bragg grating reflector at the other end. The reflectivity of the microsphere is modulated by changing the gap between the microsphere and the fiber taper. Active Q switching is realized by oscillating the microsphere in and out of contact with the taper. Using this novel technique, we have obtained giant pulses (maximum peak power ˜102W, duration ˜160ns) at a low pump-power threshold (˜3mW).

Subnanosecond Tm:KLuW microchip laser Q-switched by a Cr:ZnS saturable absorber.

PubMed

Loiko, Pavel; Serres, Josep Maria; Mateos, Xavier; Yumashev, Konstantin; Yasukevich, Anatoly; Petrov, Valentin; Griebner, Uwe; Aguiló, Magdalena; Díaz, Francesc

2015-11-15

Passive Q-switching of a compact Tm:KLu(WO(4))(2) microchip laser diode pumped at 805 nm is demonstrated with a polycrystalline Cr(2+):ZnS saturable absorber. This laser generates subnanosecond (780 ps) pulses with a pulse repetition frequency of 5.6 kHz at 1846.6 nm, the shortest pulse duration ever achieved by Q-switching of ~2 μm lasers. The maximum average output power is 146 mW with a slope efficiency of 21% with respect to the absorbed power. This corresponds to a pulse energy of 25.6 μJ and a peak power of 32.8 kW.

Investigation of 100 mJ all solid state end-pumped 1064 nm Q-switched laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Shiyong; Wang, Caili; Liu, Hui; Bo, Yong; Xu, Zuyan

2017-11-01

High energy 1064 nm Q-switched laser output is obtained by LD vertical array end pumping Nd:YAG. Cylindrical lens are used for beam shaping of LD array for different divergence angle of fast and slow axis. Based on the theoretical simulation of fundamental mode radius using ABCD transfer matrix, the resonant cavity is optimized and curvature radius of cavity mirrors is determined. The intracavity power density is calculated according to the output laser pulse energy and transmittance of output coupling mirror is optimized under the condition that optical device is not damaged. 1064 nm laser with a maximum output of 110 mJ is generated under LD pump energy of 600 mJ, corresponding to optical conversion efficiency of 18.3%. The laser pulse width is 11 ns and divergence angle is 1.2 mrad. For saturation phenomenon of Q-switched laser output, LD temperature is adjusted to make wavelength deviate from absorption peak of Nd:YAG crystal. The parasitic oscillation, which affects the enhancement of Q-switched laser energy, can be effectively suppressed by reducing gain of pump end of laser medium, which provides an effective technical means for obtaining high energy end-pumped Q-switched laser.

Electro-optically Q-switched dual-wavelength Nd:YLF laser emitting at 1047 nm and 1053 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Men, Shaojie; Liu, Zhaojun; Cong, Zhenhua; Li, Yongfu; Zhang, Xingyu

2015-05-01

A flash-lamp pumped electro-optically Q-switched dual-wavelength Nd:YLF laser is demonstrated. Two Nd:YLF crystals placed in two cavities are employed to generate orthogonally polarized 1047 nm and 1053 nm radiations, respectively. The two cavities are jointed together by a polarizer and share the same electro-optical Q-switch. Two narrow-band pass filters are used to block unexpected oscillations at the hold-off state of the electro-optical Q-switch. In this case, electro-optical Q-switching is able to operate successfully. With pulse synchronization realized, the maximum output energy of 66.2 mJ and 83.9 mJ are obtained for 1047 nm and 1053 nm lasers, respectively. Correspondingly, the minimum pulse width is both 17 ns for 1047 nm and 1053 nm lasers. Sum frequency generation is realized. This demonstrates the potential of this laser in difference-frequency generations to obtain terahertz wave.

Theoretical and experimental study of a laser-diode-pumped actively Q-switched Yb:NaY(WO4)2 laser with acoustic-optic modulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Haikun; Xia, Wei; Song, Peng; Wang, Jing; Li, Xin

2018-03-01

A laser-diode-pumped actively Q-switched Yb:NaY(WO4)2 laser operating at around 1040 nm is presented for the first time with acoustic-optic modulator. The dependence of pulse width on incident pump power for different pulse repetition rates is measured. By considering the Guassian spatial distribution of the intracavity photon density and the initial population-inversion density as well as the longitudinal distribution of the photon density along the cavity axis and the turn off time of the acoustic-optic Q-switch, the coupled equations of the actively Q-switched Yb:NaY(WO4)2 laser are given. The coupled rate equations are used to simulate the Q-switched process of laser, and the numerical solutions agree with the experimental results.

Room temperature operation of 2.67 mJ pulse LD end pumped Q-switched Tm:YAG laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Xuedi; Wu, Chunting; Chen, Xinyu; Yu, Kai; Jin, Guangyong

2014-12-01

Due to 2 μm band in the absorption of water and CO2, the diode pumped solid state lasers with wavelength around 2 μm have important applications in laser medicine and remote sensing, such as it can be used as a scalpe or a light source of Coherent Doppler Wind Lidar and Differential Absorption Lidar. In the recently years, scientists have done much work on the development of such lasers. There're many reports on continuous Tm:YAG laser. However, the study on Q-switched Tm:YAG laser, which is more useful in applications, was very rare. As the light source of Coherent Doppler Wind Lidar, large energy and wide pulse width is desired. Current reports mostly adopted CW pumped source, but it would make a mount of heat. Pulse pumping method could reduce the heat accumulation and improve the heat stability of the laser. How to improve the single pulse energy was the focus of current study. In this paper, a single end bonding Tm:YAG crystal with Tm3+ doping concentration of 3.5at.% was used. Acousto-optic (AO) Q-switched (GOOCH and HOUSEGO QS041-10M-HI8) operation was adopted in our experiment. In the repetition frequency of 100Hz, a maximum single energy of 2.67 mJ (measured by Ophir 30A-BB) and the narrowest pulse width of 149 ns (measured by Vigo PCI-3TE-12 detector) were achieved at room temperature. The M2x was 1.31 and the M2y was 1.35 (measured by Spiricon Pyrocam-III). Tm:YAG laser was developed by using a pulse diode pumped L shape resonant cavity. The transmittance of the curve output mirror was 4% and the curvature radius of which was 300 mm. The output center wavelength of the laser was measured to be 2013.5 nm (measured by YOKOGAWA AQ6375).

Switchable Q-switched and modelocked operation in ytterbium doped fiber laser under all-normal-dispersion configuration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mukhopadhyay, Pranb K., E-mail: pkm@rrcat.gov.in; Gupta, Pradeep K.; Singh, Chandra Pal

2015-03-15

We have constructed an Yb-doped fiber laser in all-normal-dispersion configuration which can be independently operated in Q-switched or modelocked configuration with the help of a simple fiber optic ring resonator (FORR). In the presence of FORR, the laser operates in Q-switched mode producing stable pulses in the range of 1 μs-200 ns with repetition rate in the range of 45 kHz-82 kHz. On the other hand, the laser can be easily switched to mode-locked operation by disjoining the FORR loop producing train of ultrashort pulses of ∼5 ps duration (compressible to ∼150 fs) at ∼38 MHz repetition rate. The transmissionmore » characteristics of FORR in combination with the nonlinear polarization rotation for passive Q-switching operation is numerically investigated and experimentally verified. The laser can serve as a versatile seed source for power amplifier which can be easily configured for application in the fields that require different pulsed fiber lasers.« less

High-energy azimuthally polarized laser beam generation from an actively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser with c-cut YVO4 crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Jing; Zhang, Baofu; Jiao, Zhongxing; He, Guangyuan; Wang, Biao

2018-05-01

A high-energy, azimuthally polarized (AP) and actively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser is demonstrated. The thermal bipolar lensing effect in the Nd:YAG laser rod is used as a polarization discriminator, and a c-cut YVO4 crystal is inserted into the laser cavity to increase the mode-selecting ability of the cavity for AP mode. The laser generated AP pulses with maximum pulse energy as high as 4.2 mJ. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest pulse energy obtained from an actively Q-switched AP laser. The pulse energy remained higher than 1 mJ over a wide range of repetition rates from 5 kHz to 25 kHz.

High-energy directly diode-pumped Q-switched 1617 nm Er:YAG laser at room temperature.

PubMed

Wang, Mingjian; Zhu, Liang; Chen, Weibiao; Fan, Dianyuan

2012-09-01

We describe high-energy Erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) lasers operating at 1617 nm, resonantly pumped using 1532 nm fiber-coupled laser diodes. A maximum continuous wave output power of 4.3 W at 1617 nm was achieved with an output coupler of 20% transmission under incident pump power of 29.7 W, resulting in an optical conversion of 14% with respect to the incident pump power. In Q-switched operation, the pulse energy of 11.8 mJ at 100 Hz pulse repetition frequency and 81 ns pulse duration was obtained. This energy is the highest pulse energy reported for a directly diode-pumped Q-switched Er:YAG laser operating at 1617 nm.

Frequency-doubled passively Q-switched microchip laser producing 225  ps pulses at 671  nm.

PubMed

Nikkinen, Jari; Korpijärvi, Ville-Markus; Leino, Iiro; Härkönen, Antti; Guina, Mircea

2016-11-15

We report a 671 nm laser source emitting 225 ps pulses with an average power of 55 mW and a repetition rate of 444 kHz. The system consists of a 1342 nm SESAM Q-switched Nd:YVO₄ microchip master oscillator and a dual-stage Nd:YVO₄ power amplifier. The 1342 nm signal was frequency-doubled to 671 nm using a periodically poled lithium niobate crystal. This laser source provides a practical alternative for applications requiring high energy picosecond pulses, such as time-gated Raman spectroscopy.

Q-switched dual-wavelength pumped 3.5-μm erbium-doped mid-Infrared fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bawden, Nathaniel; Matsukuma, Hiraku; Henderson-Sapir, Ori; Klantsataya, Elizaveta; Tokita, Shigeki; Ottaway, David J.

2018-02-01

Short pulse operation of fiber lasers operating at wavelengths up 3 micron have been reported in recent years. At longer wavelengths, fiber lasers have only been demonstrated with a continuous operation mode. Short pulse operation in the mid-IR is necessary for utilizing such lasers in laser radars and for medical applications. Our previous numerical work suggested that Q-switching is possible on the 3.5 μm transition in erbium-doped ZBLAN in a similar manner to work demonstrated on the 2.8 μm transition in erbium. In this work we report on initial experimental results of a Q-switched, dualwavelength pumped fiber laser operating on the 3.5 μm transition in erbium-doped ZBLAN glass fibers. Using a hybrid fiber and open resonator configuration utilizing an acousto-optic modulator we demonstrated stable single pulse Q-switching while operating at repetition rates of 20 kHz and up to 120 kHz. The laser achieved a peak power of 8 W with pulse energy of 7 μJ while operating at 25 kHz. Long pulse widths on the order of 1 μs were obtained. The low peak power and long pulses are likely the result of both low gain of the transition and additional losses in the resonator which are currently being investigated. Our latest results will be presented.

Efficient high repetition rate electro-optic Q-switched laser with an optically active langasite crystal

PubMed Central

Ma, Shihui; Yu, Haohai; Zhang, Huaijin; Han, Xuekun; Lu, Qingming; Ma, Changqin; Boughton, Robert I.; Wang, Jiyang

2016-01-01

With an optically active langasite (LGS) crystal as the electro-optic Q-switch, we demonstrate an efficient Q-switched laser with a repetition rate of 200 kHz. Based on the theoretical analysis of the interaction between optical activity and electro-optic property, the optical activity of the crystal has no influence on the birefringence during Q-switching if the quarter wave plate used was rotated to align with the polarization direction. With a Nd:LuVO4 crystal possessing a large emission cross-section and a short fluorescence lifetime as the gain medium, a stable LGS Q-switched laser was designed with average output power of 4.39 W, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 29.4% and with a minimum pulse width of 5.1 ns. This work represents the highest repetition rate achieved so far in a LGS Q-switched laser and it can provide a practical Q-switched laser with a tunable high repetition rates for many applications, such as materials processing, laser ranging, medicine, military applications, biomacromolecule materials, remote sensing, etc. PMID:27461819

Passive Q switching and mode-locking of Er:glass lasers using VO2 mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollack, S. A.; Chang, D. B.; Chudnovky, F. A.; Khakhaev, I. A.

1995-09-01

Passive Q switching of an Er:glass laser with the pulse width varying between 14 and 80 ns has been demonstrated, using three resonator vanadium-dioxide-coated (VO2) mirror samples with temperature-dependent reflectivity and differing in the reflectivity contrast. The reflectivity changes because of a phase transition from a semiconductor to a metallic state. Broad band operating characteristics of VO2 mirrors provide Q switching over a wide range of wavelengths. In addition, mode-locked pulses with much shorter time scales have been observed, due to exciton formation and recombination. A simple criterion is derived for the allowable ambient temperatures at which the Q switching operates effectively. A simple relation has also been found relating the duration of the Q-switched pulse to the contrast in reflectivities of the two mirror phases.

Resonantly diode-pumped continuous-wave and Q-switched Er:YAG laser at 1645 nm.

PubMed

Chang, N W H; Simakov, N; Hosken, D J; Munch, J; Ottaway, D J; Veitch, P J

2010-06-21

We describe an efficient Er:YAG laser that is resonantly pumped using continuous-wave (CW) laser diodes at 1470 nm. For CW lasing, it emits 6.1 W at 1645 nm with a slope efficiency of 36%, the highest efficiency reported for an Er:YAG laser that is pumped in this manner. In Q-switched operation, the laser produces diffraction-limited pulses with an average power of 2.5 W at 2 kHz PRF. To our knowledge this is the first Q-switched Er:YAG laser resonantly pumped by CW laser diodes.

Sub-5-ps, multimegawatt peak-power pulses from a fiber-amplified and optically compressed passively Q-switched microchip laser.

PubMed

Steinmetz, A; Jansen, F; Stutzki, F; Lehneis, R; Limpert, J; Tünnermann, A

2012-07-01

We report on high-energy picosecond pulse generation from a passively Q-switched and fiber-amplified microchip laser system. Initially, the utilized microchip lasers produce pulses with durations of around 100 ps at 1064 nm central wavelength. These pulses are amplified to energies exceeding 100 μJ, simultaneously chirped and spectrally broadened by self-phase modulation using a double stage amplifier based on single-mode LMA photonic crystal fibers at repetition rates of up to 1 MHz. Subsequently, the pulse duration of chirped pulses is reduced by means of nonlinear pulse compression to durations of 2.7 ps employing a conventional grating compressor and 4.7 ps using a compact compressor based on a chirped volume Bragg grating.

Mo0.5W0.5S2 for Q-switched pulse generation in ytterbium-doped fiber laser.

PubMed

Wang, Junli; Chen, Lei; Dou, Chenxi; Yan, Haiting; Meng, Lingjie; Wei, Zhiyi

2018-06-01

In this work, we fabricate the Mo 0.5 W 0.5 S 2 by microwave-assisted solvothermal method, and report the Q-switched Yb-doped fiber lasers (YDFL) using Mo 0.5 W 0.5 S 2 polymer film and tapered fiber as the saturable absorbers (SAs). The modulation depth and saturable intensity of the film SA are 5.63% and 6.82 MW cm -2 . The shortest pulse duration and the maximum single pulse energy are 1.22 μs and 148.8 nJ for the film SA, 1.46 μs and 339 nJ for the fiber-taper SA. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the Q-switched YDFL using Mo 0.5 W 0.5 S 2 SAs.

Mo0.5W0.5S2 for Q-switched pulse generation in ytterbium-doped fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Junli; Chen, Lei; Dou, Chenxi; Yan, Haiting; Meng, Lingjie; Wei, Zhiyi

2018-06-01

In this work, we fabricate the Mo0.5W0.5S2 by microwave-assisted solvothermal method, and report the Q-switched Yb-doped fiber lasers (YDFL) using Mo0.5W0.5S2 polymer film and tapered fiber as the saturable absorbers (SAs). The modulation depth and saturable intensity of the film SA are 5.63% and 6.82 MW cm‑2. The shortest pulse duration and the maximum single pulse energy are 1.22 μs and 148.8 nJ for the film SA, 1.46 μs and 339 nJ for the fiber-taper SA. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the Q-switched YDFL using Mo0.5W0.5S2 SAs.

Compact diode-pumped continuous-wave and passively Q-switched Nd:GYSO laser at 1.07 μm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Zhi; Huang, Xiaoxu; Lan, Jinglong; Cui, Shengwei; Wang, Yi; Xu, Bin; Luo, Zhengqian; Xu, Huiying; Cai, Zhiping; Xu, Xiaodong; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Wang, Jun; Xu, Jun

2016-08-01

We report diode-pumped continuous-wave (CW) and Q-switched Nd:GYSO lasers using a compact two-mirror linear laser cavity. Single-wavelength laser emissions at 1074.11 nm with 4.1-W power and at 1058.27 nm with 1.47-W power have been obtained in CW mode. The slope efficiencies with respect to the absorbed pump powers are 48.5% and 22.9%, respectively. Wavelength tunability is also demonstrated with range of about 8 nm. Using a MoS2 saturable absorber, maximum average output power up to 410 mW at 1074 nm can be yielded with absorbed pump power 6.41 W and the maximum pulse energy reaches 1.20 μJ with pulse repetition rate of 342.5 kHz and shortest pulse width of 810 ns. The CW laser results represent the best laser performance and the Q-switching also present the highest output power for Q-switched Nd3+ lasers with MoS2 as saturable absorber.

Narrow-linewidth Q-switched random distributed feedback fiber laser.

PubMed

Xu, Jiangming; Ye, Jun; Xiao, Hu; Leng, Jinyong; Wu, Jian; Zhang, Hanwei; Zhou, Pu

2016-08-22

A narrow-linewidth Q-switched random fiber laser (RFL) based on a half-opened cavity, which is realized by narrow-linewidth fiber Bragg grating (FBG) and a section of 3 km passive fiber, has been proposed and experimentally investigated. The narrow-linewidth lasing is generated by the spectral filtering of three FBGs with linewidth of 1.21 nm, 0.56 nm, and 0.12 nm, respectively. The Q switching of the distributed cavity is achieved by placing an acousto-optical modulator (AOM) between the FBG and the passive fiber. The maximal output powers of the narrow-linewidth RFLs with the three different FBGs are 0.54 W, 0.27 W, and 0.08 W, respectively. Furthermore, the repetition rates of the output pulses are 500 kHz, and the pulse durations are about 500 ns. The corresponding pulse energies are about 1.08 μJ, 0.54 μJ, and 0.16 μJ, accordingly. The linewidth of FBG can influence the output characteristics in full scale. The narrower the FBG, the higher the pump threshold; the lower the output power at the same pump level, the more serious the linewidth broadening; and thus the higher the proportion of the CW-ground exists in the output pulse trains. Thanks to the assistance of the band-pass filter (BPF), the proportion of the CW-ground of narrow-linewidth Q-switched RFL under the relative high-pump-low-output condition can be reduced effectively. The experimental results indicate that it is challenging to demonstrate a narrow-linewidth Q-switched RFL with high quality output. But further power scaling and linewidth narrowing is possible in the case of operating parameters, optimization efforts, and a more powerful pump source. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of narrow-linewidth generation in a Q-switched RFL.

Graphene oxide based reflective saturable absorber for Q-switched and mode-locked YVO4/Nd:YVO4/YVO4 laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Gang; Wang, Yonggang; Chen, Zhendong; Jiao, Zhiyong

2018-05-01

A reflective graphene oxide saturable absorber is fabricated and used in a Q-switched and mode-locked YVO4/Nd:YVO4/YVO4 laser. Stable Q-switched and mode-locked pulses with a repetition rate of 8 MHz can be obtained at a pump power of 9 W by using an X-type resonator. Pulses obtained in an X-type resonator possess higher stability, output power, and repetition rate, compared with those in a Z-type resonator. The pulse width and the repetition rate of the Q-switched envelop in an X-type resonator are superior to those in the reported Q-switched and mode-locked lasers with graphene oxide.

Diode-end-pumped single-longitudinal-mode passively Q-switched Nd:GGG laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Feng; Zhang, Sasa; Cong, Zhenhua; Huang, Qingjie; Guan, Chen; Wu, Qianwen; Chen, Hui; Bai, Fen; Liu, Zhaojun

2018-03-01

Diode-end-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:GGG laser in a ring cavity at 1062 nm was demonstrated. Single-longitudinal-mode laser linewidth less than 0.5 pm was accomplished by unidirectional operation. The maximum output pulse energy was 437 µJ and the pulse width was 43 ns when Cr4+:YAG with an initial transmission of 61% was used.

Maximum value of the pulse energy of a passively Q-switched laser as a function of the pump power.

PubMed

Li, Jianlang; Ueda, Ken-ichi; Dong, Jun; Musha, Mitsuru; Shirakawa, Akira

2006-07-20

The finite recovery time Ts of the bleached absorber is presented as one of the possible mechanisms accounting for the increase-maximum-decrease in pulse energy E with the pumping rate Wp in cw-pumped passively Q-switched solid-state lasers, by analytically evaluating the sign of the derivative partial differentialE/ partial differentialWP. The results show that, in the low pump regime (T>Ts, T is the interpulse period), the initial population density ni remains constant, the final population density nf decreases with Wp, and this results in a monotonic increase of E with Wp. In the high pump regime (Tlaser passively Q switched by a Cr4+:YAG absorber is demonstrated to confirm this model. The theoretical model is also applied to the analysis of three previously reported passive Q switching solid-state [Nd:GdVO4, Nd+:LaSc3(BO3)4 (Nd+:LSB), and Nd:YAG] lasers experiments.

Comparative study of dual-pulsed 1064 nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and single-pulsed 1064 nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser by using zebrafish model and prospective split-face analysis of facial melasma.

PubMed

Jang, Hee Won; Chun, Seung Hyun; Park, Hae Chul; Ryu, Hwa Jung; Kim, Il-Hwan

2017-04-01

Recently dual-pulsed low-fluence 1064-nm Q-switched Nd:YAG (QSNY) laser has been developed for reducing complication during melasma treatment. Comparison of the efficacy and safety between dual-pulsed mode and single-pulsed mode for the treatment of melasma. In preclinical study, adult zebrafish were irradiated with dual-pulsed and single-pulsed mode. Changes of melanophore and cell death were assessed. In split-face clinical study, dual-pulsed and single-pulsed mode were irradiated on the left and right side of the face, respectively. L* value, clinical digital photos, modified Melasma Area and Severity Index (MASI) scores, and side effects were measured. As compared to single-pulsed mode and dual-pulsed mode with longer intervals, zebrafish melanophore was cleared quickly at dual-pulsed mode with 80-μsec interval and 0.3 J/cm 2 fluence. Dual-pulsed mode showed the least regeneration of melanophore at 4 weeks after irradiation and no cell death was observed with 80-μsec interval. Both pulse modes improved melasma significantly but modified MASI score and L* value were not significantly different between each other. Lesser pain and shorter duration of post-laser erythema were observed with dual-pulsed mode. Dual-pulsed mode was as effective as single-pulsed mode for the treatment of melasma and revealed less side effects.

Microstructure and mechanical changes induced by Q-Switched pulse laser on human enamel with aim of caries prevention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apsari, R.; Pratomo, D. A.; Hikmawati, D.; Bidin, N.

2016-03-01

This study was conducted to determine the effect of Q-Switched Nd: YAG laser energy dose to human enamel caries. The specifications of Q-Switched Nd: YAG laser as followed: wavelength of 1064 nm and 6 ns pulse width. Caries enamel samples taken from human teeth molars of 17-35 ages and the type of media caries. Energy doses used in this study were 723.65 mJ/cm2, 767.72 mJ/cm2, and 1065.515 mJ/cm2; 5 Hz repetition rate, and 20 second exposure time. Samples characterized the surface morphology and the percentage of constituent elements, especially calcium/phosphorus (Ca/P) with FESEM-EDAX. The fraction volume and crystallinity percentage of hydroxyapatite (HA) with XRD and hardness value using Vickers Microhardness Test. The results indicated that exposure of Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser on enamel caries resulting cracks, holes, and melt due to plasma production effects in the surface. Plasma production effect also resulted in micro properties such as percentage of Ca/P was close to normal, the fraction volume and crystallinity percentage of HA went up but did not change the crystal structure (in terms of the lattice structure). The hardness value also rose as linear as exposure energy dose caused by phototermal effect. Based on the results, Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser can be used as contactless drill dental caries replacement candidate with the additional therapy effect such as localized caries in order to avoid the spread, the ratio of Ca/P approaching healthy teeth, the fraction volume and crystallinity percentage of HA rose and established stronger teeth with peak energy dose 1065.515 mJ/cm2.

MoS2-based passively Q-switched diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser at 946 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Haifeng; Zhu, Wenzhang.; Xiong, Feibing; Cai, Lie

2017-06-01

We demonstrate a passively Q-switched Nd: YAG quasi-three-level laser operating at 946 nm using MoS2 as saturable absorber. A maximum average output power of 210 mW is achieved at an absorbed pump power of 6.67 W with a slope efficiency of about 5.8%. The shortest pulse width and maximum pulse repetition frequency are measured to be 280 ns and 609 kHz, respectively. The maximum pulse energy and maximum pulse peak power are therefore estimated to be about 0.35 μJ and 1.23 W, respectively. This work represents the first MoS2-based Q-switched laser operating at 0.9 μm spectral region.

Investigation of regime switching from mode locking to Q-switching in a 2 µm InGaSb/AlGaAsSb quantum well laser.

PubMed

Li, Xiang; Wang, Hong; Qiao, Zhongliang; Guo, Xin; Wang, Wanjun; Ng, Geok Ing; Zhang, Yu; Xu, Yingqiang; Niu, Zhichuan; Tong, Cunzhu; Liu, Chongyang

2018-04-02

A two-section InGaSb/AlGaAsSb single quantum well (SQW) laser emitting at 2 μm is presented. By varying the absorber bias voltage with a fixed gain current at 130 mA, passive mode locking at ~18.40 GHz, Q-switched mode locking, and passive Q-switching are observed in this laser. In the Q-switched mode locking regimes, the Q-switched RF signal and mode locked RF signal coexist, and the Q-switched lasing and mode-locked lasing happen at different wavelengths. This is the first observation of these three pulsed working regimes in a GaSb-based diode laser. An analysis of the regime switching mechanism is given based on the interplay between the gain saturation and the saturable absorption.

Saturable absorber Q- and gain-switched all-Yb3+ all-fiber laser at 976 and 1064 nm.

PubMed

Tsai, Tzong-Yow; Fang, Yen-Cheng; Huang, Huai-Min; Tsao, Hong-Xi; Lin, Shih-Ting

2010-11-08

We demonstrate a novel passively pulsed all-Yb3+ all-fiber laser pumped by a continuous-wave 915-nm pump laser diode. The laser was saturable absorber Q-switched at 976 nm and gain-switched at 1064 nm, using the method of mode-field-area mismatch. With a pump power of 
105 mW, the laser iteratively produced a 976-nm pulse with an energy of 2.8 μJ and a duration of 280 ns, followed by a 1064-nm pulse with 1.1 μJ and a 430-ns duration at a repetition rate of 9 kHz. A set of rate equations was established to simulate the self-balancing mechanism and the correlation between the Q- and gain-switched photon numbers and the populations of the gain and absorber fibers.

A Cr4+:YAG passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4 microchip laser for controllable high-order Hermite-Gaussian modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Jun; He, Yu; Bai, Sheng-Chuang; Ueda, Ken-ichi; Kaminskii, Alexander A.

2016-09-01

A nanosecond, high peak power, passively Q-switched laser for controllable Hermite-Gaussian (HG) modes has been achieved by manipulating the saturated inversion population inside the gain medium. The stable HG modes are generated in a Cr4+:YAG passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4 microchip laser by applying a tilted pump beam. The asymmetrical saturated inversion population distribution inside the Nd:YVO4 crystal for desirable HG modes is manipulated by choosing the proper pump beam diameter and varying pump power. A HG9,8 mode passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4 microchip laser with average output power of 265 mW has been obtained. Laser pulses with a pulse width of 7.3 ns and peak power of over 1.7 kW working at 21 kHz have been generated in the passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4 microchip laser.

Comparative study of passively Q-switched c-cut Nd:YVO4/Nd:YAG lasers based on CVD graphene and controlled operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Fuqiang; Liu, Pei; Li, Kang; Chen, Hao; Cheng, Yongjie; Cai, Zhiping; Copner, Nigel

2017-07-01

In this paper, a comparative study of passively Q-switched c-cut Nd:YVO4 and Nd:YAG lasers using four different layers CVD graphene as saturable absorber are demonstrated experimentally for the first time. Moreover, it is successful to accurately control the frequency of repetition rates of the CVD graphern passively Q-switched lasers by pulsed pump. The impacts of laser materials, layers of CVD graphene and cavity length on output parameters are investigated intensively as well, the result shows that the c-cut Nd:YVO4 is a promising laser media compared with Nd:YAG for passively Q-switched lasers based on CVD graphene, as it has better performances in pulse width, pulse energy and peak power. A useful and cost-effective way to generate stable pulsed lasers by CVD graphene or other novel saturable materials are demonstrated.

Poly (N-vinyl Carbazole) - Polypyrrole/graphene oxide nanocomposite material on tapered fiber for Q-switched pulse generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, H.; Faruki, M. J.; Jasim, A. A.; Ooi, S. I.; Thambiratnam, K.

2018-02-01

A passively Q-switched fiber laser using a Saturable Absorber (SA) fabricated from a new Poly (N-vinyl Carbazole) - Polypyrrole/Graphene Oxide (PNVC-PPy/GO) nanocomposite material deposited on a tapered fiber is proposed and demonstrated. The PNVC-PPy/GO composition is deposited along a 3 mm length of the 6.5 cm tapered fiber which has a tapered waist of 8 μm. Q-switched pulses are obtained with repetition rates of 25.15-42.7 kHz and pulse widths of 5.74-2.48 μs over a pump power range of 12.8-40.0 mW. A maximum average power of 0.19 mW and pulse energy of 4.43 nJ are also observed. The proposed Q-switched maintains advantages of a simple design and low fabrication cost while at the same time generating high quality Q-switched pulses.

Treatment of Melasma with the Photoacoustic Twin Pulse Mode of Low-Fluence 1,064 nm Q-Switched Nd:YAG Laser.

PubMed

Kim, Jee Young; Choi, Misoo; Nam, Chan Hee; Kim, Ji Seok; Kim, Myung Hwa; Park, Byung Cheol; Hong, Seung Phil

2016-06-01

Low-fluence 1,064 nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser has been widely used for the treatment of melasma. Although new Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers with photoacoustic twin pulse (PTP) mode have been recently developed for high-efficiency, there is limited information available for the new technique. This study was designed to investigate the efficacy and adverse effects after few sessions of repeated low fluence 1,064 nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser treatment with PTP mode in Asian women with melasma. Twenty-two Korean women were treated with a total of five sessions of low-fluence PTP mode Nd:YAG laser treatment (Pastelle®) at 2 weeks interval. Responses to treatments were evaluated by using Melasma Area and Severity Index (MASI) scoring, colorimeter measurement, and the investigators' and patients' overall assessments. Adverse events were recorded at each visit. Investigators' and patients' overall assessment showed that 'significantly improved' was assessed by 13 (59.1%) and 19 of 22 patients (86.4%), respectively. MASI scores were significantly reduced by 20.4%. The lightness, measured by using a colorimeter, was significantly increased by 1.3 point. Notable adverse events were not observed. After 5 sessions of laser therapy alone, about 60% of the subjects showed significant improvement. Few sessions of repeated laser toning treatment using the PTP mode is a safe and effective way to treat facial melasma.

Diode-pumped continuous wave and passively Q-switched Tm, Mg: LiTaO₃ lasers.

PubMed

Feng, T; Li, T; Zhao, S; Li, Q; Yang, K; Zhao, J; Qiao, W; Hang, Y; Zhang, P; Wang, Y; Xu, J

2014-02-24

We have demonstrated the continuous wave and passively Q-switched Tm, Mg: LiTaO3 lasers for the first time. In continuous wave (CW) regime, a maximum CW output power of 1.03 W at 1952 nm was obtained, giving a slope efficiency of 9.5% and a beam quality M2 = 2.2. In passive Q-switching regime, a single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) was employed as saturable absorber (SA). The Tm,Mg:LiTaO3 laser has yielded a pulse of 560 ns under repetition rate of 34.2 kHz at 1926 nm, corresponding to a single pulse energy of 10.1 μJ. The results indicate a promising potential of nonlinear crystals in the applications for laser host materials.

Pure antimony film as saturable absorber for Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, M. F. A.; Zhalilah, M. Z.; Latiff, A. A.; Rosol, A. H. A.; Lokman, M. Q.; Bushroa, A. R.; Dimyati, K.; Harun, S. W.

2018-04-01

This paper reports on the use of Antimony (Sb) polymer film to generate stable Q-switching pulses in Erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) cavity. The SA is fabricated by coating a thin layer of Sb on a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film through physical vapour deposition (PVD) process. A 1 × 1 mm area of the film SA is cut and integrated into between two fiber ferrules inside the laser cavity for intra-cavity loss modulation. Self-starting and stable Q-switched pulses are obtained within a pump power range from 60 to 142 mW. Within this range, the repetition rate increases from 70.82 to 98.04 kHz, while pulse width decreases from 7.42 to 5.36 μs. The fundamental frequency signal-to-noise ratio of the pulse signal is 74 dB, which indicates the excellent stability of the pulses. The maximum output power and pulse energy are 8.45 mW and 86.19 nJ, respectively. Our demonstration shows that Sb film SA capable of generating stable pulses train operating at 1.55-micron region.

Compact pulsed high-energy Er:glass laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Peng; Liu, Jian

2012-03-01

Bulk Erbium-doped lasers are widely used for long-distance telemetry and ranging. In some applications such as coherent Doppler radars, laser outputs with a relatively long pulse width, good beam profile and pulse shape are required. High energy Q-switched Er:glass lasers were demonstrated by use of electro-optic (E/O) Q-switching or frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) Q-switching. However, the output pulse durations in these lasers were fixed to relatively small values and extremely hard to tune. We report here on developing a novel and compact Q-switched Er:Yb co-doped phosphate glass laser at an eye-safe wavelength of 1.5 μm. A rotating mirror was used as a Q-switch. Co-linear pump scheme was used to maintain a good output beam profile. Near-perfect Gaussian temporal shape was obtained in our experiment. By changing motor rotation speed, pulse duration was tunable and up to 240 ns was achieved. In our preliminary experiment, output pulse energies of 44 mJ and 4.5 mJ were obtained in free-running and Q-switched operation modes respectively.

High repetition rate, high energy, actively Q-switched all-in-fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lecourt, J. B.; Bertrand, A.; Guillemet, S.; Hernandez, Y.; Giannone, D.

2010-05-01

We report an actively Q-switched Ytterbium-doped all-in-fibre laser delivering 10ns pulses with high repetition rate (from 100kHz to 1MHz). The laser operation has been validated at three different wavelengths (1040, 1050 and 1064nm). The laser can deliver up to 20Watts average power with an high beam quality (M2 = 1).

High peak power Q-switched Er:YAG laser with two polarizers and its ablation performance for hard dental tissues.

PubMed

Yang, Jingwei; Wang, Li; Wu, Xianyou; Cheng, Tingqing; Jiang, Haihe

2014-06-30

An electro-optically Q-switched high-energy Er:YAG laser with two polarizers is proposed. By using two Al(2)O(3) polarizing plates and a LiNbO(3) crystal with Brewster angle, the polarization efficiency is significantly improved. As a result, 226 mJ pulse energy with 62 ns pulse width is achieved at the repetition rate of 3 Hz, the corresponding peak power is 3.6 MW. To our knowledge, such a high peak power has not been reported in literature. With our designed laser, in-vitro teeth were irradiated under Q-switched and free-running modes. Results of a laser ablation experiment on hard dental tissue with the high-peak-power laser demonstrates that the Q-switched Er:YAG laser has higher ablation precision and less thermal damage than the free-running Er:YAG laser.

Pulse Q-switched Nd:YAG laser ablation grown cinnamon nanomorphologies: Influence of different liquid medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salim, Ali Aqeel; Bidin, Noriah

2017-12-01

Broad range of biomedical applications demands accurate synthesis and characterization of various nanoparticles. We report the characterization of cinnamon nanoparticles (CNPs) grown via simple pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL). The influence of different liquid media (olive oil, ethanol, and citric acid each of volume 4 ml) on the growth morphology, structure and optical properties of CNPs is determined. Q-switched 1064-Nd: YAG laser of 10 ns pulse duration, 1 Hz repetition rate, 532 nm s harmonic generation and laser fluence of 6.37 J/cm2 is used to irradiate the cinnamon targets immersed in those liquids. Samples are characterized using TEM, HRTEM, SAED, FTIR, UV-Vis and Photoluminescence measurements. TEM images revealed the nucleation of CNPs of average size 18.36 nm (in olive oil), 21.48 nm (in ethanol), and 29.56 nm (in citric acid). Morphology of CNPs is demonstrated to be sensitive to the liquid medium. Our simple and innovative method may constitute a basis to produce CNPs of desired size distribution potential for the development of nanobiomedicine.

Q-switched Erbium-doped fiber laser at 1600 nm for photoacoustic imaging application

PubMed Central

Zeng, Lvming; Chen, Zhongping; Kim, Chang-Seok

2016-01-01

We present a nanosecond Q-switched Erbium-doped fiber (EDF) laser system operating at 1600 nm with a tunable repetition rate from 100 kHz to 1 MHz. A compact fiber coupled, acousto-optic modulator-based EDF ring cavity was used to generate a nanosecond seed laser at 1600 nm, and a double-cladding EDF based power amplifier was applied to achieve the maximum average power of 250 mW. In addition, 12 ns laser pulses with the maximum pulse energy of 2.4 μJ were obtained at 100 kHz. Furthermore, the Stokes shift by Raman scattering over a 25 km long fiber was measured, indicating that the laser can be potentially used to generate the high repetition rate pulses at the 1.7 μm region. Finally, we detected the photoacoustic signal from a human hair at 200 kHz repetition rate with a pulse energy of 1.2 μJ, which demonstrates that a Q-switched Er-doped fiber laser can be a promising light source for the high speed functional photoacoustic imaging. PMID:27110032

Q-switched Erbium-doped fiber laser at 1600 nm for photoacoustic imaging application

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Piao, Zhonglie; Beckman Laser Institute, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, California 92612; Zeng, Lvming

We present a nanosecond Q-switched Erbium-doped fiber (EDF) laser system operating at 1600 nm with a tunable repetition rate from 100 kHz to 1 MHz. A compact fiber coupled, acousto-optic modulator-based EDF ring cavity was used to generate a nanosecond seed laser at 1600 nm, and a double-cladding EDF based power amplifier was applied to achieve the maximum average power of 250 mW. In addition, 12 ns laser pulses with the maximum pulse energy of 2.4 μJ were obtained at 100 kHz. Furthermore, the Stokes shift by Raman scattering over a 25 km long fiber was measured, indicating that the laser can be potentially used to generate the highmore » repetition rate pulses at the 1.7 μm region. Finally, we detected the photoacoustic signal from a human hair at 200 kHz repetition rate with a pulse energy of 1.2 μJ, which demonstrates that a Q-switched Er-doped fiber laser can be a promising light source for the high speed functional photoacoustic imaging.« less

Diode pumped passively Q-switched Nd:LuAG laser at 1442.6 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Chen; Liu, Zhaojun; Cong, Zhenhua; Liu, Yang; Xu, Xiaodong; Xu, Jun; Huang, Qingjie; Rao, Han; Chen, Xia; Zhang, Yanmin; Wu, Qianwen; Bai, Fen; Zhang, Sasa

2017-02-01

A diode-end-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:LuAG laser at 1442.6 nm was demonstrated with a V3+:YAG crystal as the saturable absorber. Under continuous-wave (CW) operation, the maximum output power of 1.83 W was obtained with an absorbed pumping power of 11.1 W. The corresponding optical-to-optical conversion efficiency was 16.5%. Under Q-switched operation, the maximum average output power of 424 mW was obtained at the same pumping power. The pulse duration and pulse repetition rate were 72 ns and 17.4 kHz, respectively.

Diode pumped CW and passively Q-switched Nd:LGGG laser at 1062 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, H.; Jia, Z. T.; Zhang, B. T.; He, J. L.; Liu, S. D.; Yang, Y.; Tao, X. T.

2012-05-01

We report a Nd:LGGG laser at 1062 nm in the operations of the continuous-wave (CW) and passively Q-switching. The maximum CW output power of 5.62 W was obtained, corresponding to an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 49.0% and slope efficiency of 55.9%. By using Cr4+:YAG with initial transmission of 94% as the saturable absorber, for the first time, we got the maximum passively Q-switched output power of 1.21 W, accompanied with a highest pulse repetition rate of 27.1 kHz and a shortest pulse width of 9.1 ns.

Treatment of Melasma with the Photoacoustic Twin Pulse Mode of Low-Fluence 1,064 nm Q-Switched Nd:YAG Laser

PubMed Central

Kim, Jee Young; Choi, Misoo; Nam, Chan Hee; Kim, Ji Seok; Kim, Myung Hwa; Park, Byung Cheol

2016-01-01

Background Low-fluence 1,064 nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser has been widely used for the treatment of melasma. Although new Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers with photoacoustic twin pulse (PTP) mode have been recently developed for high-efficiency, there is limited information available for the new technique. Objective This study was designed to investigate the efficacy and adverse effects after few sessions of repeated low fluence 1,064 nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser treatment with PTP mode in Asian women with melasma. Methods Twenty-two Korean women were treated with a total of five sessions of low-fluence PTP mode Nd:YAG laser treatment (Pastelle®) at 2 weeks interval. Responses to treatments were evaluated by using Melasma Area and Severity Index (MASI) scoring, colorimeter measurement, and the investigators' and patients' overall assessments. Adverse events were recorded at each visit. Results Investigators' and patients' overall assessment showed that 'significantly improved' was assessed by 13 (59.1%) and 19 of 22 patients (86.4%), respectively. MASI scores were significantly reduced by 20.4%. The lightness, measured by using a colorimeter, was significantly increased by 1.3 point. Notable adverse events were not observed. Conclusion After 5 sessions of laser therapy alone, about 60% of the subjects showed significant improvement. Few sessions of repeated laser toning treatment using the PTP mode is a safe and effective way to treat facial melasma. PMID:27274626

Multi-watt passively Q-switched Yb:YAB/Cr:YAG microchip lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serres, Josep Maria; Loiko, Pavel; Mateos, Xavier; Liu, Junhai; Zhang, Huaijing; Yumashev, Konstantin; Griebner, Uwe; Petrov, Valentin; Aguiló, Magdalena; Díaz, Francesc

2017-02-01

A trigonal 5.6 at.% Yb:YAl3(BO3)4 (Yb:YAB) crystal is employed in continuous-wave (CW) and passively Q-switched microchip lasers pumped by a diode at 978 nm. Using a 3 mm-thick, c-cut Yb:YAB crystal, which has a higher pump absorption efficiency, efficient CW microchip laser operation is demonstrated. This laser generated a maximum output power of 7.18 W at 1041-1044 nm with a slope efficiency η of 67% (with respect to the absorbed pump power) and an almost diffraction-limited beam, M2 x,y < 1.1. Inserting a Cr:YAG saturable absorber, stable passive Q-switching of the Yb:YAB microchip laser was obtained. The maximum average output power from the Yb:YAB/Cr:YAG laser reached 2.82 W at 1042 nm with η = 53% and a conversion efficiency with respect to the CW mode of 65% (when using a 0.7 mm-thick Cr:YAG). The latter corresponded to a pulse duration and energy of 7.1 ns / 47 μJ at a pulse repetition rate (PRR) of 60 kHz. Using a 1.3 mm-thick Cr:YAG, 2.02 W were achieved at 1041 nm corresponding to η = 38%. The pulse characteristics were 4.9 ns / 83 μJ at PRR = 24.3 kHz and the maximum peak power reached 17 kW. Yb:YAB crystals are very promising for compact sub-ns power-scalable microchip lasers.

Theoretical and experimental investigations on high peak power Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 1112 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Miao; Yang, Feng; Wang, Zhi-Chao; Gao, Hong-Wei; Yuan, Lei; Li, Chen-Long; Zong, Nan; Shen, Yu; Bo, Yong; Peng, Qin-Jun; Cui, Da-Fu; Xu, Zu-Yan

2018-07-01

We report on the experimental measurement and theoretical analysis on a Q-switched high peak power laser diode (LD) side-pumped 1112 nm Nd:YAG laser by means of special mirrors coating design in cavity. In theory, a numerical model, based on four-wavelength rate equations, is performed to analyze the competition process of different gain lines and the output characteristics of the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. In the experiment, a maximum output power of 25.2 W with beam quality factor M2 of 1.46 is obtained at the pulse repetition rate of 2 kHz and 210 ns of pulse width, corresponding to a pulse energy and peak power of 12.6 mJ and 60 kW, respectively. The experimental data agree well with the theoretical simulation results.

2.79 μm high peak power LGS electro-optically Q-switched Cr,Er:YSGG laser.

PubMed

Wang, Li; Wang, Jintao; Yang, Jingwei; Wu, Xianyou; Sun, Dunlu; Yin, Shaotang; Jiang, Haihe; Wang, Jiyang; Xu, Changqing

2013-06-15

A flash lamp pumped Cr,Er:YSGG laser utilizing a langasite (LGS) crystal as an electro-optic Q-switch is proposed and demonstrated. It is proved that a LGS crystal with relatively high damage threshold can be used as the electro-optic Q-switch at 2.79 μm, and 216 mJ pulse energy with 14.36 ns pulse width is achieved. Its corresponding peak power of pulse can reach 15 MW, to our knowledge the best result at a 2.79 μm wavelength.

A continuous-wave and passively Q-switched Nd:LaGGG laser at 937 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Z.-Y.; Ying, H.-Y.; Yang, H.; He, J.-L.

2013-10-01

A diode-end-pumped continuous-wave (CW) and passively Q-switched Nd:LaGGG (GGG: gadolinium gallium garnet) laser at about 937 nm was demonstrated for the first time. The maximum CW output power of 540 mW was obtained with the optical-optical conversion efficiency of 3.2% and the slope efficiency of 4.4%. A V3+:YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) saturable absorber with the initial transmission of 97% was used for the passive Q-switching regime. The shortest pulse width was achieved as 500 ns with the pulse repetition rate of 96 kHz. The corresponding single-pulse energy and pulse peak power were determined as 1.56 μJ and 3.12 W, respectively.

36 W Q-switched Ho:YAG laser at 2097 nm pumped by a Tm fiber laser: evaluation of different Ho3+ doping concentrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antipov, O. L.; Eranov, I. D.; Kositsyn, R. I.

2017-01-01

A laser oscillator based on Ho:YAG crystal pumped by a Tm fiber laser with an acousto-optical Q-switch was optimized for maximum output power and pulse-to-pulse stability. Stable operation at 2097 nm in Q-switched mode is demonstrated, with pulse repetition rates from 10 to 30 kHz, and output power of 36 W (at 55 W of pump power at 1908 nm) in the good quality beam. The influence of Ho ion up-conversion and thermal lensing on the oscillation efficiency is discussed.

Diode-pumped continuous wave tunable and graphene Q-switched Tm:LSO lasers.

PubMed

Feng, T L; Zhao, S Z; Yang, K J; Li, G Q; Li, D C; Zhao, J; Qiao, W C; Hou, J; Yang, Y; He, J L; Zheng, L H; Wang, Q G; Xu, X D; Su, L B; Xu, J

2013-10-21

We have investigated the lasing characteristics of Tm:LSO crystal in three operation regimes: continuous wave (CW), wavelength tunable and passive Q-switching based on graphene. In CW regime, a maximum output power of 0.65 W at 2054.9 nm with a slope efficiency of 21% was achieved. With a quartz plate, a broad wavelength tunable range of 145 nm was obtained, corresponding to a FWHM of 100 nm. By using a graphene saturable absorber mirror, the passively Q-switched Tm:LSO laser produced pulses with duration of 7.8 μs at 2030.8 nm under a repetition rate of 7.6 kHz, corresponding to pulse energy of 14.0 μJ.

Triple-wavelength passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped fibre laser using zinc oxide nanoparticles film as a saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohsin Al-Hayali, Sarah Kadhim; Hadi Al-Janabi, Abdul

2018-07-01

We report on the generation of a triple-wavelength passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped fibre laser using a saturable absorber (SA) based on zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) film. The SA was fabricated by embedding ZnO NPs powder into a polyvinyl alcohol as a host polymer. By properly adjusting the pump power and the polarization state, single-, dual- and triple-wavelength Q-switching are stably generated without additional components (such as optical filter, or fibre grating). For the triple wavelength operation, the fibre laser generates a maximum pulse repetition of 87.9 kHz with the shortest pulse duration of 2.7 μs. To the best of authors' knowledge, it's the first demonstration of triple-wavelength passively Q-switching fibre laser using ZnO NPs as a SA. Our results suggest that ZnO is a promising SA for multi-wavelength laser operation.

Multi-operational tuneable Q-switched mode-locking Er fibre laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qamar, F. Z.

2018-01-01

A wavelength-spacing tuneable, Q-switched mode-locking (QML) erbium-doped fibre laser based on non-linear polarization rotation controlled by four waveplates and a cube polarizer is proposed. A mode-locked pulse train using two quarter-wave plates and a half-wave plate (HWP) is obtained first, and then an extra HWP is inserted into the cavity to produce different operation regimes. The evolutions of temporal and spectral dynamics with different orientation angles of the extra HWP are investigated. A fully modulated stable QML pulse train is observed experimentally. This is, to the author’s best knowledge, the first experimental work reporting QML operation without adding an extra saturable absorber inside the laser cavity. Multi-wavelength pulse laser operation, multi-pulse train continuous-wave mode-locking operation and pulse-splitting operations are also reported at certain HWP angles. The observed operational dynamics are interpreted as a mutual interaction of dispersion, non-linear effect and insertion loss. This work provides a new mechanism for fabricating cheap tuneable multi-wavelength lasers with QML pulses.

Passively Q-switched and mode-locked dual-wavelength Nd:GGG laser with Cr4+:YAG as a saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Hongwei; Zhao, Shengzhi; Li, Yufei; Yang, Kejian; Li, Guiqiu; Li, Dechun; Zhao, Jia; Qiao, Wenchao; Li, Tao; Feng, Chuansheng; Zhang, Haijuan

2014-03-01

By using neodymium-doped gadolinium gallium garnet (Nd:GGG) as a laser medium, a simultaneously passively Q-switched and mode-locked (QML) dual-wavelength laser with Cr4+:YAG as a saturable absorber is presented. The laser simultaneously oscillated at 1061 nm and 1063 nm, corresponding to a frequency difference of 0.53 THz. QML pulses with nearly 100% modulation depth were observed. The mode-locked pulse duration underneath the Q-switched envelope was estimated to be about 908 ps. The experimental results indicated that the dual-wavelength QML Nd:GGG laser can be an excellent candidate for the generation of THz waves.

High energy Er-doped Q-switched fiber laser with WS2 saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lu; Wang, Yonggang; Wang, Zhen Fu; Wang, Xi; Yang, Guowen

2018-01-01

The report presents a stable Q-switched Er-doped fiber (EDF) laser with WS2-based saturable absorber (SA). The SA is obtained by mixing WS2 dispersion with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) into polystyrene cells, and then evaporating them to form WS2/PVA film. The modulation depth (MD) of WS2/PVA is 2% and the saturable intensity (Isat) is 27.2 MW/cm2. Employing the WS2/PVA film into EDF laser cavity, stable Q-switched operation is achieved with central wavelength of 1560 nm. The repetition rate can be tuned from 16.15 to 60.88 kHz with increasing pump power from 30 to 320 mW. The single pulse energy increases from 82 to 195 nJ and then decreases down to 156 nJ with increasing pump power from 30 to 320 mW. The pulse width shows the same variation trend. The shortest pulse duration of 2.396 μs and the maximum single pulse energy of 195 nJ are obtained at the pump power of 220 mW. To the best of our knowledge, 195 nJ is the largest single pulse energy at 1.55 μm region with TMDs as Q-switcher. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is measured to be 60 dB at the pump power of 130 mW. The long term stability of working is good too. The experimental results evidently show that the WS2/PVA SA can work as a promising Q-switcher for high power fiber lasers.

High-pulse energy Q-switched Tm3+:YAG laser for nonlinear frequency conversion to the mid-IR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stöppler, Georg; Kieleck, Christelle; Eichhorn, Marc

2010-10-01

For some medical fields in laser surgery and as a pump source for nonlinear materials to generate mid-IR radiation, e.g. for countermeasure applications, it is very useful to have a solid-state laser with high pulse energy at 2 μm. The rare earth ion Thulium offers a cross relaxation and can thus be directly diode pumped with common laser diodes around 800 nm for an efficient pumping. However, it was not considered for high pulse energy operation due to the high saturation fluence of around 62 J/cm2 at 2 μm. A limiting factor has always been the damage threshold of the optical elements inside the cavity. One of the reasons is the strong thermal lens of YAG, which affects a change of the beam radius inside the resonator and additionally degrades the beam quality with increasing pump power. Using a new pump geometry of the Tm3+:YAG laser system, it is now possible to reach pulse energies > 13 mJ at a diffraction limited beam quality of M2 < 1.1. The Q-switched Tm3+:YAG laser system uses an AOM operating at 100 Hz and will be described in detail. Due to the high pulse energy and very good beam quality, this laser is very interesting for nonlinear parametric frequency conversion.

Tm:GdVO4 microchip laser Q-switched by a Sb2Te3 topological insulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loiko, Pavel; Bogusławski, Jakub; Serres, Josep Maria; Kifle, Esrom; Kowalczyk, Maciej; Mateos, Xavier; Sotor, Jarosław; Zybała, Rafał; Mars, Krzysztof; Mikuła, Andrzej; Aguiló, Magdalena; Díaz, Francesc; Griebner, Uwe; Petrov, Valentin

2018-02-01

We report on the first application of a topological insulator based on antimony telluride (Sb2Te3) as a saturable absorber (SA) in a bulk microchip laser. The transmission-type SA consisted of a thin film of Sb2Te3 (thickness: 3 nm) deposited on a glass substrate by pulsed magnetron sputtering. The saturable absorption of the Sb2Te3 film was confirmed for ns-long pulses. The microchip laser was based on a Tm:GdVO4 crystal diode-pumped at 802 nm. In the continuous-wave regime, this laser generated 3.54 W at 1905-1921 nm with a slope efficiency η of 37%. The Q-switched laser generated a maximum average output power of 0.70 W at 1913 nm. The pulse energy and duration were 3.5 μJ and 223 ns, respectively, at a repetition rate of 200 kHz. The Sb2Te3 SAs are promising for passively Q-switched waveguide lasers at 2 μm.

Q-switched Nd:YAG/V:YAG microchip 1338 nm laser for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šulc, Jan; Jelínková, Helena; Nejezchleb, Karel; Škoda, Václav

2017-12-01

Q-switched microchip laser emitting radiation at wavelength 1338nm was tested as a radiation source for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). This laser used sandwich crystal which combined in one piece the cooling part (undoped YAG crystal 4mm long), the active laser part (Nd:YAG crystal 12mm long), and the saturable absorber (V:YAG crystal 0.7mm long). The diameter of this crystal was 5 mm. The microchip resonator consisted of dielectric mirrors directly deposited on the monolith crystal surfaces. The pump mirror (HT @ 808 nm, HR @ 1.3 ¹m) was placed on the undoped YAG part. The output coupler (R = 90% @ 1338 nm) was placed on the V:YAG part. The fibre-coupled 808nm pumping laser diode was operating in pulsed regime (rep. rate 250 Hz, pulse width 300 ¹s, pulse energy 6 mJ). Using this pumping, stable and high reproducible Q-switched pulses were generated at wavelength 1338 nm. Pulse length was 6.2 ns (FWHM) and the mean output power was 33mW. The single pulse energy and peak power was 0.13mJ and 21kW, respectively. Laser was operating in fundamental TEM00 mode. The laser radiation was focused on a tested sample using single plano-convex lens (focal length 75 mm). The focal spot radius was 40 ¹m. The corresponding peak-power density was 0.83GW/cm2. The laser induced break-down was successfully reached and corresponding laser-induced plasma spectra were recorded for set of metallic elements (Cu, Ag, Au, In, Zn, Al, Fe, Ni, Cr) and alloys (Sn-Pb solder, duralumin, stainless-steel, brass). To record the spectra, StellarNet BLACK-Comet concave grating CCD-based spectrometer was used without any special collimation optics. Thanks to used laser wavelength far from the detector sensitivity, no special filtering was needed to overcome the CCD dazzling. The constructed laser could significantly improve repletion-rate of up-to-date LIBS devices.

Dye foils with increased durability for passive Q-switching in a 1064 nm laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mierczyk, Z.; Kwasny, M.; Czeszko, J.

The results of spectral gel permeation chromatography and differential thermal analysis investigations of structures of dye foils consisting of bis-(4-dimethyl-amino-dithio-benzil)-nickel dye suspended in polymethylmethacrylate matrix, to be used for passive Q-switching in a 1064 nm laser, are reported. Results of experimental measurements and of numerical calculations of thermal and generating properties, and of the endurance of passive foil type Q-switches in the resonator of YAG:Nd(3+) laser are also presented. Optimization of polymerization conditions has enabled the production of dye foils with high thermal and photochemical resistance, which give stable operation of a giant pulsed laser.

Dye Foils With Increased Durability For Passive Q-Switching In A 1064 Nm Laser.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mierczyk, Z.; Kwasny, M.; Czeszko, J.

1987-10-01

The results of spectral (IR, UV-VIS, H NMR) , gel permeation chromatography and differential thermal analysis investigations of structures of dye foils consisting of bis-(4-dimethyl-amino-dithio-benzil)-nickel dye suspended in polymethylmethacrylate matrix, to be used for passive Q-switching in a 1064 nm laser, are reported. Results of experimental measurements and of numerical calculations of thermal and generating properties, and of the endurance of passive foil type Q-switches in the resona-tor of YAG:Nd3+ laser are also presented. Optimization of polymerization conditions has enabled the production of dye foils with high thermal and photochemical resistance, which give stable operation of a giant pulsed laser.

Widely-tunable, passively Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser with few-layer MoS2 saturable absorber.

PubMed

Huang, Yizhong; Luo, Zhengqian; Li, Yingyue; Zhong, Min; Xu, Bin; Che, Kaijun; Xu, Huiying; Cai, Zhiping; Peng, Jian; Weng, Jian

2014-10-20

We propose and demonstrate a MoS2-based passively Q-switched Er-doped fiber laser with a wide tuning range of 1519.6-1567.7 nm. The few-layer MoS2 nano-platelets are prepared by the liquid-phase exfoliation method, and are then made into polymer-composite film to construct the fiber-compatible MoS2 saturable absorber (SA). It is measured at 1560 nm wavelength, that such MoS2 SA has the modulation depth of ∼ 2% and the saturable optical intensity of ∼ 10 MW/cm(2). By further inserting the filmy MoS2-SA into an Er-doped fiber laser, stable Q-switching operation with a 48.1 nm continuous tuning from S- to C-waveband is successfully achieved. The shortest pulse duration and the maximum pulse energy are 3.3 μs and 160 nJ, respectively. The repetition rate and the pulse duration under different operation conditions have been also characterized. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first demonstration of MoS2 Q-switched, widely-tunable fiber laser.

Continuous-wave and actively Q-switched resonantly dual-end-pumped Er : YAG ceramic laser emitting at 1.6 μm

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dai, T Y; Deng, Yu; Ju, Y-L

2015-12-31

We demonstrate a continuous-wave (cw) and actively Q-switched Er : YAG ceramic laser resonantly dual-end-pumped by a 1532 nm fibre-coupled laser diode. A maximum cw output power of 1.48 W at 1645.3 nm is obtained at an absorbed pump power of 12.72 W, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 19.2%. In the Q-switched regime the maximum pulse energy of 0.84 mJ is reached at a pulse repetition rate of 100 Hz, pulse duration of 48.03 ns and absorbed pump power of 10.51 W. (lasers)

Transition metal dichalcogenide (WS2 and MoS2) saturable absorbers for Q-switched Er-doped fiber lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lu; Lv, Ruidong; Liu, Sicong; Wang, Xi; Wang, Yonggang; Chen, Zhendong; Wang, Jiang

2018-05-01

This report demonstrates a stable Q-switched Er-doped fiber laser with MoS2 (WS2)-based saturable absorber (SA) in the net normal dispersion regime. The SA is obtained by mixing MoS2 (WS2) nanosheets with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) into polystyrene cells, and then evaporating them to form MoS2 (WS2)/PVA film. The modulation depth values for MoS2/PVA and WS2/PVA are measured to be 2.7% and 2.1% respectively. Employing the MoS2 (WS2)/PVA film in the Er-doped fiber laser cavity, stable Q-switching operation is achieved with central wavelength of 1560 nm. The shortest pulse durations of the two Q-switched fiber lasers are, respectively, 3.97 and 3.71 µs, and their maximum single pulse energies are measured to be 131.52 and 126.96 nJ. The experimental results clearly show that MoS2 (WS2) is a promising nonlinear material, and that improvements in Q-switching performance due to two SAs in the net normal dispersion regime might be helpful in the design of fiber lasers.

Synchronizable Q-switched, mode-locked, and cavity-dumped ruby laser for plasma diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houtman, H.; Meyer, J.

1985-06-01

We report on the design and operation of an optimized version of a Q-switched, mode-locked, and cavity-dumped ruby-laser oscillator. The modulator window is much narrower than that assumed in conventional active mode-lock theory, and is shown to yield much shorter pulses than the latter in cases where the number of round trips is restricted. To allow a high-power pulse (≊1 GW) to evolve in the oscillator, and to allow simple synchronization to a (˜100 ns fixed delay) CO2 laser, a limit of 23 round trips was chosen, but similar limits may be imposed by lasers having short-gain duration as in an excimer laser. Details are given on the single spark gap switching element and Pockels cells, with an analysis of their expected switching speeds, in order to establish the effectiveness of the modulator, as compared to conventional sinusoidally driven active mode lockers. Single pulses of 50-70 mJ are reliably cavity-dumped after only 100-ns delay (23 round trips) with pulse length adjustable from 50-100 ps with ±5-ps stability. Relative timing between the main (CO2) and probe (ruby) pulses allows a measurement accuracy of ±50 ps to be attained.

Synchronizable Q-switched, mode-locked, and cavity-dumped ruby laser for plasma diagnostics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Houtman, H.; Meyer, J.

We report on the design and operation of an optimized version of a Q-switched, mode-locked, and cavity-dumped ruby-laser oscillator. The modulator window is much narrower than that assumed in conventional active mode-lock theory, and is shown to yield much shorter pulses than the latter in cases where the number of round trips is restricted. To allow a high-power pulse (roughly-equal1 GW) to evolve in the oscillator, and to allow simple synchronization to a (approx.100 ns fixed delay) CO/sub 2/ laser, a limit of 23 round trips was chosen, but similar limits may be imposed by lasers having short-gain duration asmore » in an excimer laser. Details are given on the single spark gap switching element and Pockels cells, with an analysis of their expected switching speeds, in order to establish the effectiveness of the modulator, as compared to conventional sinusoidally driven active mode lockers. Single pulses of 50--70 mJ are reliably cavity-dumped after only 100-ns delay (23 round trips) with pulse length adjustable from 50--100 ps with +- 5-ps stability. Relative timing between the main (CO/sub 2/) and probe (ruby) pulses allows a measurement accuracy of +- 50 ps to be attained.« less

A Passively Q-Switched, CW-Pumped Fe:ZnSe Laser

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

passively Q-switched microchip lasers using semiconductor saturable absorbers,” J. Opt. Soc. Amer. B, Opt. Phys., vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 376–388, Mar. 1999...204 IEEE JOURNAL OF QUANTUM ELECTRONICS, VOL. 50, NO. 3, MARCH 2014 A Passively Q-Switched, CW-Pumped Fe:ZnSe Laser Jonathan W. Evans, Patrick A...Berry, and Kenneth L. Schepler Abstract— We report the demonstration of high-average-power passively Q-switched laser oscillation from Fe2+ ions in zinc

Eye-Safe KGd(WO4)2:Nd Laser: Nano- and Subnanosecond Pulse Generation in Self-Frequency Raman Conversion Mode with Active Q-Switching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dashkevich, V. I.; Orlovich, V. A.

2017-03-01

The shape of the multimode Stokes pulse generated by an eye-safe KGd(WO4)2:Nd laser with self-frequency Raman conversion and active Q-switching was shown to depend on the inhomogeneity of the active-medium pump. The laser generated a short and undistorted Stokes pulse of length 2.5 ns that increased with increasing laser cavity length for a moderately inhomogeneous pump characterized by a higher population inversion in the center of the active element. The energy of the Stokes pulse ( 11.5 mJ) varied little as the output-mirror reflectivity varied in the range 5-45%. The Raman pulse became distorted if the inhomogeneity of the pump was increased considerably. The degree of pump inhomogeneity was negligible with fundamental TEM00 mode selection. The laser generated subnanosecond Stokes pulses with peak power in the MW range.

Efficient and compact Q-switched green laser using graphene oxide as saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Jianhua; Li, Hanhan; Yang, Zhenbo; Yan, Na

2018-01-01

A new type of graphene oxide (GO) is successfully prepared using an improved modified Hummers method. The Raman shift, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) measurement techniques are used to characterize the GO. An efficient and compact Q-switched green laser based on Nd:YVO4/PPLN is demonstrated with a few-layered GO as the saturable absorber. Our experimental results show that such a few-layered GO saturable absorber allows for the generation of a stable Q-switched laser pulse centered at 532.1 nm with a 3 dB spectral bandwidth of 2.78 nm, a repetition rate of 71.4 kHz, and a pulse duration of 98 ns. The maximum average output power of 536 mW is obtained at the absorbed pump power of 5.16 W, corresponding to an optical conversion efficiency of 10.3%.

High Power Q-Switched Thulium Doped Fibre Laser using Carbon Nanotube Polymer Composite Saturable Absorber

PubMed Central

Chernysheva, Maria; Mou, Chengbo; Arif, Raz; AlAraimi, Mohammed; Rümmeli, Mark; Turitsyn, Sergei; Rozhin, Aleksey

2016-01-01

We have proposed and demonstrated a Q-switched Thulium doped fibre laser (TDFL) with a ‘Yin-Yang’ all-fibre cavity scheme based on a combination of nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) and nonlinear amplified loop mirror (NALM). Unidirectional lasing operation has been achieved without any intracavity isolator. By using a carbon nanotube polymer composite based saturable absorber (SA), we demonstrated the laser output power of ~197 mW and pulse energy of 1.7 μJ. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest output power from a nanotube polymer composite SA based Q-switched Thulium doped fibre laser. PMID:27063511

Passively Q-switched microchip Er, Yb:YAl3(BO3)4 diode-pumped laser.

PubMed

Kisel, V E; Gorbachenya, K N; Yasukevich, A S; Ivashko, A M; Kuleshov, N V; Maltsev, V V; Leonyuk, N I

2012-07-01

We report, for the first time to our knowledge, a diode-pumped cw and passively Q-switched microchip Er, Yb:YAl(3)(BO(3))(4) laser. A maximal output power of 800 mW at 1602 nm in the cw regime was obtained at an absorbed pump power of 7.7 W. By using Co(2+):MgAl(2)O(4) as a saturable absorber, a TEM(00)-mode Q-switched average output power of 315 mW was demonstrated at 1522 nm, with pulse duration of 5 ns and pulse energy of 5.25 μJ at a repetition rate of 60 kHz.

Performance enhancement of sub-nanosecond diode-pumped passively Q-switched Yb:YAG microchip laser with diamond surface cooling.

PubMed

Zhuang, W Z; Chen, Yi-Fan; Su, K W; Huang, K F; Chen, Y F

2012-09-24

We experimentally confirm that diamond surface cooling can significantly enhance the output performance of a sub-nanosecond diode-end-pumped passively Q-switched Yb:YAG laser. It is found that the pulse energy obtained with diamond cooling is approximately 1.5 times greater than that obtained without diamond cooling, where a Cr(4+):YAG absorber with the initial transmission of 84% is employed. Furthermore, the standard deviation of the pulse amplitude peak-to-peak fluctuation is found to be approximately 3 times lower than that measured without diamond cooling. Under a pump power of 3.9 W, the passively Q-switched Yb:YAG laser can generate a pulse train of 3.3 kHz repetition rate with a pulse energy of 287 μJ and with a pulse width of 650 ps.

Pulse switching for high energy lasers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laudenslager, J. B.; Pacala, T. J. (Inventor)

1981-01-01

A saturable inductor switch for compressing the width and sharpening the rise time of high voltage pulses from a relatively slow rise time, high voltage generator to an electric discharge gas laser (EDGL) also provides a capability for efficient energy transfer from a high impedance primary source to an intermediate low impedance laser discharge network. The switch is positioned with respect to a capacitive storage device, such as a coaxial cable, so that when a charge build-up in the storage device reaches a predetermined level, saturation of the switch inductor releases or switches energy stored in the capactive storage device to the EDGL. Cascaded saturable inductor switches for providing output pulses having rise times of less than ten nanoseconds and a technique for magnetically biasing the saturable inductor switch are disclosed.

Influence of UV illumination on the cold temperature operation of a LiNbO(3) Q-switched Nd:YAG laser.

PubMed

Cole, Brian; Goldberg, Lew; King, Vernon; Leach, Jeff

2010-04-26

UV illumination of a lithium niobate Q-switch was demonstrated as an effective means to eliminate a loss in hold-off and associated prelasing that occurs under cold temperature operation of Q-switched lasers. This degradation occurs due to the pyroelectric effect, where an accumulation of charge on crystal faces results in a reduction in the Q-switch hold-off and a spatially variable loss of the Q-switch in its high-transmission state, both resulting in lowering of the maximum Q-switched pulse energy. With UV illumination, the resulting creation of photo-generated carriers was shown to be effective in eliminating both of these effects. A Q-switched Nd:YAG laser utilizing UV-illuminated LiNbO(3) was shown to operate under cold temperatures without prelasing or spatially variable loss.

Megawatt level UV output from [110] Cr⁴⁺:YAG passively Q-switched microchip laser.

PubMed

Bhandari, Rakesh; Taira, Takunori

2011-11-07

Recent development of megawatt peak power, giant pulse microchip lasers has opened new opportunities for efficient wavelength conversion, provided the output of the microchip laser is linearly polarized. We obtain > 2 MW peak power, 260 ps, 100 Hz pulses at 266 nm by fourth harmonic conversion of a linearly polarized Nd:YAG microchip laser that is passively Q-switched with [110] cut Cr⁴⁺:YAG. The SHG and FHG conversion efficiencies are 85% and 51%, respectively.

Diode-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:GdTaO4 laser based on tungsten disulfide nanosheets saturable absorber at 1066 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, M. X.; Jin, G. Y.; Li, Y.

2018-05-01

In this paper, we investigated the passively Q-switched Nd:GdTaO4 laser based on tungsten disulfide (WS2) saturable absorber (SA). The preparation method of WS2 SA was to attach the WS2-alcohol dispersion onto the quartz substrates. The diode-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:GdTaO4 laser operated at a central wavelength of 1066 nm. The stable pulse output could be obtained at the single pulse width of 560 ns. In a word, WS2 seems to be a suitable saturable absorber for solid state lasers.

1940 nm all-fiber Q-switched fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmadi, P.; Estrada, A.; Katta, N.; Lim, E.; McElroy, A.; Milner, T. E.; Mokan, V.; Underwood, M.

2017-02-01

We present development of a nanosecond Q-switched Tm3+-doped fiber laser with 16 W average power and 4.4 kW peak power operating at 1940 nm. The laser has a master oscillator power amplifier design, and uses large mode area Tm3+-doped fibers as the gain medium. Special techniques are used to splice Tm3+-doped fibers to minimize splice loss. The laser design is optimized to reduce non-linear effects, including modulation instability. Pulse width broadening due to high gain is observed and studied in detail. Medical surgery is a field of application where this laser may be able to improve clinical practice. The laser together with scanning galvanometer mirrors is used to cut precisely around small footprint vessels in tissue phantoms without leaving any visible residual thermal damage. These experiments provide proof-of-principle that this laser has promising potential in the laser surgery application space.

Plate-shaped Yb:LuPO4 crystal for efficient CW and passively Q-switched microchip lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Junhai; Wang, Lisha; Han, Wenjuan; Xu, Honghao; Zhong, Degao; Teng, Bing

2016-10-01

It is demonstrated that plate-shaped crystals of Yb:LuPO4, which are grown from spontaneous nucleation by high-temperature solution method, can be utilized to make microchip lasers operating in continuous-wave (CW) or passively Q-switched mode. Efficient operation of such a microchip laser, which is built with a 0.3 mm thick crystal plate in a 2 mm long plane-parallel cavity, is realized at room temperature. With 2.37 W of pump power absorbed, 1.45 W of CW output power is generated with a slope efficiency of 73%. When passively Q-switched with a Cr4+:YAG crystal plate as saturable absorber, the laser produces a maximum pulsed output power of 0.53 W at 1013.3 nm, at a pulse repetition rate of 23.8 kHz, the resulting pulse energy, duration, and peak power are 22.3 μJ, 4.0 ns, and 5.6 kW, respectively.

Q-Switching in a Neodymium Laser

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holgado, Warein; Sola, Inigo J.; Jarque, Enrique Conejero; Jarabo, Sebastian; Roso, Luis

2012-01-01

We present a laboratory experiment for advanced undergraduate or graduate laser-related classes to study the performance of a neodymium laser. In the experiment, the student has to build the neodymium laser using an open cavity. After that, the cavity losses are modulated with an optical chopper located inside, so the Q-switching regime is…

CW and Q-switched GGG/Er:Pr:GGG/GGG composite crystal laser at 2.7 µm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

You, Z. Y.; Wang, Y.; Sun, Y. J.; Xu, J. L.; Zhu, Z. J.; Li, J. F.; Wang, H. Y.; Tu, C. Y.

2017-04-01

We report the continuous-wave (CW) and passively Q-switched laser operations of a GGG/Er:Pr:GGG/GGG composite crystal at about 2.7 µm. Owing to the alleviation of the thermal lensing effect, the CW laser with a maximum output power of 463 mW was obtained with a slope efficiency of 15.5%. Based on the broadband saturable absorption property, a graphene saturable absorber (SA) mirror was fabricated and employed for realizing the Q-switched mid-infrared laser. Under an absorbed pump power of 2.47 W, an average output power of 186 mW was generated with a slope efficiency of 12.3%. The pulse width and the repetition rate of the laser were 360 ns and 120.5 kHz, respectively. These results indicate that the Er:Pr:GGG crystal, with the relatively lower upper-level lifetime, shows great promise for generating a short pulsed 2.7 µm mid-infrared laser using the graphene SA.

Ytterbium-doped fibre laser Q-switched by a cantilever-type micro-mirror.

PubMed

Fabert, Marc; Desfarges-Berthelemot, Agnès; Kermène, Vincent; Crunteanu, Aurelian; Bouyge, David; Blondy, Pierre

2008-12-22

We present an Ytterbium fibre laser operating in the Q-switch regime by using a Micro- Opto- Electro- Mechanical System (MOEMS) of novel design. The cantilever-type micro-mirror is designed to generate short laser pulses with duration between 20 ns and 100 ns at repetition rates ranging from a few kilohertz up to 800 kHz. The bent profile of this new type of MOEMS ensures a high modulation rate of the laser cavity losses while keeping a high actuating frequency.

A Q-switched Ho:YAG laser with double anti-misalignment corner cubes pumped by a diode-pumped Tm:YLF laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y. P.; Dai, T. Y.; Wu, J.; Ju, Y. L.; Yao, B. Q.

2018-06-01

We report the acousto-optically Q-switched Ho:YAG laser with double anti-misalignment corner cubes pumped by a diode-pumped Tm:YLF laser. In the continuous-wave operation of Ho:YAG laser, the maximum s-polarized output power of 3.2 W at 2090.3 nm was obtained under the absorbed pump power of 12.9 W by rotating the fast axis of quarter-wave plate to change the output transmission of laser cavity. The corresponding optical-to-optical conversion efficiency was 24.8% and the slope efficiency was 55.7%. When one of the corner cubes was rotated to 11.8° around vertical direction or 6.7° around horizontal direction, the laser could still operate stably. For the Q-switched operation, the pulse energy of Ho:YAG laser was 9.9 mJ with a pulse width of 53 ns at the repetition rate of 100 Hz, resulting in a peak power of 186.8 kW. The beam quality factor M2 of Ho:YAG laser was 1.3.

Development of a compact vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser end-pumped actively Q-switched laser for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Shuo; Chen, Rongzhang; Nelsen, Bryan

2016-03-15

This paper reports the development of a compact and portable actively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and its applications in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The laser was end-pumped by a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). The cavity lases at a wavelength of 1064 nm and produced pulses of 16 ns with a maximum pulse energy of 12.9 mJ. The laser exhibits a reliable performance in terms of pulse-to-pulse stability and timing jitter. The LIBS experiments were carried out using this laser on NIST standard alloy samples. Shot-to-shot LIBS signal stability, crater profile, time evolution of emission spectra, plasma electron density and temperature, andmore » limits of detection were studied and reported in this paper. The test results demonstrate that the VCSEL-pumped solid-state laser is an effective and compact laser tool for laser remote sensing applications.« less

Compact high-pulse-energy passively Q-switched Nd:YLF laser with an ultra-low-magnification unstable resonator: application for efficient optical parametric oscillator.

PubMed

Cho, C Y; Huang, Y P; Huang, Y J; Chen, Y C; Su, K W; Chen, Y F

2013-01-28

We exploit an ultra-low-magnification unstable resonator to develop a high-pulse-energy side-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:YLF/Cr⁴⁺:YAG laser with improving beam quality. A wedged laser crystal is employed in the cavity to control the emissions at 1047 nm and 1053 nm independently through the cavity alignment. The pulse energies at 1047 nm and 1053 nm are found to be 19 mJ and 23 mJ, respectively. The peak powers for both wavelengths are higher than 2 MW. Furthermore, the developed Nd:YLF lasers are employed to pump a monolithic optical parametric oscillator for confirming the applicability in nonlinear wavelength conversions.

Tunable diode laser-pumped Tm,Ho:YLF laser operated in continuous-wave and Q-switched modes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcguckin, B. T.; Hemmati, H.; Menzies, R. T.

1992-01-01

Tunable continuous-wave and pulsed laser output was obtained from a Tm-sensitized Ho:YLiF4 crystal at subambient temperatures when longitudinally pumped with a diode laser array. A conversion efficiency of 42 percent and slope efficiency of approximately 60 percent relative to the absorbed pumped power have been achieved at a crystal temperature of 275 K. The emission spectrum was etalon tunable over a range of 16/cm centered at 2067 nm with fine tuning capability of the transition frequency with crystal temperature at measured rate of -0.03/cm/K. Output energies of 0.22 mJ per pulse and 22 ns pulse duration were recorded at Q-switch frequencies that correspond to an effective upper laser level lifetime of 6 ms, and a pulse energy extraction efficiency of 64 percent.

Passively Q-switched Tm:BaY2F8 lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Haohai; Veronesi, Stefano; Mateos, Xavier; Petrov, Valentin; Griebner, Uwe; Parisi, Daniela; Tonelli, Mauro

2013-07-01

We demonstrate passive Q-switching (PQS) of the Tm-doped BaY2F8 (Tm:BYF) laser for the first time. The Tm:BYF laser is diode-pumped using an L-shaped hemispherical resonator. In the cw regime, the maximum output power with an 18% Tm-doped BYF crystal reached 1.12 W at ~1920 nm for an absorbed pump power of 3.06 W. In the PQS regime, maximum pulse energy (720 μJ) and peak power (17.1 kW) were obtained with an 8% Tm-doped BYF crystal and a Cr:ZnS saturable absorber with 92% low-signal transmission, again near 1920 nm, for a pulse width of ~40 ns and a repetition rate of 50 Hz.

Optimization of an intracavity Q-switched solid-state second order Raman laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhiqiong; Fu, Xihong; Peng, Hangyu; Zhang, Jun; Qin, Li; Ning, Yongqiang

2017-01-01

In this paper, the model of an intracavity Q-switched second order Raman laser is established, the characteristics of the output 2nd Stokes are simulated. The dynamic balance mechanism among intracavity conversion rates of stimulated emission, first order Raman and second order Raman is obtained. Finally, optimization solutions for increasing output 2nd Stokes pulse energy are proposed.

Watt-level passively Q-switched double-cladding fiber laser based on graphene oxide saturable absorber.

PubMed

Yu, Zhenhua; Song, Yanrong; Dong, Xinzheng; Li, Yanlin; Tian, Jinrong; Wang, Yonggang

2013-10-10

A watt-level passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped double-cladding fiber laser with a graphene oxide (GO) absorber was demonstrated. The structure of the GO saturable absorber mirror (GO-SAM) was of the sandwich type. A maximum output power of 1.8 W was obtained around a wavelength of 1044 nm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest output power in Q-switched fiber lasers based on a GO saturable absorber. The pure GO was protected from the oxygen in the air so that the damage threshold of the GO-SAM was effectively raised. The gain fiber was a D-shaped ytterbium-doped double-cladding fiber. The pulse repetition rates were tuned from 120 to 215 kHz with pump powers from 3.89 to 7.8 W. The maximum pulse energy was 8.37 μJ at a pulse width of 1.7 μs.

Solitary pulse-on-demand production by optical injection locking of passively Q-switched InGaN diode laser near lasing threshold

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zeng, X., E-mail: xi.zeng@csem.ch, E-mail: dmitri.boiko@csem.ch; Stadelmann, T.; Grossmann, S.

2015-02-16

In this letter, we investigate the behavior of a Q-switched InGaN multi-section laser diode (MSLD) under optical injection from a continuous wave external cavity diode laser. We obtain solitary optical pulse generation when the slave MSLD is driven near free running threshold, and the peak output power is significantly enhanced with respect to free running configuration. When the slave laser is driven well above threshold, optical injection reduces the peak power. Using standard semiconductor laser rate equation model, we find that both power enhancement and suppression effects are the result of partial bleaching of the saturable absorber by externally injectedmore » photons.« less

Diode-pumped continuous-wave and passively Q-switched Nd:GdLuAG laser at 1443.9 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Qianwen; Liu, Zhaojun; Zhang, Sasa; Cong, Zhenghua; Guan, Chen; Xue, Feng; Chen, Hui; Huang, Qingjie; Xu, Xiaodong; Xu, Jun; Qin, Zengguang

2017-12-01

We investigated the 1443.9 nm laser characteristics of Nd:GdLuAG crystal. Diode-end-pumping configuration was employed under both continuous-wave (CW) and passively Q-switched operations. For CW operation, the maximum average output power was 1.36 W with a slope efficiency of 15%. By using a V3+:YAG crystal as the saturable absorber, we obtained the maximum average output power of 164 mW under Q-switched operation. The corresponding pulse energy was 29.3 μJ and pulse duration was 59 ns.

Room-temperature subnanosecond waveguide lasers in Nd:YVO4 Q-switched by phase-change VO2: A comparison with 2D materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nie, Weijie; Li, Rang; Cheng, Chen; Chen, Yanxue; Lu, Qingming; Romero, Carolina; Vázquez de Aldana, Javier R.; Hao, Xiaotao; Chen, Feng

2017-04-01

We report on room-temperature subnanosecond waveguide laser operation at 1064 nm in a Nd:YVO4 crystal waveguide through Q-switching of phase-change nanomaterial vanadium dioxide (VO2). The unique feature of VO2 nanomaterial from the insulating to metallic phases offers low-saturation-intensity nonlinear absorptions of light for subnanosecond pulse generation. The low-loss waveguide is fabricated by using the femtosecond laser writing with depressed cladding geometry. Under optical pump at 808 nm, efficient pulsed laser has been achieved in the Nd:YVO4 waveguide, reaching minimum pulse duration of 690 ps and maximum output average power of 66.7 mW. To compare the Q-switched laser performances by VO2 saturable absorber with those based on two-dimensional materials, the 1064-nm laser pulses have been realized in the same waveguide platform with either graphene or transition metal dichalcogenide (in this work, WS2) coated mirror. The results on 2D material Q-switched waveguide lasers have shown that the shortest pulses are with 22-ns duration, whilst the maximum output average powers reach ~161.9 mW. This work shows the obvious difference on the lasing properties based on phase-change material and 2D materials, and suggests potential applications of VO2 as low-cost saturable absorber for subnanosecond laser generation.

Room-temperature subnanosecond waveguide lasers in Nd:YVO4 Q-switched by phase-change VO2: A comparison with 2D materials.

PubMed

Nie, Weijie; Li, Rang; Cheng, Chen; Chen, Yanxue; Lu, Qingming; Romero, Carolina; Vázquez de Aldana, Javier R; Hao, Xiaotao; Chen, Feng

2017-04-06

We report on room-temperature subnanosecond waveguide laser operation at 1064 nm in a Nd:YVO 4 crystal waveguide through Q-switching of phase-change nanomaterial vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ). The unique feature of VO 2 nanomaterial from the insulating to metallic phases offers low-saturation-intensity nonlinear absorptions of light for subnanosecond pulse generation. The low-loss waveguide is fabricated by using the femtosecond laser writing with depressed cladding geometry. Under optical pump at 808 nm, efficient pulsed laser has been achieved in the Nd:YVO 4 waveguide, reaching minimum pulse duration of 690 ps and maximum output average power of 66.7 mW. To compare the Q-switched laser performances by VO 2 saturable absorber with those based on two-dimensional materials, the 1064-nm laser pulses have been realized in the same waveguide platform with either graphene or transition metal dichalcogenide (in this work, WS 2 ) coated mirror. The results on 2D material Q-switched waveguide lasers have shown that the shortest pulses are with 22-ns duration, whilst the maximum output average powers reach ~161.9 mW. This work shows the obvious difference on the lasing properties based on phase-change material and 2D materials, and suggests potential applications of VO 2 as low-cost saturable absorber for subnanosecond laser generation.

Room-temperature subnanosecond waveguide lasers in Nd:YVO4 Q-switched by phase-change VO2: A comparison with 2D materials

PubMed Central

Nie, Weijie; Li, Rang; Cheng, Chen; Chen, Yanxue; Lu, Qingming; Romero, Carolina; Vázquez de Aldana, Javier R.; Hao, Xiaotao; Chen, Feng

2017-01-01

We report on room-temperature subnanosecond waveguide laser operation at 1064 nm in a Nd:YVO4 crystal waveguide through Q-switching of phase-change nanomaterial vanadium dioxide (VO2). The unique feature of VO2 nanomaterial from the insulating to metallic phases offers low-saturation-intensity nonlinear absorptions of light for subnanosecond pulse generation. The low-loss waveguide is fabricated by using the femtosecond laser writing with depressed cladding geometry. Under optical pump at 808 nm, efficient pulsed laser has been achieved in the Nd:YVO4 waveguide, reaching minimum pulse duration of 690 ps and maximum output average power of 66.7 mW. To compare the Q-switched laser performances by VO2 saturable absorber with those based on two-dimensional materials, the 1064-nm laser pulses have been realized in the same waveguide platform with either graphene or transition metal dichalcogenide (in this work, WS2) coated mirror. The results on 2D material Q-switched waveguide lasers have shown that the shortest pulses are with 22-ns duration, whilst the maximum output average powers reach ~161.9 mW. This work shows the obvious difference on the lasing properties based on phase-change material and 2D materials, and suggests potential applications of VO2 as low-cost saturable absorber for subnanosecond laser generation. PMID:28383017

Linearly polarized pumped passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4 microchip laser for Ince-Gaussian laser modes with controllable orientations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Hong-Sen; Zhang, Ming-Ming; Dong, Jun; Ueda, Ken-Ichi

2016-12-01

A tilted, linearly polarized laser diode end-pumped Cr4+:YAG passively Q-switched a-cut Nd:YVO4 microchip laser for generating numerous Ince-Gaussian (IG) laser modes with controllable orientations has been demonstrated by selecting the crystalline orientation of an a-cut Nd:YVO4 crystal. The same IG laser mode with different orientations has been achieved with the same absorbed pump power in a passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4 microchip laser under linearly polarized pumping when the incident pump power and the crystalline orientation of an a-cut Nd:YVO4 crystal are both properly selected. The significant improvement of pulsed laser performance of controllable IG modes has been achieved by selecting the crystalline orientation of an a-cut Nd:YVO4 crystal. The maximum pulse energy is obtained along the a-axis of an a-cut Nd:YVO4 crystal and the highest peak power is achieved along the c-axis of an a-cut Nd:YVO4 crystal, respectively, which has potential applications on quantum computation and optical manipulation. The generation of controllable IG laser modes in microchip lasers under linearly polarized pumping provides a convenient and universal way to control IG laser mode numbers with anisotropic crystal as a gain medium.

All-fiber passively Q-switched thulium-doped fiber laser by using a holmium-doped fiber as saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durán Sánchez, M.; Álvarez-Tamayo, R. I.; Posada-Ramírez, B.; Alaniz-Baylón, J.; Bravo-Huerta, E.; Santiago-Hernández, H.; Hernández-Arriaga, M. V.; Bello-Jiménez, Miguel; Ibarra-Escamilla, B.; Kuzin, E. A.

2018-02-01

We report a linear cavity all-fiber passive Q-switched thulium-doped fiber laser operating at the 2 μm wavelength range. The laser configuration is based on a thulium-doped fiber used as a gain medium and an unpumped segment of holmium-doped fiber which acts as a fiber saturable absorber. The cavity is formed by a fiber optical loop mirror and the flat end facet of the holmium-doped fiber. The fiber segments as saturable absorber is a 1-m long single mode doubleclad holmium-doped fiber. Q-switched pulses are obtained at the wavelength of 2024.5 nm with a pulse width of 1.1 μs. The pulse repetition rate increases as a linear function of the applied pump power. The maximum pulse repetition rate of 100 kHz was obtained with a pump power of 2.4 W.

2-μm Cr2+: CdSe passively Q-switched laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, E. C.; Liu, Q.; Yao, Y.; Lu, S.; Lue, Q. T.

2018-02-01

We demonstrate the bleaching characteristics of Cr2+: CdSe (Cr: CdSe) crystal around 2 μm and prove that Cr: CdSe crystal is an effective saturable absorber to obtain Q-switched pulsed output in Tm3+-doped fiber laser pumped Ho: YAG system. The saturable absorption property of Cr: CdSe is investigated with a pulsed source at 2090 nm. The laserinduced damage threshold of uncoated Cr: CdSe is estimated around 9.92 J/cm2 at 2090 nm with the pulse duration of 30 ns. With the measured bleaching curve, the estimated pulse saturation fluence is around 1.06 J/cm2, and the estimated ground-state absorption cross section is 8.97×10-20 cm2, which is very close to the experimental value. The preliminary laser experiments are all finished with an antireflection coated Cr: CdSe crystal to reduce the insertion loss. The maximum output pulse energy is about 1.8 mJ with repetition frequency of 685 Hz, pulse duration of 15.4 ns, and pulse peak power of 115 kW. The pulsed laser wavelength is measured to be 2090.2 nm.

WS₂ as a saturable absorber for ultrafast photonic applications of mode-locked and Q-switched lasers.

PubMed

Wu, Kan; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Wang, Jun; Li, Xing; Chen, Jianping

2015-05-04

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, especially the transition metal sulfide semiconductors, have drawn great interests due to their potential applications in viable photonic and optoelectronic devices. In this work, 2D tungsten disulfide (WS2) based saturable absorber (SA) for ultrafast photonic applications was demonstrated. WS2 nanosheets were prepared using liquid-phase exfoliation method and embedded in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) thin film for the practical usage. Saturable absorption was discovered in the WS2-PVA SA at the telecommunication wavelength near 1550 nm. By incorporating WS2-PVA SA into a fiber laser cavity, both stable mode locking operation and Q-switching operation were achieved. In the mode locking operation, the laser obtained femtosecond output pulse width and high spectral purity in the radio frequency spectrum. In the Q-switching operation, the laser had tunable repetition rate and output pulse energy of a few tens of nano joule. Our findings suggest that few-layer WS2 nanosheets embedded in PVA thin film are promising nonlinear optical materials for ultrafast photonic applications as a mode locker or Q-switcher.

Narrow-linewidth broadly tunable Yb-doped Q-switched fiber laser using multimode interference filter.

PubMed

Chakravarty, Usha; Mukhopadhyay, P K; Kuruvilla, A; Upadhyaya, B N; Bindra, K S

2017-05-01

A narrow-linewidth broadly tunable Yb-doped Q-switched fiber laser using an acousto-optic modulator and multimode interference filter (MMIF) in the linear bulk cavity resonator and an all-fiber ring cavity resonator has been demonstrated. Insertion of an MMIF in the linear cavity resonator using bulk components decreased the spectral bandwidth of the Q-switched signal by two orders of magnitude from 11 to less than 0.1 nm. Spectral tunability of more than 16 nm in the range from 1057 to 1073 nm has also been achieved by the combination of MMIF and a standard polarization controller (SPC). A decrease in the pulse duration with a decrease in the spectral bandwidth of the output signal has also been recorded. The pulse duration of the Q-switched signal was reduced from ∼305 to ∼240  ns by the introduction of the MMIF in the resonator at the same value of the input pump power. In the case of the all-fiber Q-switched ring cavity resonator, the spectral bandwidth of the Q-switched signal was reduced by two orders of magnitude from ∼17 to less than 0.1 nm due to the introduction of the MMIF in the resonator. The spectral tunability of more than 12 nm in the range from 1038 to 1050 nm was achieved by an MMIF and an SPC.

Actively Q-switched dual-wavelength pumped Er3+ :ZBLAN fiber laser at 3.47 µm.

PubMed

Bawden, Nathaniel; Matsukuma, Hiraku; Henderson-Sapir, Ori; Klantsataya, Elizaveta; Tokita, Shigeki; Ottaway, David J

2018-06-01

We demonstrate the first actively Q-switched fiber laser operating in the 3.5 μm regime. The dual-wavelength pumped system makes use of an Er 3+ doped ZBLAN fiber and a germanium acousto-optic modulator. Robust Q-switching saw a pulse energy of 7.8 μJ achieved at a repetition rate of 15 kHz, corresponding to a peak power of 14.5 W.

Mid-infrared Fe2+:ZnSe semiconductor saturable absorber mirror for passively Q-switched Er3+-doped ZBLAN fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ning, Shougui; Feng, Guoying; Dai, Shenyu; Zhang, Hong; Zhang, Wei; Deng, Lijuan; Zhou, Shouhuan

2018-02-01

A mid-infrared (mid-IR) semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) based on Fe2+:ZnSe for passively Q-switched Er3+-doped ZBLAN fiber laser has been demonstrated. Fe2+:ZnSe SESAM was fabricated by electron beam evaporation method. Fe2+ was innovatively doped into the reflective Bragg stack, in which ZnSe layer served as both doped matrix and high refractive layer during the fabricating process. By using the Fe2+:ZnSe SESAM, stable passively Q-switched pulses with the minimum pulse width of 0.43 μs under a repetition rate of 160.82 kHz were obtained. The recorded maximum average output power of 873 mW with a peak power of 12.59 W and pulse energy of 5.43 μJ were achieved. The results demonstrated a new method for fabricating Fe2+:ZnSe SESAM, which can be used in compact mid-IR Q-switched fiber laser.

Hybrid Pulsed Nd:YAG Laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Sawyer; Trujillo, Skyler; Fort Lewis College Laser Group Team

This work concerns the novel design of an inexpensive pulsed Nd:YAG laser, consisting of a hybrid Kerr Mode Lock (KLM) and Q-switch pulse. The two pulse generation systems work independently, non simultaneously of each other, thus generating the ability for the user to easily switch between ultra-short pulse widths or large energy density pulses. Traditionally, SF57 glass has been used as the Kerr medium. In this work, novel Kerr mode-locking mediums are being investigated including: tellurite compound glass (TeO2), carbon disulfide (CS2), and chalcogenide glass. These materials have a nonlinear index of refraction orders of magnitude,(n2), larger than SF57 glass. The Q-switched pulse will utilize a Pockels cell. As the two pulse generation systems cannot be operated simultaneously, the Pockels cell and Kerr medium are attached to kinematic mounts, allowing for quick interchange between systems. Pulse widths and repetition rates will vary between the two systems. A goal of 100 picosecond pulse widths are desired for the mode-locked system. A goal of 10 nanosecond pulse widths are desired for the Q-switch system, with a desired repetition rate of 50 Hz. As designed, the laser will be useful in imaging applications.

Dual-wavelength passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped fiber laser using Fe3O4-nanoparticle saturable absorber and intracavity polarization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Hayali, S. K. M.; Al-Janabi, A. H.

2018-03-01

We have experimentally demonstrated the operation of a dual-wavelength passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped fiber laser by using a saturable absorber (SA) based on Fe3O4 nanoparticles in a magnetic fluid. The SA was fabricated by depositing magnetic fluid at the end of an optical fiber ferrule. By performing adjustments to the pump power and polarization controller state in the cavity, a stable dual-wavelength lasing operation was generated without intracavity spectral filters or modulation elements. The Q-switched laser output was achieved at a pump threshold of 80 mW with a maximum output pulse energy of 38.8 nJ, a repetition rate of 73.4 kHz and a minimum pulse width of 3.4 µs. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a dual-wavelength passively Q-switched fiber laser using Fe3O4 nanoparticles as the SA in the 1.0 µm operation region.

High-power Q-switched erbium-ytterbium codoped fiber laser using multiwalled carbon nanotubes saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ab Razak, Mohd Zulhakimi; Saleh, Zatul Saliza; Ahmad, Fauzan; Anyi, Carol Livan; Harun, Sulaiman W.; Arof, Hamzah

2016-10-01

Due to an enormous potential of pulsed lasers in applications such as manufacturing, metrology, environmental sensing, and biomedical diagnostics, a high-power and stable Q-switched erbium-ytterbium codoped double-clad fiber laser (EYDFL) incorporating of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) saturable absorber (SA) made based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with a 3∶2 ratio is demonstrated. The SA was fabricated by mixing a dilute PVA solution with an MWCNTs homogeneous solution. Subsequently, the mixture was sonicated and centrifuged to produce a homogeneous suspension that was left to dry at room temperature to form the MWCNTs-PVA film. The SA was formed by inserting the film between a pair of FC/PC fiber connectors. Then, it was integrated into the EYDFL's ring cavity, which uses a 5-m-long erbium-ytterbium codoped fiber (EYDF). The lasing threshold for the Q-switched EYDFL was at 330 mW. At the maximum available pump power of 900 mW, the proposed EYDFL produced Q-switched pulses with a repetition rate of 74.85 kHz, pulsewidth of ˜3.6 μs, and an average output power of about 5 mW. The maximum energy per pulse of ˜85 nJ was obtained at pump power of ˜700 mW with peak power of 21 mW.

Reduction of timing jitter in a Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser by direct bleaching of a Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber.

PubMed

Cole, Brian; Goldberg, Lew; Trussell, C Ward; Hays, Alan; Schilling, Bradley W; McIntosh, Chris

2009-02-02

A method for optical triggering of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser by direct bleaching of a Cr:YAG saturable absorber is described. This method involves the bleaching of a thin sheet of the saturable absorber from a direction orthogonal to the lasing axis using a single laser diode bar, where the Cr:YAG transmission increased from a non-bleached value of 47% to a bleached value of 63%. For steady state operation of a passively Q-switched laser (PRF=10 Hz), the pulse-to-pulse timing jitter showed approximately 12X reduction in standard deviation, from 241 nsec for free running operation to 20 nsec with optical triggering.

Diode-pumped continuous-wave and passively Q-switched 1066 nm Nd:GYNbO4 laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yufei; Peng, Zhenfang; He, Ying; Li, Xudong; Yan, Renpeng; Yu, Xin; Zhang, Qingli; Ding, Shoujun; Sun, Dunlu

2017-08-01

A diode-pumped passively Q-switched 1066 nm laser with a novel Nd:Gd0.69Y0.3NbO4 mixed crystal was demonstrated for the first time to the best of our knowledge. In the continuous-wave (CW) operation, optimization selection of output couplers was carried out, and a maximum output power of 2.13 W was obtained when the plane mirror with transmission of 25% was chosen and the absorbed pump power was 10.5 W. The Cr4+:YAG passively Q-switched Nd:Gd0.69Y0.3NbO4 laser performance was investigated. At an absorbed pump power of 10.5 W, using Cr4+:YAG with initial transmission of 80%, the obtained minimum pulse width was 7.2 ns with the pulse repetition rate of 19 kHz. The single pulse energy and peak power were estimated to be 26.7 µJ and 3.7 kW, respectively.

Injection-seeded operation of a Q-switched Cr,Tm,Ho:YAG laser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henderson, Sammy W.; Hale, Charley P.; Magee, James R.

1991-01-01

Single-frequency Tm,Ho:YAG lasers operating near 2 microns are attractive sources for several applications including eye-safe laser radar (lidar) and pumping of AgGaSe2 parametric oscillators for efficient generation of longer wavelengths. As part of a program to develop a coherent lidar system using Tm,Ho:YAG lasers, a diode laser-pumped tunable CW single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) Cr:Tm:Ho:YAG laser and a flashlamp-pumped single-transverse-mode Q-switched Cr,Tm,Ho:YAG laser were developed. The CW laser was used to injection-seed the flashlamp-pumped laser, resulting in SLM Q-switched output. Operational characteristics of the CW and Q-switched lasers and injection-seeding results are reported.

Spectral and power characteristics of a 5% Tm : KLu(WO4)2 Nm-cut minislab laser passively Q-switched by a Cr2+ : ZnSe crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vatnik, S. M.; Vedin, I. A.; Kurbatov, P. F.; Smolina, E. A.; Pavlyuk, A. A.; Korostelin, Yu. V.; Skasyrsky, Ya. K.

2017-12-01

Laser characteristics of a 5%Tm : KLu(WO4)2 Nm-cut minislab laser passively Q-switched by a Cr2+ : ZnSe saturable absorber are presented. At a pump power of 21 W, the average laser power at a wavelength of 1.91 μm was 3.2 W (pulse duration 35 ns, pulse energy 0.3 mJ). The maximum slope efficiency of the laser in the Q-switched regime was 31%; the loss in power with respect to the cw regime did not exceed 17%. At pump powers above 15 W, the dependence of the output power in the Q-switched regime on the pump power considerably differed from linear, which was explained by the formation of a thermal lens in the saturable absorber volume. The experimental energies and durations of laser pulses well agree with the values calculated from rate equations.

Nd:YAG-laser-Q-switching with a photo-elastic modulator and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bammer, F.; Petkovšek, R.; Dominguez, H.; Liedl, G.

2010-05-01

We present a rod-Nd:YAG-Laser, side-pumped with eight 50W-laser diode bars at 808nm, and Q-switched with a Single Crystal Photo-Elastic Modulator at 95.1 kHz. The latter is made of a z-cut LiNbO3-crystal, which is electrically y-excited on the mechanical resonance frequency of the x-longitudinal oscillation. With a voltage amplitude of 3 V the crystal shows a strong oscillation such that due to the photo-elastic effect a high polarization modulation is achieved, which, together with a polarizer, can be used as a simple optical switch. With this inside the laser resonator the average power is 47.8W in cw-mode and 45.5W in pulsed mode, with pulse peak powers of 4 kW and pulse widths of 100ns. This kind of operation is similar to cw-operation but offers due to the high peak powers different interaction physics with matter. The source is therefore suited for micro-welding of metals, LIDAR, rapid prototyping of plastics, marking/engraving/cutting of plastics, marking of glasses. In cases where high precision and a small heat affected zone are necessary this simple kind of pulsed operation may be advantageous, when compared to cw-operation.

Au nanocages/SiO2 as saturable absorbers for passively Q-switched all-solid-state laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lili; Chen, Xiaohan; Bai, Jinxi; Liu, Binghai; Hu, Qiongyu; Li, Ping

2018-04-01

Based on Au nanocages/SiO2 (Au-NCs/SiO2) as saturable absorber (SA), passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4 lasers with the output couplers (OCs) with the transmittance (T) of 4% and 10.8% were demonstrated, respectively. Q-switched pulse with the shortest pulse duration of 154.2 ns was achieved at T = 4% under the pump power of 2.11 W with the corresponding repetition rate of 280.0 kHz and average output power of 140.6 mW. While the maximum average output power of 150.2 mW was obtained at T = 10.8% under the pump power of 2.42 W, corresponding to the pulse width and repetition rate of 222.0 ns and 279.1 kHz.

Q-Switched Raman laser system

DOEpatents

George, E. Victor

1985-01-01

Method and apparatus for use of a Raman or Brillouin switch together with a conventional laser and a saturable absorber that is rapidly bleached at a predetermined frequency .nu.=.nu..sub.0, to ultimately produce a Raman or Brillouin pulse at frequency .nu.=.nu..sub.0 .+-..nu..sub.Stokes.

Q-switched Raman laser system

DOEpatents

George, E.V.

Method and apparatus for use of a Raman or Brillouin switch together with a conventional laser and a saturable absorber that is rapidly bleached at a predeterimined frequency nu = nu/sub O/, to ultimately produce a Raman or Brillouin pulse at frequency nu = nu/sub O/ +- nu /sub Stokes/.

Continuous-wave and Q-switched microchip laser performance of Yb:Y3Sc2Al3O12 crystals.

PubMed

Dong, Jun; Ueda, Ken-ichi; Kaminskii, Alexander A

2008-04-14

Optical properties of Yb:Y(3)Sc(2)Al(3)O(12) crystal were investigated and compared with those from Yb:YAG crystals. The broad absorption and emission spectra of Yb:Y(3)Sc(2)Al(3)O(12) show that this crystal is very suitable for laser-diode pumping and ultrafast laser pulse generation. Laser-diode pumped continuous-wave and passively Q-switched Yb:Y(3)Sc(2)Al(3)O(12) lasers with Cr(4+):YAG crystals as saturable absorber have been demonstrated for the first time. Continuous-wave output power of 1.12 W around 1032 nm (multi-longitudinal modes) was measured with an optical-to-optical efficiency of 30%. Laser pulses with pulse energy of over 31 microJ and pulse width of 2.5 ns were measured at repetition rate of over 12.7 kHz; a corresponding peak power of over 12 kW was obtained. The longitudinal mode selection by a thin plate of Cr(4+):YAG as an intracavity etalon was also observed in passively Q-switched Yb:Y(3)Sc(2)Al(2)O(12) microchip lasers.

Modeling of the self-Q-switching behavior of lasers based on chromium doped active material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fromager, M.; Ameur, K. Aı̈t

2001-05-01

The aim of this paper is to study the influence of the direct coupling of the average lattice strains to the active ions on the behavior of a gain switching laser based on chromium doped active material. It is found that the resulting nonlinear time-dependent lensing effect combined with an internal aperture behaves as a saturable absorber. A resulting self-Q-switching effect is observed from the calculated output laser pulses. The results of our modeling are in agreement with experimental observations already reported in literature.

Optimization of a Fabry-Perot Q-switch fiber optic laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armas Rivera, Ivan; Beltrán Pérez, Georgina; Kuzin, Evgene; Castillo Mixcóatl, Juan; Muñoz Aguirre, Severino

2013-11-01

Optical fiber Q-Switch lasers have been used in a variety of application areas in science as well as in industry owing to their multiple characteristics. A possible application is that owing to their high output power they can be used as pumping sources for supercontinuum generation. Such source can be employed in optical coherence tomography (OCT) focused to dermatology. Therefore it is important to develop sources with emission wavelength that are not injurious to human skin. In the present work erbium doped fiber (EDF) was used owing that its emission wavelength (1550 nm) is adequate for this purpose. The most efficient way of achieving high power in a Q-Switch laser is optimizing all the parameters involved in the pulses generation, such as pumping power, active medium length and modulation frequency. The results show that using a fiber length of 7 meters is possible to get 10 μJ of energy, a peak power of 140 W, an average power of 27.5mW with temporal widths of 500 ns. The laser uses an acousto-optic device to modulate the internal loses inside the cavity. As highly reflecting mirrors, a Sagnac Interferometer and a Fiber Bragg Grating was employed.

Broadly wavelength tunable acousto-optically Q-switched Tm:Lu2SiO5 laser.

PubMed

Feng, T; Yang, K; Zhao, S; Zhao, J; Qiao, W; Li, T; Zheng, L; Xu, J

2014-09-20

A broadly wavelength tunable acousto-optically Q-switched Tm:Lu2SiO5 (Tm:LSO) laser is presented for the first time, to our best knowledge. The emission wavelength was tuned in a broad spectral region over 111 nm ranging from 1959 to 2070 nm. A shortest pulse duration of 345 ns with beam quality of M(2)≤1.65 was obtained at pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 1 kHz, corresponding to a maximum single pulse energy of 0.26 mJ and peak power of 0.75 kW. The experimental results indicated that Tm:LSO crystal has outstanding potential for obtaining broadly wavelength tunable and low-PRF laser pulses at 2 μm.

Low-threshold, nanosecond, high-repetition-rate vortex pulses with controllable helicity generated in Cr,Nd:YAG self-Q-switched microchip laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Hong-Sen; Chen, Zhen; Li, Hong-Bin; Dong, Jun

2018-05-01

A high repetition rate, nanosecond, pulsed optical vortex beam has been generated in a Cr,Nd:YAG self-Q-switched microchip laser pumped by the annular-beam formed with a hollow focus lens. The lasing threshold for vortex pulses is 0.9 W. A pulse width of 6.5 ns and a repetition rate of over 330 kHz have been achieved. The average output power of 1 W and the slope efficiency of 46.6% have been obtained. The helicity of the optical vortices has been controlled by adjusting the tilted angle between Cr,Nd:YAG crystal and output coupler. The work provides a new method for developing pulsed optical vortices for potential applications on quantum communication and optical trapping.

Optimization of end-pumped, actively Q-switched quasi-III-level lasers.

PubMed

Jabczynski, Jan K; Gorajek, Lukasz; Kwiatkowski, Jacek; Kaskow, Mateusz; Zendzian, Waldemar

2011-08-15

The new model of end-pumped quasi-III-level laser considering transient pumping processes, ground-state-depletion and up-conversion effects was developed. The model consists of two parts: pumping stage and Q-switched part, which can be separated in a case of active Q-switching regime. For pumping stage the semi-analytical model was developed, enabling the calculations for final occupation of upper laser level for given pump power and duration, spatial profile of pump beam, length and dopant level of gain medium. For quasi-stationary inversion, the optimization procedure of Q-switching regime based on Lagrange multiplier technique was developed. The new approach for optimization of CW regime of quasi-three-level lasers was developed to optimize the Q-switched lasers operating with high repetition rates. Both methods of optimizations enable calculation of optimal absorbance of gain medium and output losses for given pump rate. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Ablation of porcine ligamentum flavum with Ho:YAG, q-switched Ho:YAG, and quadrupled Nd:YAG lasers.

PubMed

Johnson, Matt R; Codd, Patrick J; Hill, Westin M; Boettcher, Tara

2015-12-01

Ligamentum flavum (LF) is a tough, rubbery connective tissue providing a portion of the ligamentous stability to the spinal column, and in its hypertrophied state forms a significant compressive pathology in degenerative spinal stenosis. The interaction of lasers and this biological tissue have not been thoroughly studied. Technological advances improving endoscopic surgical access to the spinal canal makes selective removal of LF using small, flexible tools such as laser-coupled fiber optics increasingly attractive for treatment of debilitating spinal stenosis. Testing was performed to assess the effect of Ho:YAG, Q-switched Ho:YAG, and frequency quadrupled Nd:YAG lasers on samples of porcine LF. The objective was to evaluate the suitability of these lasers for surgical removal of LF. LF was resected from porcine spine within 2 hours of sacrifice and stored in saline until immediately prior to laser irradiation, which occurred within an additional 2 hours. The optical absorbance of a sample was measured over the spectral band from 190 to 2,360 nm both before and after dehydration. For the experiments using the Ho:YAG (λ = 2,080 nm, tp  = 140 µs, FWHM) and Q-Switched Ho:YAG (λ = 2,080 nm, tp  = 260 ns, FWHM) lasers, energy was delivered to the LF through a laser-fiber optic with 600 µm core and NA = 0.39. For the experiment using the frequency quadrupled Nd:YAG laser (λ = 266 nm, tp  = 5 ns FWHM), rather than applying the laser energy through a laser-fiber, the energy was focused through an aperture and lens directly onto the LF. Five experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of the given lasers on LF. First, using the Ho:YAG laser, the single-pulse laser-hole depth versus laser fluence was measured with the laser-fiber in direct contact with the LF (1 g force) and with a standoff distance of 1 mm between the laser-fiber face and the LF. Second, with the LF remaining in situ and the spine bisected

A high repetition rate passively Q-switched microchip laser for controllable transverse laser modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Jun; Bai, Sheng-Chuang; Liu, Sheng-Hui; Ueda, Ken-Ichi; Kaminskii, Alexander A.

2016-05-01

A Cr4+:YAG passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4 microchip laser for versatile controllable transverse laser modes has been demonstrated by adjusting the position of the Nd:YVO4 crystal along the tilted pump beam direction. The pump beam diameter-dependent asymmetric saturated inversion population inside the Nd:YVO4 crystal governs the oscillation of various Laguerre-Gaussian, Ince-Gaussian and Hermite-Gaussian modes. Controllable transverse laser modes with repetition rates over 25 kHz and up to 183 kHz, depending on the position of the Nd:YVO4 crystal, have been achieved. The controllable transverse laser beams with a nanosecond pulse width and peak power over hundreds of watts have been obtained for potential applications in optical trapping and quantum computation.

A split face study to document the safety and efficacy of clearance of melasma with a 5 ns q switched Nd YAG laser versus a 50 ns q switched Nd YAG laser.

PubMed

Alsaad, Salman M S; Ross, E Victor; Mishra, Vineet; Miller, Lee

2014-12-01

To determine the safety and efficacy of a 50 ns Q switched Nd YAG laser vs. a 5 ns Q switched Nd YAG laser for clearance of melasma. To compare subject satisfaction, efficacy, and comfort level between the two lasers. This is a prospective, randomized split face clinical study. The study was approved by the Scripps IRB. Ten healthy female subjects with moderate to severe melasma were enrolled. Each subject had three laser treatments one month apart. Patients were followed up approximately 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after the final laser treatment. A treatment session consisted of a microdermabrasion, 1064 nm QS laser, and topicals. Subjects were asked to rate treatment pain based on a numerical scale range 0-10 (0 = no pain and 10 = worst pain). A melasma area and severity index (MASI) grading system was applied. Also, melanin measurements were acquired by a reflectance spectrophotometer. Side effects were documented during the study including post treatment erythema. Eight patients completed the study. Subjects showed improvement on both sides of the face. From baseline to 1 month post the final laser treatment, the average MASI scores showed a 16% reduction for the 50 ns QS 1064 nm laser vs. a 27% reduction for the 5 ns QS 1064 nm laser (both significant versus baseline pigment, P < 0.05). This difference in MASI scores between the two lasers was not statistically significant (P = 0.87930). Laser treatments displayed mild erythema that resolved after one day. The melanin meter measurements showed a reduction in pigment readings on both sides. Three months after the final treatment there was some relapse in the melasma, as the mean pigment reduction fell to 12% for the 50 ns laser and 11% for the 5 ns laser. By 3 months pigment reduction was not statistically significant for either laser, and no significant differences in pigment reduction were noted between the two pulse durations. There was a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) in pain scores

Microwave pulse compression from a storage cavity with laser-induced switching

DOEpatents

Bolton, Paul R.

1992-01-01

A laser-induced switch and a multiple cavity configuration are disclosed for producing high power microwave pulses. The microwave pulses are well controlled in wavelength and timing, with a quick rise time and a variable shape and power of the pulse. In addition, a method of reducing pre-pulse leakage to a low level is disclosed. Microwave energy is directed coherently to one or more cavities that stores the energy in a single mode, represented as a standing wave pattern. In order to switch the stored microwave energy out of the main cavity and into the branch waveguide, a laser-actuated switch is provided for the cavity. The switch includes a laser, associated optics for delivering the beam into the main cavity, and a switching gas positioned at an antinode in the main cavity. When actuated, the switching gas ionizes, creating a plasma, which becomes reflective to the microwave energy, changing the resonance of the cavity, and as a result the stored microwave energy is abruptly switched out of the cavity. The laser may directly pre-ionize the switching gas, or it may pump an impurity in the switching gas to an energy level which switches when a pre-selected cavity field is attained. Timing of switching the cavities is controlled by varying the pathlength of the actuating laser beam. For example, the pathlengths may be adjusted to output a single pulse of high power, or a series of quick lower power pulses.

Ocular dynamics and visual tracking performance after Q-switched laser exposure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwick, Harry; Stuck, Bruce E.; Lund, David J.; Nawim, Maqsood

2001-05-01

In previous investigations of q-switched laser retinal exposure in awake task oriented non-human primates (NHPs), the threshold for retinal damage occurred well below that of the threshold for permanent visual function loss. Visual function measures used in these studies involved measures of visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. In the present study, we examine the same relationship for q-switched laser exposure using a visual performance task, where task dependency involves more parafoveal than foveal retina. NHPs were trained on a visual pursuit motor tracking performance task that required maintaining a small HeNe laser spot (0.3 degrees) centered in a slowly moving (0.5deg/sec) annulus. When NHPs reliably produced visual target tracking efficiencies > 80%, single q-switched laser exposures (7 nsec) were made coaxially with the line of sight of the moving target. An infrared camera imaged the pupil during exposure to obtain the pupillary response to the laser flash. Retinal images were obtained with a scanning laser ophthalmoscope 3 days post exposure under ketamine and nembutol anesthesia. Q-switched visible laser exposures at twice the damage threshold produced small (about 50mm) retinal lesions temporal to the fovea; deficits in NHP visual pursuit tracking were transient, demonstrating full recovery to baseline within a single tracking session. Post exposure analysis of the pupillary response demonstrated that the exposure flash entered the pupil, followed by 90 msec refractory period and than a 12 % pupillary contraction within 1.5 sec from the onset of laser exposure. At 6 times the morphological threshold damage level for 532 nm q-switched exposure, longer term losses in NHP pursuit tracking performance were observed. In summary, q-switched laser exposure appears to have a higher threshold for permanent visual performance loss than the corresponding threshold to produce retinal threshold injury. Mechanisms of neural plasticity within the retina and at

Acousto-Optic Q-Switched Fiber Laser-Based Intra-Cavity Photoacoustic Spectroscopy for Trace Gas Detection

PubMed Central

Zhang, Qinduan; Chang, Jun; Wang, Zongliang; Wang, Fupeng; Qin, Zengguang

2017-01-01

We proposed a new method for gas detection in photoacoustic spectroscopy based on acousto-optic Q-switched fiber laser by merging a transmission PAS cell (resonant frequency f0 = 5.3 kHz) inside the fiber laser cavity. The Q-switching was achieved by an acousto-optic modulator, achieving a peak pulse power of ~679 mW in the case of the acousto-optic modulation signal with an optimized duty ratio of 10%. We used a custom-made fiber Bragg grating with a central wavelength of 1530.37 nm (the absorption peak of C2H2) to select the laser wavelength. The system achieved a linear response (R2 = 0.9941) in a concentration range from 400 to 7000 ppmv, and the minimum detection limit compared to that of a conventional intensity modulation system was enhanced by 94.2 times. PMID:29295599

Acousto-Optic Q-Switched Fiber Laser-Based Intra-Cavity Photoacoustic Spectroscopy for Trace Gas Detection.

PubMed

Zhang, Qinduan; Chang, Jun; Wang, Qiang; Wang, Zongliang; Wang, Fupeng; Qin, Zengguang

2017-12-25

We proposed a new method for gas detection in photoacoustic spectroscopy based on acousto-optic Q-switched fiber laser by merging a transmission PAS cell (resonant frequency f ₀ = 5.3 kHz) inside the fiber laser cavity. The Q-switching was achieved by an acousto-optic modulator, achieving a peak pulse power of ~679 mW in the case of the acousto-optic modulation signal with an optimized duty ratio of 10%. We used a custom-made fiber Bragg grating with a central wavelength of 1530.37 nm (the absorption peak of C₂H₂) to select the laser wavelength. The system achieved a linear response (R² = 0.9941) in a concentration range from 400 to 7000 ppmv, and the minimum detection limit compared to that of a conventional intensity modulation system was enhanced by 94.2 times.

Passive Q-switching of a Tm,Ho:KLu(WO₄)₂ microchip laser by a Cr:ZnS saturable absorber.

PubMed

Serres, J M; Loiko, P; Mateos, X; Jambunathan, V; Yasukevich, A S; Yumashev, K V; Petrov, V; Griebner, U; Aguiló, M; Díaz, F

2016-05-10

A diode-pumped Tm,Ho:KLu(WO₄)₂ microchip laser passively Q-switched with a Cr:ZnS saturable absorber generated an average output power of 131 mW at 2063.6 nm with a slope efficiency of 11% and a Q-switching conversion efficiency of 58%. The pulse characteristics were 14  ns/9  μJ at a pulse repetition frequency of 14.5 kHz. With higher modulation depth of the saturable absorber, 9  ns/10.4  μJ/8.2  kHz pulses were generated at 2061.1 nm, corresponding to a record peak power extracted from a passively Q-switched Tm,Ho laser of 1.15 kW. A theoretical model is presented, predicting the pulse energy and duration. The simulations are in good agreement with the experimental results.

Passively Q-switched, intracavity frequency-doubled YVO{sub 4}/Nd : YVO{sub 4}/KTP green laser with a GaAs saturable absorber

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shang Gao

2015-11-30

A diode-pumped, passively Q-switched, intracavity frequency-doubled YVO{sub 4}/Nd : YVO{sub 4}/KTP green laser is realised using a GaAs saturable absorber. Two pieces of GaAs wafers are employed in the experiment. In using a 400-μm-thick GaAs wafer and an incident pump power of 10.5 W, the maximum output power of the passively Q-switched green laser is 362 mW at a pulse repetition rate of 84 kHz and a pulse duration of 2.5 ns. When use is made of a 700-mm-thick GaAs wafer, the minimum pulse duration is 1.5 ns at a repetition rate of 67 kHz, pulse energy of 4.18 μJmore » and peak power of 2.8 kW. (control of laser radiation parameters)« less

Comprehensive study of electro-optic and passive Q-switching in solid state lasers for altimeter applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhardwaj, Atul; Agrawal, Lalita; Pal, Suranjan; Kumar, Anil

2006-12-01

Laser Science and Technology Center (LASTEC), Delhi, is developing a space qualified diode pumped Nd: YAG laser transmitter capable of generating 10 ns pulses of 30 mJ energy @ 10 pps. This paper presents the results of experiments for comparative studies between electro-optic and passively Q-switched Nd: YAG laser in a crossed porro prism based laser resonator. Experimental studies have been performed by developing an economical bench model of flash lamp pumped Nd: YAG laser (rod dimension, \

Watt-level passively Q-switched heavily Er3+-doped ZBLAN fiber laser with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror

PubMed Central

Shen, Yanlong; Wang, Yishan; Luan, Kunpeng; Huang, Ke; Tao, Mengmeng; Chen, Hongwei; Yi, Aiping; Feng, Guobin; Si, Jinhai

2016-01-01

A diode-cladding pumped mid-infrared passively Q-switched Er3+-doped ZBLAN fiber laser with an average output power of watt-level based on a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) is demonstrated. Stable pulse train was produced at a slope efficiency of 17.8% with respect to launched pump power. The maximum average power of 1.01 W at a repetition rate of 146.3 kHz was achieved with a corresponding pulse energy of 6.9 μJ, from which the maximum peak power was calculated to be 21.9 W. To the best of our knowledge, the average power and the peak power are the highest in 3 μm region passively Q-switched fiber lasers. The influence of gain fiber length on the operation regime of the fiber laser has been investigated in detail. PMID:27225029

Laboratory model for the study and treatment of traumatic tattoos with the Q-switched ruby laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silverman, Richard T.; Lach, Elliot

1994-09-01

The outcome of laser tattoo removal is dependent on the type of laser and characteristics of the tattoo. A rabbit model was developed to study the Q-switched ruby laser in the treatment of traumatic tattooing. On the backs of white New Zealand rabbits, three 3 cm patches were dermabraded and dressed with carbon black and antibiotic ointment. After a healing period of eight weeks, pre-treatment biopsies were obtained, and the rabbits were treated with the Q- switched ruby laser at various fluence settings with a pulse width of 34 nsec. At set intervals, further biopsies were obtained and studied with light and electron microscopic analysis, and photodocumentation was performed. Grossly, clearance of the tattooed areas was noted in the laser treated specimens. More effective clearance was observed with higher fluence treatment. No infections occurred, and hair regrowth was noted in all cases, though the rate seemed to be altered by laser treatment.

The regeneration of thermal wound on mice skin (Mus Musculus) after Q-Switch Nd: YAG laser irradiation for cancer therapy candidate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apsari, R.; Nahdliyatun, E.; Winarni, D.

2017-09-01

The aims of this study are to investigate the regeneration of mice skin tissue (Mus Musculus) irradiated by Q-Switch Nd: YAG laser and morphological change due to Q-Switch Nd: YAG laser irradiation compared to conventional heating (hairdryer). The 2-3 month of twenty-seven mice were used for experimental animals. Mice were incised in the dorsum by the damage effect of laser energy dose (therapeutic dose) of 29.5 J/cm2 with 10 seconds of exposure time, 10 Hz of repetition rate, and 100 pulses of the given single pulse energy. The mice skin tissue was injuried by hairdryer to get burned effect. Mice were divided into three groups, Group I (control) were not treated by anything, Group II were treated by Q-Switch Nd: YAG laser irradiation and sacrificed on (0, 1, 3, 5) days, and Group III were treated by hairdryer then sacrificed on (0, 1, 3, 5) days. Pathology examination showed that the energy of 29,5 J/cm2 dose produced the hole effect (ablation) through the hypodermic layer caused by optical breakdown and collagen coagulation. Thus, the 60 °C temperature of burn showed coagulation necrosis because piknosis discovered in the injured area. The regeneration process showed that the mice skin tissue's ability to regenerate was irradiated by fast laser because of the focus of Q-Switch Nd: YAG laser. It was showed by the scab releases on third day and completely reepithelialization formation on the fifth day. The collagen fibers distribution was same as normal skin tissue on day 5 and so did angiogenesis. Therefore, Q-Switch Nd: YAG laser can be applied for problems of dermatology medical therapies, especially melasma, nevus of ota and tatto therapy. For skin cancer therapy application, energy dose of unregenerated skin tissue is chosen because the death expected effect is permanent.

Passively Q-switched dual-wavelength thulium-doped fiber laser based on a multimode interference filter and a semiconductor saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, M.; Huang, Y. J.; Ruan, S. C.

2018-04-01

In this paper, we have demonstrated a theta cavity passively Q-switched dual-wavelength fiber laser based on a multimode interference filter and a semiconductor saturable absorber. Relying on the properties of the fiber theta cavity, the laser can operate unidirectionally without an optical isolator. A semiconductor saturable absorber played the role of passive Q-switch while a section of single-mode-multimode-single-mode fiber structure served as an multimode interference filter and was used for selecting the lasing wavelengths. By suitably manipulating the polarization controller, stable dual-wavelength Q-switched operation was obtained at ~1946.8 nm and ~1983.8 nm with maximum output power and minimum pulse duration of ~47 mW and ~762.5 ns, respectively. The pulse repetition rate can be tuned from ~20.2 kHz to ~79.7 kHz by increasing the pump power from ~2.12 W to ~5.4 W.

Dynamical modeling and experiment for an intra-cavity optical parametric oscillator pumped by a Q-switched self-mode-locking laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jing; Liu, Nianqiao; Song, Peng; Zhang, Haikun

2016-11-01

The rate-equation-based model for the Q-switched mode-locking (QML) intra-cavity OPO (IOPO) is developed, which includes the behavior of the fundamental laser. The intensity fluctuation mechanism of the fundamental laser is first introduced into the dynamics of a mode-locking OPO. In the derived model, the OPO nonlinear conversion is considered as a loss for the fundamental laser and thus the QML signal profile originates from the QML fundamental laser. The rate equations are solved by a digital computer for the case of an IOPO pumped by an electro-optic (EO) Q-switched self-mode-locking fundamental laser. The simulated results for the temporal shape with 20 kHz EO repetition and 11.25 W pump power, the signal average power, the Q-switched pulsewidth and the Q-switched pulse energy are obtained from the rate equations. The signal trace and output power from an EO QML Nd3+: GdVO4/KTA IOPO are experimentally measured. The theoretical values from the rate equations agree with the experimental results well. The developed model explains the behavior, which is helpful to system optimization.

CW and passively Q-switched laser performance of Nd:Lu2SiO5 crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Xiaodong; Di, Juqing; Zhang, Jian; Tang, Dingyuan; Xu, Jun

2016-01-01

We demonstrated an efficient and controllable dual-wavelength continuous-wave (CW) laser of Nd:Lu2SiO5 (Nd:LSO) crystal. The maximum output power was 3.02 W at wavelength of 1075 nm and 1079 nm, and with increasing of absorbed pump power, the ratio of 1079 nm laser rose. The slope efficiency of 65.6% and optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 63.3% were obtained. The passively Q-switched laser properties of Nd:LSO were investigated for the first time. The shortest pulse, maximum pulse energy and peak power were 11.58 ns, 29.05 μJ and 2.34 kW, respectively.

Radially polarized and passively Q-switched Yb-doped fiber laser based on intracavity birefringent mode discrimination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Xuehuan; Wu, Yongxiao; Chen, Sanbin; Li, Jianlang

2018-05-01

In this paper, we demonstrated a passive Q-switched ytterbium-doped fiber laser with radially polarized beam emission by using a c-cut YVO4 birefringent crystal as the intracavity polarization discriminator, and a Cr4+:YAG crystal as the saturable absorber and output coupler. The maximum averaged laser power reached 3.89 W with a high slope efficiency of 66.5%. The laser pulse had a peak power of 161 W, 160 ns duration, and 151 kHz repetition rate at the absorbed pump power of 6.48 W. Such a radially polarized pulse would facilitate numerous applications.

Multi-Wavelength Q-Switched Ytterbium-Doped Fiber Laser with Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Masoodi, A. H. H.; Ahmed, M. H. M.; Arof, H.; Harun, S. W.

2018-03-01

We demonstrate a passively multi-wavelength Q-switched Ytterbium-doped fiber laser (YDFL) based on a multi-wall carbon nanotubes embedded in polyethylene oxide film as saturable absorber. The YDFL generates a stable multi-wavelength with spacing of 1.9 nm as the 980 nm pump power is fixed within 62. 4 mW and 78.0 mW. The repetition rate of the laser is tunable from 10.41 to 29.04 kHz by increasing the pump power from the threshold power of 62.4 mW to 78 mW. At 78 mW pump power, the maximum pulse energy of 38 nJ and the shortest pulse width of 8.87 µs are obtained.

Repetitively Q-switched Nd:BeL lasers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Degnan, J.; Birnbaum, M.; Deshazer, L. G.

1979-01-01

The thermal and mechanical characteristics which will ultimately limit the performance of Nd:BeL at high average power levels were investigated. The output beam characteristics (pulse width, peak power, beam dimensions and collimation) were determined at high repetition rates for both Nd:BeL and Nd:YAG. The output of Nd:BeL was shown to exceed that of Nd:YAG by a factor of 2.7 at low Q-switched repetition rates (1 Hz). This result follows from the smaller stimulated emission cross section of x-axis Nb:BeL compared to that of NdYAG by the same factor. At high repetition rates (10 Hz) the output of Nd:Bel falls to a level of three-fifths of its low repetition rate value while under similar tests the output of Nd:YAG remains essentially constant. A comparison of the measured values of the elasto-optic coefficients, the dn/dT values and the linear expansion coefficients for BeL and YAG failed to provide an explanation for the performance of BeL; however, thermal lensing was observed in Nd:BeL. Results imply that the output of a high repetition rate Q-switched Nd:BeL laser (high thermal loading) could be dramatically increased by utilization of a resonator design to compensate for the thermal lensing effects.

Tungsten disulphide based all fiber Q-switching cylindrical-vector beam generation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lin, J.; Yan, K.; Zhou, Y.

2015-11-09

We proposed and demonstrated an all fiber passively Q-switching laser to generate cylindrical-vector beam, a two dimensional material, tungsten disulphide (WS{sub 2}), was adopted as a saturable absorber inside the laser cavity, while a few-mode fiber Bragg grating was used as a transverse mode-selective output coupler. The repetition rate of the Q-switching output pulses can be varied from 80 kHz to 120 kHz with a shortest duration of 958 ns. Attributed to the high damage threshold and polarization insensitivity of the WS{sub 2} based saturable absorber, the radially polarized beam and azimuthally polarized beam can be easily generated in the Q-switching fiber laser.

Single Longitudinal Mode, High Repetition Rate, Q-switched Ho:YLF Laser for Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bai, Yingxin; Yu, Jirong; Petzar, Paul; Petros, M.; Chen, Songsheng; Trieu, Bo; Lee, Nyung; Singh, U.

2009-01-01

Ho:YLF/LuLiF lasers have specific applications for remote sensing such as wind-speed measurement and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration measurement in the atmosphere because the operating wavelength (around 2 m) is located in the eye-safe range and can be tuned to the characteristic lines of CO2 absorption and there is strong backward scattering signal from aerosol (Mie scattering). Experimentally, a diode pumped Ho:Tm:YLF laser has been successfully used as the transmitter of coherent differential absorption lidar for the measurement of with a repetition rate of 5 Hz and pulse energy of 75 mJ [1]. For highly precise CO2 measurements with coherent detection technique, a laser with high repetition rate is required to averaging out the speckle effect [2]. In addition, laser efficiency is critically important for the air/space borne lidar applications, because of the limited power supply. A diode pumped Ho:Tm:YLF laser is difficult to efficiently operate in high repetition rate due to the large heat loading and up-conversion. However, a Tm:fiber laser pumped Ho:YLF laser with low heat loading can be operated at high repetition rates efficiently [3]. No matter whether wind-speed or carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration measurement is the goal, a Ho:YLF/LuLiF laser as the transmitter should operate in a single longitudinal mode. Injection seeding is a valid technique for a Q-switched laser to obtain single longitudinal mode operation. In this paper, we will report the new results for a single longitudinal mode, high repetition rate, Q-switched Ho:YLF laser. In order to avoid spectral hole burning and make injection seeding easier, a four mirror ring cavity is designed for single longitudinal mode, high repetition rate Q-switched Ho:YLF laser. The ramp-fire technique is chosen for injection seeding.

Pulsed laser triggered high speed microfluidic switch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Ting-Hsiang; Gao, Lanyu; Chen, Yue; Wei, Kenneth; Chiou, Pei-Yu

2008-10-01

We report a high-speed microfluidic switch capable of achieving a switching time of 10 μs. The switching mechanism is realized by exciting dynamic vapor bubbles with focused laser pulses in a microfluidic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) channel. The bubble expansion deforms the elastic PDMS channel wall and squeezes the adjacent sample channel to control its fluid and particle flows as captured by the time-resolved imaging system. A switching of polystyrene microspheres in a Y-shaped channel has also been demonstrated. This ultrafast laser triggered switching mechanism has the potential to advance the sorting speed of state-of-the-art microscale fluorescence activated cell sorting devices.

A low timing jitter picosecond microchip laser pumped by pulsed LD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Sha; Wang, Yan-biao; Feng, Guoying; Zhou, Shou-huan

2016-07-01

SESAM passively Q-switched microchip laser is a very promising instrument to replace mode locked lasers to obtain picosecond pulses. The biggest drawback of a passively Q-switched microchip laser is its un-avoided large timing jitter, especially when the pump intensity is low, i.e. at low laser repetition rate range. In order to obtain a low timing jitter passively Q-switched picosecond microchip laser in the whole laser repetition rate range, a 1000 kHz pulsed narrow bandwidth Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) stablized laser diode was used as the pump source. By tuning the pump intensity, we could control the output laser frequency. In this way, we achieved a very low timing jitter passively Q-switched picosecond laser at 2.13 mW, 111.1 kHz. The relative timing jitter was only 0.0315%, which was around 100 times smaller compared with a cw LD pumped microchip working at hundred kilohertz repetition rate frequency range.

Q-switched Yb3+:YAG laser using plasmonic Cu2-xSe quantum dots as saturable absorbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yimeng; Zhan, Yi; Lee, Sooho; Wang, Li; Zhang, Xinping

2018-04-01

Cu2-xSe quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized by organometallic synthesis methods. Due to heavy self-doping, the Cu2-xSe QDs exhibit particle plasmon resonance in the near-infrared. Transient absorption spectroscopic investigation revealed strong nonlinear optical absorption and bleaching performance of the QDs under femtosecond pulse excitation, which enabled the Cu2-xSe QDs to be excellent saturable absorbers and applied in Q-switched or mode-locked lasers. A passively Q-switched Yb3+:YAG solid-state laser at 1.03 μm was achieved by coating Cu2-xSe QDs as saturable absorbers onto one of the output coupler of the V-shaped linear cavity.

Passively Q-switched wavelength-tunable 1-μm fiber lasers with tapered-fiber-based black phosphorus saturable absorbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Huaqing; Wang, Qi; Wang, Dongdong; Li, Li

2018-03-01

In this paper, we demonstrated passively Q-switched wavelength-tunable 1-μm fiber lasers utilizing few-layer black phosphorus saturable absorbers. The few-layer BP was deposited onto the tapered fibers by an optically driven process. The wavelength tunability was achieved with a fiber Sagnac loop comprised of a piece of polarization maintaining fiber and a polarization controller. Stable Q-switching laser operations were observed at wavelengths ranging from 1040.5 to 1044.6 nm at threshold pump power of 220 mW. Maximal pulse energy of 141.27 nJ at a repetition rate of 63 kHz was recorded under pump power of 445 mW.

Ten years of Nd:YAG Q-switched/mode-locked ophthalmic laser system clinical treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jelinkova, Helena; Pasta, Jiri; Hamal, Karel; Cech, Miroslav; Prochazka, Ivan

1999-06-01

Plasma breakdown generated by high power lasers is used in ophthalmic microsurgery for perforation of the various membranes. We report on ten years of clinical experiences with the ophthalmic Nd:YAG laser system operating alternatively in both Q-switched or mode-locked regimes. This option gives the surgeon a possibility to compare the effect of treatments with nanosecond or picosecond pulses. The pulse duration in the picosecond regime is 25 ps, the length of a nanosecond pulse is 4 ns and the energy is variable up to 70 mJ. In the ten year period the laser system was used for more than 10 000 treatments. From the results is possible to conclude that in clinical practice the picosecond pulses are better for the posterior capsule opacification treatment and that there are not retinal complications. The nanosecond pulses are useful for iridectomies. Our constructed Nd:YAG laser system provides the surgeons with the possibility to use different photodisruptive regimes for special indications, which can be very useful for the ophthalmologists.

Investigation of the laser pumping power impact on the operating regimes of a laser passively Q-switched by a saturated absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benarab, Mustapha; Mokdad, Rabah; Djellout, Hocine; Benfdila, Arezki; Lamrous, Omar; Meyrueis, Patrick

2011-09-01

We have adapted the point model for the study of an all-fiber laser doped with Nd3+ and Q-switched by a saturable fiber absorber doped with Cr4+. Calculations of the output power of the 1084 nm laser are considered as a function of the pump power supplied by a 790 nm laser diode. The analysis of the simulation results reveals the existence of pulsed, sinusoidal, and dc operating regimes.

Quasi-CW diode-pumped self-starting adaptive laser with self-Q-switched output.

PubMed

Smith, G; Damzen, M J

2007-05-14

An investigation is made into a quasi-CW (QCW) diode-pumped holographic adaptive laser utilising an ultra high gain (approximately 10(4)) Nd:YVO(4) bounce amplifier. The laser produces pulses at 1064 nm with energy approximately 0.6 mJ, duration <3 ns and peak power approximately 200 kW, with high stability, via self-Q-switching effects due to the transient dynamics of the writing and replay of the gain hologram for each pump pulse. The system produces a near-diffraction-limited output with M(2)<1.3 and operates with a single longitudinal mode. In a further adaptive laser configuration, the output was amplified to obtain pulses of approximately 5.6 mJ energy, approximately 7 ns duration and approximately 1 MW peak power. The output spatial quality is also M(2)<1.3 with SLM operation. Up to 2.9 mJ pulse energy of frequency doubled green (532 nm) radiation is obtained, using an LBO crystal, representing approximately 61% conversion efficiency. This work shows that QCW diode-pumped self-adaptive holographic lasers can provide a useful source of high peak power, short duration pulses with excellent spatial quality and narrow linewidth spectrum.

Dual-wavelength mid-infrared CW and Q-switched laser in diode end-pumped Tm,Ho:GdYTaO4 crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Beibei; Gao, Congcong; Dou, Renqin; Nie, Hongkun; Sun, Guihua; Liu, Wenpeng; Yu, Haijuan; Wang, Guoju; Zhang, Qingli; Lin, Xuechun; He, Jingliang; Wang, Wenjun; Zhang, Bingyuan

2018-02-01

Dual-wavelength continuous-wave and Q-switched lasers are demonstrated in a Tm,Ho:GdYTaO4 crystal under 790 nm laser diode end pumping for the first time to the best of our knowledge. The laser operates with a dual wavelength at 1949.677 nm and 2070 nm for continuous-wave with a spacing of about 120 nm. The maximum output power is 0.332 W with a pump power of 3 W. By using graphene as the saturable absorber, a passively Q-switched operation is performed with a dual-wavelength at 1950.323 nm and 2068.064 nm with a wavelength interval of about 118 nm. The maximum average output power of the Q-switched laser goes up to 200 mW with a minimum pulse duration of 1.2 µs and a maximum repetition rate of 34.72 kHz.

All-fibre Q-switching YDFL operation with bismuth-doped fibre as saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhammad, A. R.; Haris, H.; Arof, H.; Tan, S. J.; Ahmad, M. T.; Harun, S. W.

2018-05-01

We demonstrate the generation of a passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped fibre laser (YDFL) using a bismuth-doped fibre (BDF) as a solid-state fibre saturable absorber (FSA) in a ring cavity. The BDF used has a wide and low absorption band of 5 dB/m at the 1.0 μm region due to the ion transition of ? that occurs around the region. When introduced into a YDFL laser cavity, a stable Q-switched pulse operation was observed and the pulse repetition rate was proportional to the input pump power. It was limited to 72.99 kHz by the maximum power that the laser diode could supply. Meanwhile, the pulse width decreased from 12.22 to 4.85 μs as the pump power was increased from 215.6 to 475.6 mW. The finding suggests that BDF could be used as a potential SA for the development of robust, compact, efficient and low cost Q-switched fibre lasers operating at 1 micron region.

Actively Q-switched laser with novel Nd:YAG/YAG polygonal active-mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, Ye; Chen, Yanzhong; Ge, Wenqi; He, Jianguo; Zhang, Hongbo; Liao, Lifen; Xin, Jianguo; Zhang, Jian; Fan, Zhongwei

2018-03-01

In this work, we demonstrate an efficient actively Q-switched laser based on a novel crystal Nd:YAG/YAG polygonal active mirror. A passively cooled crystal Nd:YAG/YAG polygonal active mirror with an end pump scheme was used as the gain medium. For the overlap between the TEM00 laser mode and large gain profile, a cavity was carefully designed with a large fundamental mode volume. With a maximum absorbed power of 3.1 W, a 685 mW average output power with a pulse repetition of 5 kHz was attained, and the corresponding optical-optical and slope efficiency were 22.1% and 27.7%, respectively. The pulse width was 133.9 ns. The beam quality (M 2) was 1.561 in the horizontal direction and 1.261 in the vertical direction.

Characterization of the Q-switched MOBLAS Laser Transmitter and Its Ranging Performance Relative to a PTM Q-switched System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Degnan, J. J., III; Zagwodski, T. W.

1979-01-01

A prototype Q-switched Nd:YAG laser transmitter intended for use in the NASA mobile laser ranging system was subjected to various tests of temporal pulse shape and stability, output energy and stability, beam divergence, and range bias errors. Peak to peak variations in the mean range were as large as 30 cm and drift rates of system bias with time as large as 6 mm per minute of operation were observed. The incorporation of a fast electro-optic cavity dump into the oscillator gave significantly improved results. Reevaluation of the ranging performance after modification showed a reduction in the peak to peak variation in the mean range to the 2 or 3 cm level and a drift rate of system time biases of less than 1 mm per minute of operation. A qualitative physical explanation for the superior performance of cavity dumped lasers is given.

Q-switched erbium doped fiber laser based on single and multiple walled carbon nanotubes embedded in polyethylene oxide film as saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, M. H. M.; Ali, N. M.; Salleh, Z. S.; Rahman, A. A.; Harun, S. W.; Manaf, M.; Arof, H.

2015-01-01

A passive, stable and low cost Q-switched Erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) is demonstrated using both single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), which are embedded in polyethylene oxide (PEO) film as a saturable absorber (SA). The film is sandwiched between two FC/PC fiber connectors and integrated into the laser cavity for Q-switching pulse generation operating at wavelength of 1533.6 nm. With SWCNTs, the laser produces a stable pulse train with repetition rate and pulse width ranging from 9.52 to 33.33 kHz and 16.8 to 8.0 μs while varying the 980 nm pump power from 48.5 mW to 100.4 mW. On the other hand, with MWCNTs, the repetition rate and pulse width can be tuned in a wider range of 6.12-33.62 kHz and 9.5- 4.2 μs, respectively as the pump power increases from 37.9 to 120.6 mW. The MWCNTs produce the pulse train at a lower threshold and attain a higher repetition rate compared to the SWCNTs. This is due to thicker carbon nanotubes layer of the MWCNTs which provides more absorption and consequently higher damage threshold. The Q-switched EDFL produces the highest pulse energy of 531 nJ at pump power of 37.9 mW with the use of MWCNTs-PEO SA.

Black phosphorus saturable absorber for a diode-pumped passively Q-switched Er:CaF2 mid-infrared laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chun; Liu, Jie; Guo, Zhinan; Zhang, Han; Ma, Weiwei; Wang, Jingya; Xu, Xiaodong; Su, Liangbi

2018-01-01

A multilayer black phosphorus, as a novel two dimensional saturable absorber, has superb saturable absorption properties for a Er:CaF2 solid-state pulse laser. The pulse laser is realized at mid-infrared region with the passively Q-switched technology by a diode-pumping. The high-quality black phosphorus saturable absorber is fabricated by liquid phase exfoliation method. The pulse laser generates the pulses operation with the pulse duration of 954.8 ns, the repetition rate of 41.93 kHz, the pulse energy of 4.25 μJ and the peak power of 4.45 W. Our work demonstrates that black phosphorus could be used as a kind of efficient mid-infrared region optical absorber for ultrafast photonics.

Development of a passively Q-switched Nd:YAG microchip laser for use in the Satellite Laser Ranging 2000 project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gompers, Samuel Leo

Presently, NASA is designing a replacement for its existing satellite laser ranging systems. These systems are used to measure Earth-satellite distances, tectonic plate movement, variations in rotational motion and other geodetic phenomena. Satellite Laser Ranging 2000 (SLR2000) is envisioned as a fully automated, sub- centimeter accuracy, eye-safe, low-cost replacement to the current SLR systems. It is expected to overcome present limitations by operating autonomously; being free of optical, chemical or electrical hazards; and having a greater average time between failures. Expected shot range precision is about one centimeter with normal point precision of better than three centimeters. This system will have twenty-four hour tracking coverage. SLR2000 specifications dictate operation at visible wavelengths with eye-safe energies on the order of one hundred microjoules and repetition rates on the order of two kilohertz. The optical subsystem of SLR2000 includes a passively Q- switched Nd:YAG microlaser. Passive Q-switching will be achieved using a saturable absorber and offers a number of advantages over the mode-locked lasers currently used in ranging stations: no need for long resonators with tight thermal control; no electro-optic switch required for single pulse selection; saturable absorbers precluding the use of carcinogenic dyes and solvents; and RF drive frequency electronics not tied to the resonator length of the laser cavity. The presented work describes the research and development of a prototype laser used to produce the energies, repetition rates and pulsewidths required for SLR2000. Optimization theories and models were applied to the laser design in order to accurately predict and assess performance characteristics of both gain medium and saturable absorber. Data were obtained which illustrated the affect of pump laser saturation and thermal lensing of the gain medium. Important laboratory skills and techniques were acquired in the design and

Tm:KLu(WO(4))(2) microchip laser Q-switched by a graphene-based saturable absorber.

PubMed

Serres, Josep Maria; Loiko, Pavel; Mateos, Xavier; Yumashev, Konstantin; Griebner, Uwe; Petrov, Valentin; Aguiló, Magdalena; Díaz, Francesc

2015-06-01

We report on the first Tm-doped double tungstate microchip laser Q-switched with graphene using a Tm:KLu(WO₄)₂ crystal cut along the N_g dielectric axis. This laser generates a maximum average output power of 310 mW with a slope efficiency of 13%. At a repetition rate of 190 kHz the shortest pulses with 285 ns duration and 1.6 µJ energy are achieved.

On the densification and hydration of CaCO3 particles by Q-switched laser pulses in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Peng-Wen; Wu, Chao-Hsien; Zheng, Yuyuan; Chen, Shuei-Yuan; Shen, Pouyan

2013-09-01

Calcite powders subjected to Q-switched laser pulses in water were characterized by X-ray/electron diffraction and optical spectroscopy to have a significant internal compressive stress (up to ca. 1.5 GPa) with accompanied transformation into defective calcite II and hydrates. The defective calcite II particles were (0 1 0), (0 0 1), (0 1¯ 1), (0 1 3) and (0 1¯ 3) faceted with 2×(0 2 0)II commensurate superstructure and tended to hydrate epitaxially as monohydrocalcite co-existing with ikaite (CaCO3·6H2O) with extensive cleavages and amorphous calcium carbonate with porous structure. The colloidal suspension containing the densified calcite polymorphs and hydrates showed two UV-visible absorptions corresponding to a minimum band gap of ca. 5 and 3 eV, respectively.

High power high repetition rate diode side-pumped Q-switched Nd:YAG rod laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebiush, E.; Lavi, R.; Tzuk, Y.; Jackel, S.; Lallouz, R.; Tsadka, S.

1998-01-01

A Q-switched diode side-pumped Nd:YAG rod laser is presented. The design is based on close coupled diodes which are mounted side by side to a laser rod cut at Brewster angle. No intra-cavity optics are needed to compensate for the induced thermal lensing of the rod. This laser produces 10 W average power with 30 ns pulse width and beam quality of 1.3 times diffraction limited at 10 kHz repetition rate. The light to light conversion efficiency is 12%. The same average power and beam quality is kept while operating the laser at repetition rates up to 50 kHz.

> 6 MW peak power at 532 nm from passively Q-switched Nd:YAG/Cr4+:YAG microchip laser.

PubMed

Bhandari, Rakesh; Taira, Takunori

2011-09-26

Megawatt peak power, giant pulse microchip lasers are attractive for wavelength conversion, provided their output is linearly polarized. We use a [110] cut Cr(4+):YAG for passively Q-switched Nd:YAG microchip laser to obtain a stable, linearly polarized output. Further, we optimize the conditions for second harmonic generation at 532 nm wavelength to achieve > 6 MW peak power, 1.7 mJ, 265 ps, 100 Hz pulses with a conversion efficiency of 85%. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Efficient, high power, Q-switched Nd:YLF slab laser end-pumped by diode stack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hengli; Li, Daijun; Shi, Peng; Diart, Rober; Shell, Alexander; Haas, Claus R.; Du, Keming

2005-06-01

A high power diode stack end-pumped electro-optically Q-switched Nd:YLF slab laser with a stable and off-axis negative-branch confocal unstable hybrid resonator was demonstrated. By using a cylindrical lens in the stable direction the thermal lens effect was compensated. Pulse energy of 25 mJ was obtained with a pulse width of 22.4 ns at repetition rates of 500 Hz and a conversion efficiency of 22%. The stability was better than 0.8% and the beam propagation M2 factor was about 1.2.

Double Q-switch Ho:Sc2SiO5 laser by acousto-optic modulator combined with Cr2+:ZnSe saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xiao-tao; Zhang, Peng; Xie, Wen-qiang; Li, Lin-jun

2018-01-01

A double Q-switch (DQS) Ho:Sc2SiO5 laser modulated by a acousto-optic modulators (AOM) combined with a Cr2+:ZnSe saturable absorber (SA) was reported for the first time. The actively Q-switch (AQS) and passively Q-switch (PQS) were also studied. For the DQS mode, a maximum average output power of 2.49 W under the incident pump power of 12.5 W was obtained, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 24%. The characteristics of the DQS Ho:SSO laser versus different repetition frequencies (RF) of the AOM were researched. The maximum single-pulse energy of the DQS Ho:SSO laser was calculated to 1.98 mJ. The maximum peak power of the DQS Ho:SSO laser was 49.5 kW. The output beam quality factor M2 of DQS Ho:SSO laser was measured to be 1.15 with the highest peak power by knife-edge method at different positions.

Efficient 2-μm Tm:YAP Q-switched and CW lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hays, A. D.; Cole, Brian; King, Vernon; Goldberg, Lew

2018-02-01

Highly efficient, diode pumped Tm:YAP lasers generating emission in the 1.85-1.94 μm range are demonstrated and characterized. Laser optical efficiencies of 51% and 45%, and electrical efficiencies of 31% and 25% are achieved under CW and Q-switched operation, respectively. Laser performance was characterized for maximum average powers up to 20W with various cavity configurations, all using an intra-cavity lens to compensate for thermal lensing in the Tm:YAP crystal. Q-switched lasers incorportating a Cr:ZnS saturable absorber (SA), resonant mechanical mirror scanner, or acousto-optic modulator were characterized. To enable higher average output powers, measurements of the thermal lens were conducted for the Tm:YAP crystal as a function of pump power and were compared to values predicted by a finiteelement- analysis (FEA) thermal-optical model of the Tm:YAP crystal. A resonator model is developed to incorporate this calculated thermal lens and its effect on laser performance. This paper will address approaches for improving the performance of Tm:YAP lasers, and means for achieving increased average output powers while maintaining high optical efficiency for both SA and mechanical Q-switching.

High beam quality of a Q-switched 2-µm Tm,Ho:LuVO4 laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wei; Yang, Xining; Shen, Yingjie; Li, Linjun; Zhou, Long; Yang, Yuqiang; Bai, Yunfeng; Xie, Wenqiang; Ye, Guangchao; Yu, Xiaoyang

2018-05-01

A diode-end-pumped 2.05-µm Q-switched Tm,Ho:LuVO4 laser is reported in this paper. The cryogenic Tm3+ (5.0 at.%),Ho3+ (0.5 at.%):LuVO4 crystal was pumped by an 800-nm laser diode. At a pulse repetition frequency of 10 kHz, the maximum average output power of 3.77 W was achieved at 77 K when an incident pump power of 14.7 W was used. The slope efficiency and optical-optical conversion efficiency were 28.3 and 25.6%, respectively. The maximum per pulse energy was 2.54 mJ for a pulse duration of 69.9 ns. The beam quality factor Mx 2 was approximately 1.17 and My 2 was approximately 1.01 for the Tm,Ho:LuVO4 laser.

Passively synchronized Q-switched and mode-locked dual-band Tm3+:ZBLAN fiber lasers using a common graphene saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Chenglai; Shastri, Bhavin J.; Abdukerim, Nurmemet; Rochette, Martin; Prucnal, Paul R.; Saad, Mohammed; Chen, Lawrence R.

2016-11-01

Dual-band fiber lasers are emerging as a promising technology to penetrate new industrial and medical applications from their dual-band properties, in addition to providing compactness and environmental robustness from the waveguide structure. Here, we demonstrate the use of a common graphene saturable absorber and a single gain medium (Tm3+:ZBLAN fiber) to implement (1) a dual-band fiber ring laser with synchronized Q-switched pulses at wavelengths of 1480 nm and 1840 nm, and (2) a dual-band fiber linear laser with synchronized mode-locked pulses at wavelengths of 1480 nm and 1845 nm. Q-switched operation at 1480 nm and 1840 nm is achieved with a synchronized repetition rate from 20 kHz to 40.5 kHz. For synchronous mode-locked operation, pulses with full-width at half maximum durations of 610 fs and 1.68 ps at wavelengths of 1480 nm and 1845 nm, respectively, are obtained at a repetition rate of 12.3 MHz. These dual-band pulsed sources with an ultra-broadband wavelength separation of ~360 nm will add new capabilities in applications including optical sensing, spectroscopy, and communications.

Passively synchronized Q-switched and mode-locked dual-band Tm3+:ZBLAN fiber lasers using a common graphene saturable absorber.

PubMed

Jia, Chenglai; Shastri, Bhavin J; Abdukerim, Nurmemet; Rochette, Martin; Prucnal, Paul R; Saad, Mohammed; Chen, Lawrence R

2016-11-02

Dual-band fiber lasers are emerging as a promising technology to penetrate new industrial and medical applications from their dual-band properties, in addition to providing compactness and environmental robustness from the waveguide structure. Here, we demonstrate the use of a common graphene saturable absorber and a single gain medium (Tm 3+ :ZBLAN fiber) to implement (1) a dual-band fiber ring laser with synchronized Q-switched pulses at wavelengths of 1480 nm and 1840 nm, and (2) a dual-band fiber linear laser with synchronized mode-locked pulses at wavelengths of 1480 nm and 1845 nm. Q-switched operation at 1480 nm and 1840 nm is achieved with a synchronized repetition rate from 20 kHz to 40.5 kHz. For synchronous mode-locked operation, pulses with full-width at half maximum durations of 610 fs and 1.68 ps at wavelengths of 1480 nm and 1845 nm, respectively, are obtained at a repetition rate of 12.3 MHz. These dual-band pulsed sources with an ultra-broadband wavelength separation of ~360 nm will add new capabilities in applications including optical sensing, spectroscopy, and communications.

Comparison of Q-switched Nd: YAG laser and fractional carbon dioxide laser for the treatment of solar lentigines in Asians.

PubMed

Vachiramon, Vasanop; Panmanee, Wikanda; Techapichetvanich, Thanya; Chanprapaph, Kumutnart

2016-04-01

Solar lentigines are benign pigmented lesions that occur mostly on sun-exposed areas. Q-switched and ablative lasers are effective for removing these lesions but the high incidence of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation raises concern in darker skin types. The objective of this study is to compare the efficacy and degree of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation with the Q-switched Nd:YAG and fractional carbon dioxide (CO2 ) laser for treatment of solar lentigines in Asians. Twenty-five Thai patients (skin phototype III-IV) with at least two lesions of solar lentigines on upper extremities were enrolled in this study. Two lesions were randomly selected for the treatment with a single session of Q-switched Nd:YAG or fractional CO2 laser. Outcomes were evaluated using physician grading scale, colorimeter, and patient self-assessment at 6 and 12 weeks after treatment. Side effects were recorded. A total of 532 nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser showed significant improvement of pigmentation over fractional CO2 laser at 6th and 12th week by both colorimeter assessment and physician grading scale (P < 0.05). No significant difference in postinflammatory hyperpigmentation from both lasers was observed. In terms of patient self-assessment, 80% of the patients treated with 532 nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser had excellent results compared to 8% in fractional CO2 laser group. However, fractional CO2 laser treatment had faster healing time and less pain score compared to Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. Q-switched Nd:YAG is superior to fractional CO2 laser for treatment of solar lentigines but requires longer healing time and produces more pain. The incidence of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation was not significantly different with both lasers. Further studies are needed to obtain the proper parameter and the treatment frequency of fractional CO2 laser in solar lentigines. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mass removal modes in the laser ablation of silicon by a Q-switched diode-pumped solid-state laser (DPSSL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Daniel J.; Ki, Hyungson; Mazumder, Jyoti

2006-06-01

A fundamental study on the Q-switched diode-pumped solid-state laser interaction with silicon was performed both experimentally and numerically. Single pulse drilling experiments were conducted on N-type silicon wafers by varying the laser intensity from 108-109 W cm-2 to investigate how the mass removal mechanism changes depending on the laser intensity. Hole width and depth were measured and surface morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy. For the numerical model study, Ki et al's self-consistent continuous-wave laser drilling model (2001 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 34 364-72) was modified to treat the solidification phenomenon between successive laser pulses. The model has the capabilities of simulating major interaction physics, such as melt flow, heat transfer, evaporation, homogeneous boiling, multiple reflections and surface evolution. This study presents some interesting results on how the mass removal mode changes as the laser intensity increases.

Use of Q-switched alexandrite laser (755 nm, 100 nsec) for removal of traumatic tattoo of different origins.

PubMed

Moreno-Arias, G A; Casals-Andreu, M; Camps-Fresneda, A

1999-01-01

Q-switched laser systems have been used for removal of tattoo-related carbon, graphite, and other particles. We assessed elimination of traumatic tattoos of different origin with Q-switched alexandrite laser in nine patients. Fluence threshold was determined and a spot test was made. Q-switched alexandrite laser, with a fluence range 4.5-8.0 J/cm(2) (mean, 7.16 +/- 1.18), was used at 4-5-week intervals. Total treatment ranged from 3-12 sessions (mean, 6.1 +/- 3.6 sessions). Double-pulse technique was used in black/black-bluish areas, but single-shot was applied to slate-gray pigment. More than 95% lightening was achieved in five patients after 5.2 +/- 2.3 sessions, and >75% lightening in six subjects after 6.1 +/- 3.1 sessions of treatment. Blacktop, surgical pen, and gravel tattoos presented a better response than gunpowder/fireworks tattoos (>95% vs. 68.7 +/- 23.9% clearance), or tattoos of unknown origin (>95% vs. 62.5 +/- 53% clearance). Epidermal splattering and pinpoint bleeding were observed in one case. No pigmentary alteration or scarring was seen. The Q-switched alexandrite laser is a useful system for removal of traumatic tattoos of diverse origin. The best response (>95% clearance) was achieved in blacktop, surgical pen, and gravel tattoos, although an acceptable degree of lightening may be obtained in tattoos due to gunpowder or fireworks. Copyright 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

808-nm diode-pumped dual-wavelength passively Q-switched Nd:LuLiF4 laser with Bi-doped GaAs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, S. X.; Li, T.; Li, D. C.; Zhao, S. Z.; Li, G. Q.; Hang, Y.; Zhang, P. X.; Li, X. Y.; Qiao, H.

2015-09-01

Diode-pumped CW and passively Q-switched Nd:LuLiF4 lasers with stable, synchronous dual-wavelength operations near 1047 and 1053 nm were demonstrated for the first time. The maximal CW output power of 821 mW was obtained at an incident pump power of 6.52 W. Employing high quality Bi-doped GaAs as saturable absorber, stable dual-wavelength Q-switched operation was realized. Under 6.52 W incident pump power, the minimal pulse duration of 1.5 ns, the largest single pulse energy of 11.32 μJ, and the highest peak power of 7.25 kW were achieved.

Simultaneous passively Q-switched dual-wavelength solid-state laser working at 1065 and 1066 nm.

PubMed

Pallas, Florent; Herault, Emilie; Roux, Jean-Francois; Kevorkian, Antoine; Coutaz, Jean-Louis; Vitrant, Guy

2012-07-15

A passively Q-switched dual-wavelength solid-state laser is presented. The two wavelengths are emitted by two different crystals in order to avoid gain competition, and the synchronization between the pulses is obtained by external triggering of the saturable absorber. Sum frequency mixing is demonstrated, proving the interest of this source for terahertz generation in the 0.3-0.4 THz range through difference frequency generation.

Tunable Q-switched erbium doped fiber laser based on metal transition oxide saturable absorber and refractive index characteristic of multimode interference effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammed, D. Z.; Khaleel, Wurood Abdulkhaleq; Al-Janabi, A. H.

2017-12-01

Ferro-oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were used as a saturable absorber (SA) for a passively Q-switched erbium doped fiber laser (EDFL) with ring cavity. The Q-switching operation was achieved at a pump threshold of 80 mW. The proposed fiber laser produces stable pulses train of repetition rate ranging from 25 kHz to 80 kHz as the pump power increases from threshold to 342 mW. The minimum recorded pulse width was 2.7 μs at 342 mW. The C-band tunability operation was performed using single mode-multimode-single mode fiber (SM-MM-SM) structure. The laser exhibited a total tuning range of 7 nm, maximum sensitivity of 106.9 nm, optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR) of 38 dB and 3-dB linewidth of 0.06 nm.

Thermal lens effect for optimizing a passively Q-switched 1064 nm laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xing, Enbo; Rong, Jiamin; Khew, Si Ying; Tong, Cunzhu; Hong, Minghui

2018-06-01

We demonstrate the improvement of pulse characteristics of a passively Q-switched laser by utilizing the thermal lens effect of a saturable absorber (SA) inside the cavity. The experimental results show that the SA should be considered as a convex lens inside the cavity, whose position strongly improves output performance. A fourfold enhancement of the average output power is obtained, and the peak energy increases from 8.2 to 25 µJ. Theoretically, we calculate the thermal lens effect of the SA and the optimal position inside the cavity, which agree with the experimental results.

Investigations of Q-switching and mode locking in diode-pumped Nd:YVO4 laser with passive saturable absorbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwiatkowski, Jacek; Jabczynski, Jan K.; Zendzian, Waldemar

2005-03-01

The saturable absorbers (Cr4+:YAG, GaAs and LiF crystals for 1064-nm wavelength, V3+:YAG crystals for 1340-nm respectively) were examined as passive Mode Lockers and Q-switches in diode pumped Nd:YVO4 lasers in the Z-type resonators. In each case, partially modulated long trains of QML pulses were observed. As a rule, envelopes with about 1 μs duration and more than 50% depth of modulation were observed. For stabilization of the mode locking trains nonlinear crystals (KTP or LBO) as negative feedback elements were inserted. The fully modulated QML trains for intracavity II harmonic conversion at 670-nm wavelength in V3+:YAG Q-switched Nd:YVO4 laser with LBO crystal were demonstrated.

LD side-pumped Nd:YAG Q-switched laser without water cooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, Ming; Jin, Guang-yong; Tan, Xue-chun; Wu, Zhi-chao; Liang, Zhu

2009-07-01

A novel LD side-pumped Nd:YAG Q-switched solid-state laser, which made use of the special pumping strcture with conductive cooling instead of water cooling, was investigated.After selecting an appropriate length and diameter of Nd:YAG laser crystal rod and using three groups of laser diode centimeter bar which was composed by 12 laser diodes and uniformly arranged according to the angle of 120°,side-pumping structure of laser was accomplished.Adopting plano-concave resonator ,mending double end face of laser crystal and designing heat-stability resonator made the resonator steadily oscillate.Laser crystal rod which was tight fastened by copper net was conductively cooled and radiation block was furnished on the external of copper net for increasing the radiation capacity.High reflection gold film was plated on the cooling wall in the opposite way of pumping light, so that the laser crystal was uniformly pumped and the laser with low order mode output.Making the use of pillar lens focus and ray trace computing, reasonable parameters were caculated to couple pumping light to laser with high-efficiency.It was the electrooptic Q-switched which was made to be micro-integration eliminating voltage by KD*P crystal that improved the ratio between acting and unacting.Inner heat radiated from laser in good time with TE cooler and the laser ran at constant temperature with water cooling when the big external heat sink emanated a steady heat to periphery. Experiments revealed that the syetem pumping efficiency riseed by 18% and the laser threshold energy was 192 mJ under the condition of this novel pumping structure. The low mode output of 10-12ns pulse width and the maximum output energy of 98 mJ was achieved with an incident pump energy of 720 mJ in 1064nm.The optical-to-optical conversion efficiency was up to 13. 6 %,and the power instability in 24 h was better than +/-1. 7 %.

Au nanocage/SiO2 saturable absorber for passive Q-switching Yb-doped fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Jinxi; Li, Ping; Guo, Lei; Zhang, Baitao; Hu, Qiongyu; Wang, Lili; Liu, Binghai; Chen, Xiaohan

2018-05-01

Au nanocages/SiO2 (Au-NCs/SiO2) with the surface plasmon resonance peak at 1060 nm were fabricated and experimentally exploited as the saturable absorber in an all-fiber passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped fiber laser for the first time. Under a pump power of 440 mW, the average output power of 10.6 mW was obtained with the pulse duration 1.4 µs and the repetition rate of 126.9 kHz at 1060.5 nm with the 3 dB spectral width of 0.131 nm. The results indicate that Au-NCs/SiO2 exhibits the potential for applications in the field of pulse lasers.

Optical resolution photoacoustic microscopy using novel high-repetition-rate passively Q-switched microchip and fiber lasers.

PubMed

Shi, Wei; Kerr, Shaun; Utkin, Ilya; Ranasinghesagara, Janaka; Pan, Lei; Godwal, Yogesh; Zemp, Roger J; Fedosejevs, Robert

2010-01-01

Optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) is a novel imaging technology for visualizing optically absorbing superficial structures in vivo with lateral spatial resolution determined by optical focusing rather than acoustic detection. Since scanning of the illumination spot is required, OR-PAM imaging speed is limited by both scanning speed and laser pulse repetition rate. Unfortunately, lasers with high repetition rates and suitable pulse durations and energies are not widely available and can be cost-prohibitive and bulky. We are developing compact, passively Q-switched fiber and microchip laser sources for this application. The properties of these lasers are discussed, and pulse repetition rates up to 100 kHz are demonstrated. OR-PAM imaging was conducted using a previously developed photoacoustic probe, which enabled flexible scanning of the focused output of the lasers. Phantom studies demonstrate the ability to image with lateral spatial resolution of 7±2 μm with the microchip laser system and 15±5 μm with the fiber laser system. We believe that the high pulse repetition rates and the potentially compact and fiber-coupled nature of these lasers will prove important for clinical imaging applications where real-time imaging performance is essential.

All fiber passively Q-switched laser

DOEpatents

Soh, Daniel B. S.; Bisson, Scott E

2015-05-12

Embodiments relate to an all fiber passively Q-switched laser. The laser includes a large core doped gain fiber having a first end. The large core doped gain fiber has a first core diameter. The laser includes a doped single mode fiber (saturable absorber) having a second core diameter that is smaller than the first core diameter. The laser includes a mode transformer positioned between a second end of the large core doped gain fiber and a first end of the single mode fiber. The mode transformer has a core diameter that transitions from the first core diameter to the second core diameter and filters out light modes not supported by the doped single mode fiber. The laser includes a laser cavity formed between a first reflector positioned adjacent the large core doped gain fiber and a second reflector positioned adjacent the doped single mode fiber.

1-mJ Q-switched diode-pumped Nd:BaY2F8 laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agnesi, Antonio; Carraro, Giovanni; Guandalini, Annalisa; Reali, Giancarlo; Sani, Elisa; Toncelli, Alessandra; Tonelli, Mauro

2004-08-01

We report what is to our knowledge the first high repetition rate Q-switched Nd:BaY2F8 (Nd:BaYF) laser pumped with a multiwatt fiber-coupled diode array tuned at 806 nm. As much as 2.42 W of average power and up to 1.05 mJ of pulse energy were obtained with 6.1 W of absorbed pump power, with excellent beam quality (M2<1.2) and linear polarization.

High-efficiency diode-pumped actively Q-switched ceramic Nd:YAG/BaWO₄ Raman laser operating at 1666 nm.

PubMed

Zhang, H N; Chen, X H; Wang, Q P; Zhang, X Y; Chang, J; Gao, L; Shen, H B; Cong, Z H; Liu, Z J; Tao, X T; Li, P

2014-05-01

A diode-pumped actively Q-switched Raman laser employing BaWO4 as the Raman active medium and a ceramic Nd:YAG laser operating at 1444 nm as the pump source is demonstrated. The first-Stokes-Raman generation at 1666 nm is achieved. With a pump power of 20.3 W and pulse repetition frequency rate of 5 kHz, a maximum output power of 1.21 W is obtained, which is the highest output power for a 1.6 μm Raman laser. The corresponding optical-to-optical conversion efficiency is 6%; the pulse energy and peak power are 242 μJ and 8.96 kW, respectively.

Switching between the mode-locking and Q-switching modes in two-section QW lasers upon a change in the absorber properties due to the Stark effect

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gadzhiyev, I. M., E-mail: idris.intop@mail.ru; Buyalo, M. S.; Gubenko, A. E.

2016-06-15

The passive Q-switching and mode-locking modes are implemented in two-section lasers with three quantum wells. It is demonstrated that raising the reverse bias on the absorbing section changes its spectral and dynamic properties and, accordingly, leads to a change from the Q-switching mode to mode-locking. The pulse-repetition frequency in the mode-locking mode is 75 GHz, with the product of the pulse duration by the spectrum bandwidth being 0.49, which is close to the theoretical limit. It is shown that, in structures with three quantum wells, strong absorption at the lasing wavelength gives rise to a photocurrent across a section ofmore » the saturable absorber, which is sufficient for compensation of the applied bias.« less

Yb- and Er-doped fiber laser Q-switched with an optically uniform, broadband WS2 saturable absorber

PubMed Central

Zhang, M.; Hu, Guohua; Hu, Guoqing; Howe, R. C. T.; Chen, L.; Zheng, Z.; Hasan, T.

2015-01-01

We demonstrate a ytterbium (Yb) and an erbium (Er)-doped fiber laser Q-switched by a solution processed, optically uniform, few-layer tungsten disulfide saturable absorber (WS2-SA). Nonlinear optical absorption of the WS2-SA in the sub-bandgap region, attributed to the edge-induced states, is characterized by 3.1% and 4.9% modulation depths with 1.38 and 3.83 MW/cm2 saturation intensities at 1030 and 1558 nm, respectively. By integrating the optically uniform WS2-SA in the Yb- and Er-doped laser cavities, we obtain self-starting Q-switched pulses with microsecond duration and kilohertz repetition rates at 1030 and 1558 nm. Our work demonstrates broadband sub-bandgap saturable absorption of a single, solution processed WS2-SA, providing new potential efficacy for WS2 in ultrafast photonic applications. PMID:26657601

High resolution laser micro sintering / melting using q-switched and high brilliant laser radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Exner, H.; Streek, A.

2015-03-01

Since the discovery of selective laser sintering/melting, numerous modifications have been made to upgrade or customize this technology for industrial purposes. Laser micro sintering (LMS) is one of those modifications: Powders with particles in the range of a few micrometers are used to obtain products with highly resolved structures. Pulses of a q-switched laser had been considered necessary in order to generate sinter layers from the micrometer scaled metal powders. LMS has been applied with powders from metals as well as from ceramic and cermet feedstock's to generate micro parts. Recent technological progress and the application of high brilliant continuous laser radiation have now allowed an efficient laser sintering/melting of micrometer scaled metal powders. Thereby it is remarkable that thin sinter layers are generated using high continuous laser power. The principles of the process, the state of the art in LMS concerning its advantages and limitations and furthermore the latest results of the recent development of this technology will be presented. Laser Micro Sintering / Laser Micro Melting (LMM) offer a vision for a new dimension of additive fabrication of miniature and precise parts also with application potential in all engineering fields.

Synchronized femtosecond laser pulse switching system based nano-patterning technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sohn, Ik-Bu; Choi, Hun-Kook; Yoo, Dongyoon; Noh, Young-Chul; Sung, Jae-Hee; Lee, Seong-Ku; Ahsan, Md. Shamim; Lee, Ho

2017-07-01

This paper demonstrates the design and development of a synchronized femtosecond laser pulse switching system and its applications in nano-patterning of transparent materials. Due to synchronization, we are able to control the location of each irradiated laser pulse in any kind of substrate. The control over the scanning speed and scanning step of the laser beam enables us to pattern periodic micro/nano-metric holes, voids, and/or lines in various materials. Using the synchronized laser system, we pattern synchronized nano-holes on the surface of and inside various transparent materials including fused silica glass and polymethyl methacrylate to replicate any image or pattern on the surface of or inside (transparent) materials. We also investigate the application areas of the proposed synchronized femtosecond laser pulse switching system in a diverse field of science and technology, especially in optical memory, color marking, and synchronized micro/nano-scale patterning of materials.

Visible lesion thresholds and model predictions for Q-switched 1318-nm and 1540-nm laser exposures to porcine skin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zohner, Justin J.; Schuster, Kurt J.; Chavey, Lucas J.; Stolarski, David J.; Kumru, Semih S.; Rockwell, Benjamin A.; Thomas, Robert J.; Cain, Clarence P.

2006-02-01

Skin damage thresholds were measured and compared with theoretical predictions using a skin thermal model for near-IR laser pulses at 1318 nm and 1540 nm. For the 1318-nm data, a Q-switched, 50-ns pulse with a spot size of 5 mm was applied to porcine skin and the damage thresholds were determined at 1 hour and 24 hours postexposure using Probit analysis. The same analysis was conducted for a Q-switched, 30-ns pulse at 1540 nm with a spot size of 5 mm. The Yucatan mini-pig was used as the skin model for human skin due to its similarity to pigmented human skin. The ED 50 for these skin exposures at 24 hours postexposure was 10.5 J/cm2 for the 1318-nm exposures, and 6.1 J/cm2 for the 1540-nm exposures. These results were compared to thermal model predictions. We show that the thermal model fails to account for the ED 50 values observed. A brief discussion of the possible causes of this discrepancy is presented. These thresholds are also compared with previously published skin minimum visible lesion (MVL) thresholds and with the ANSI Standard's MPE for 1318-nm lasers at 50 ns and 1540-nm lasers at 30 ns.

1.9 μm square-wave passively Q-witched mode-locked fiber laser.

PubMed

Ma, Wanzhuo; Wang, Tianshu; Su, Qingchao; Wang, Furen; Zhang, Jing; Wang, Chengbo; Jiang, Huilin

2018-05-14

We propose and demonstrate the operation of Q-switched mode-locked square-wave pulses in a thulium-holmium co-doped fiber laser. By using a nonlinear amplifying loop mirror, continuous square-wave dissipative soliton resonance pulse is obtained with 4.4 MHz repetition rate. With the increasing pump power, square-wave pulse duration can be broadened from 1.7 ns to 3.2 ns. On such basis Q-switched mode-locked operation is achieved by properly setting the pump power and the polarization controllers. The internal mode-locked pulses in Q-switched envelope still keep square-wave type. The Q-switched repetition rate can be varied from 41.6 kHz to 74 kHz by increasing pump power. The corresponding average single-pulse energy increases from 2.67 nJ to 5.2 nJ. The average peak power is also improved from 0.6 W to 1.1 W when continuous square-wave operation is changed into Q-switched mode-locked operation. It indicates that Q-switched mode-locked operation is an effective method to increase the square-wave pulse energy and peak power.

Mid-infrared passively switched pulsed dual wavelength Ho3+-doped fluoride fiber laser at 3 μm and 2 μm

PubMed Central

Li, Jianfeng; Luo, Hongyu; Wang, Lele; Liu, Yong; Yan, Zhijun; Zhou, Kaiming; Zhang, Lin; Turistsyn, Sergei K.

2015-01-01

Cascade transitions of rare earth ions involved in infrared host fiber provide the potential to generate dual or multiple wavelength lasing at mid-infrared region. In addition, the fast development of saturable absorber (SA) towards the long wavelengths motivates the realization of passively switched mid-infrared pulsed lasers. In this work, by combing the above two techniques, a new phenomenon of passively Q-switched ~3 μm and gain-switched ~2 μm pulses in a shared cavity was demonstrated with a Ho3+-doped fluoride fiber and a specifically designed semiconductor saturable absorber (SESAM) as the SA. The repetition rate of ~2 μm pulses can be tuned between half and same as that of ~3 μm pulses by changing the pump power. The proposed method here will add new capabilities and more flexibility for generating mid-infrared multiple wavelength pulses simultaneously that has important potential applications for laser surgery, material processing, laser radar, and free-space communications, and other areas. PMID:26041105

Q-switched all-solid-state lasers and application in processing of thin-film solar cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Liangqing; Wang, Feng

2009-08-01

Societal pressure to renewable clean energy is increasing which is expected to be used as part of an overall strategy to address global warming and oil crisis. Photovoltaic energy conversion devices are on a rapidly accelerating growth path driven by government, of which the costs and prices lower continuously. The next generation thin-film devices are considered to be more efficiency and greatly reduced silicon consumption, resulting in dramatically lower per unit fabrication costs. A key aspect of these devices is patterning large panels to create a monolithic array of series-interconnected cells to form a low current, high voltage module. This patterning is accomplished in three critical scribing processes called P1, P2, and P3. All-solid-state Q-switched lasers are the technology of choice for these processes, due to their advantages of compact configuration, high peak-value power, high repeat rate, excellent beam quality and stability, delivering the desired combination of high throughput and narrow, clean scribes. The end pumped all-solid-state lasers could achieve 1064nm IR resources with pulse width of nanoseconds adopting acoustic-optics Q-switch, shorter than 20ns. The repeat rate is up to 100kHz and the beam quality is close to diffraction limit. Based on this, 532nm green lasers, 355nm UV lasers and 266nm DUV lasers could be carried out through nonlinear frequency conversion. Different wave length lasers are chose to process selective materials. For example, 8-15 W IR lasers are used to scribe the TCO film (P1); 1-5 W green lasers are suitable for scribing the active semiconductor layers (P2) and the back contact layers (P3). Our company, Wuhan Lingyun Photo-electronic System Co. Ltd, has developed 20W IR and 5W green end-pumped Q-switched all-solid-state lasers for thin-film solar industry. Operating in high repeat rates, the speed of processing is up to 2.0 m/s.

Experimental investigation of high power pulsed 2.8 μm Er3+-doped ZBLAN fiber lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yanlong; Wang, Yishan; Huang, Ke; Luan, Kunpeng; Chen, Hongwei; Tao, Mengmeng; Yu, Li; Yi, Aiping; Si, Jinhai

2017-05-01

We report on the recent progress on high power pulsed 2.8 μm Er3+-doped ZBLAN fiber laser through techniques of passively and actively Q-switching in our research group. In passively Q-switched operation, a diode-cladding-pumped mid-infrared passively Q-switched Er3+-doped ZBLAN fiber laser with an average output power of watt-level based on a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) was demonstrated. Stable pulse train was produced at a slope efficient of 17.8% with respect to launched pump power. The maximum average power of 1.01 W at a repetition rate of 146.3 kHz was achieved with a corresponding pulse energy of 6.9 μJ. The maximum peak power was calculated to be 21.9 W. In actively Q-switched operation, a diode-pumped actively Q-switched Er3+-doped ZBLAN fiber laser at 2.8 μm with an optical chopper was reported. The maximum laser pulse energy of up to 130 μJ and a pulse width of 127.3 ns at a repetition rate of 10 kHz with an operating wavelength of 2.78 μm was obtained, yielding the maximum peak power of exceeding 1.1 kW.

Actively Q-switched, thulium-holmium-codoped fiber laser incorporating a silicon-based, variable-optical-attenuator-based Q switch.

PubMed

Jung, Minwan; Han Lee, Ju

2013-04-20

An actively Q-switched thulium-holmium-codoped fiber laser incorporating an Si-based variable optical attenuator (VOA) is experimentally demonstrated. It has been shown that an Si-based VOA with a response time of hundreds of nanoseconds can be used as a cost-effective 2 μm Q switch due to its extremely wide operating bandwidth from 1.5 to 2 μm, and low electrical power consumption. In our study, the laser's slope efficiency was measured to be ~17% at an operating wavelength of 1.89 μm. The repetition rate tuning range was from 20 to 80 kHz, which was limited by the optical damage threshold and the response time. The minimum temporal pulsewidth was measured to be ~184 ns at a modulation frequency of 20 kHz, and the corresponding maximum peak power was ~10 W.

Performance of continuous wave and acousto-optically Q-switched Tm, Ho: YAP laser pumped by diode laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Guoxing; Xie, Wenqiang; Yang, Xining; Zhang, Ziqiu; Zhang, Hongda; Zhang, Liang

2018-02-01

A two-end-pumped a-cut Tm(0.5%), Ho(0.5%):YAP laser output at 2119nm is reported under cryogenic temperature. The maximum output power reached to 7.76W with the incident pump power of 24.2W in CW mode. With the acousto-optically Q-switch, an average power of 7.3W can be obtained, when the pulse repetition frequency was 7.5 kHz. The corresponding optical-to-optical conversion efficiency was 30.2% and the slope efficiency was 31.4%. Then, the laser output characteristics in the repetition frequency of 7.5 kHz and 10kHz were researched. The output power, the optical-to-optical conversion efficiency and slope efficiency were increased with the increase of the repetition frequency. In the same repetition frequency, the pulse duration was decreasing with the growth of the incident pump power.

An 8 cm long holmium-doped fiber saturable absorber for Q-switched fiber laser generation at 2-μm region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, M. F. A.; Dhar, A.; Das, S.; Dutta, D.; Paul, M. C.; Rusdi, M. F. M.; Latiff, A. A.; Dimyati, K.; Harun, S. W.

2018-07-01

We demonstrate a Q-switched all-fiber laser operating at 2-μm region by adding a piece of 8 cm long holmium doped fiber (HDF) as a fiber saturable absorber (SA) in Thulium doped fiber laser (TDFL) ring cavity. Doping of Ho ions into yttria-alumina silica glass was done through conventional Modified Chemical Vapor Deposition (MCVD) technique in conjunction with solution doping process. The fabricated HDF has a linear absorption of 3 dB with a core diameter and a numerical aperture of 10 μm and 0.18, respectively. A self-started Q-switching operation begins at 418 mW pump level and continually dominant until 564 mW pump level. As the pump power increases, stable pulse train presence from 30.61 kHz to 38.89 kHz while the pulse width reduces from 3.18 μs to 2.27 μs. Both maximum output power and maximum peak power are obtained at 5.05 mW and 57.2 mW, respectively, while the maximum pulse energy is calculated to be 129 nJ. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the fundamental frequency is 50 dB. Our work may contribute to the discovery of stable, robust, and economic SA for pulse fiber laser generation at 2-μm region.

Water content contribution in calculus phantom ablation during Q-switched Tm:YAG laser lithotripsy.

PubMed

Zhang, Jian J; Rajabhandharaks, Danop; Xuan, Jason Rongwei; Wang, Hui; Chia, Ray W J; Hasenberg, Tom; Kang, Hyun Wook

2015-01-01

Q-switched (QS) Tm:YAG laser ablation mechanisms on urinary calculi are still unclear to researchers. Here, dependence of water content in calculus phantom on calculus ablation performance was investigated. White gypsum cement was used as a calculus phantom model. The calculus phantoms were ablated by a total 3-J laser pulse exposure (20 mJ, 100 Hz, 1.5 s) and contact mode with N=15 sample size. Ablation volume was obtained on average 0.079, 0.122, and 0.391  mm3 in dry calculus in air, wet calculus in air, and wet calculus in-water groups, respectively. There were three proposed ablation mechanisms that could explain the effect of water content in calculus phantom on calculus ablation performance, including shock wave due to laser pulse injection and bubble collapse, spallation, and microexplosion. Increased absorption coefficient of wet calculus can cause stronger spallation process compared with that caused by dry calculus; as a result, higher calculus ablation was observed in both wet calculus in air and wet calculus in water. The test result also indicates that the shock waves generated by short laser pulse under the in-water condition have great impact on the ablation volume by Tm:YAG QS laser.

A stable dual-wavelength Q-switch using a compact passive device containing photonics crystal fiber embedded with carbon platinum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safaei, R.; Amiri, I. S.; Rezayi, M.; Ahmad, H.

2018-01-01

A compact fiber laser utilizing platinum nanoparticles doped on carbon (Pt/C) embedded in photonic crystal fiber capable of generating a stable Q-switch dual-wavelength is designed and verified. Stable Q-switch pulses, with a repetition rate of 73.6 kHz, pulse width of 1.45 µs and power of 3.8 nJ in two separated wavelengths of 1557.39 nm and 1558.86 nm at a pump power of 350 mW, have been obtained. This is a novel method for generating Q-switch dual-wavelength pulses using a well-protected component that introduces both a saturable absorber and Mach-Zehnder interferometer effects simultaneously in the laser cavity. Furthermore, to best of our knowledge, this is the first time that Pt/C nanoparticles have been used in a saturable absorber for optical pulse generation.

Analytical solution of the transient temperature profile in gain medium of passively Q-switched microchip laser.

PubMed

Han, Xiahui; Li, Jianlang

2014-11-01

The transient temperature evolution in the gain medium of a continuous wave (CW) end-pumped passively Q-switched microchip (PQSM) laser is analyzed. By approximating the time-dependent population inversion density as a sawtooth function of time and treating the time-dependent pump absorption of a CW end-pumped PQSM laser as the superposition of an infinite series of short pumping pulses, the analytical expressions of transient temperature evolution and distribution in the gain medium for four- and three-level laser systems, respectively, are given. These analytical solutions are applied to evaluate the transient temperature evolution and distribution in the gain medium of CW end-pumped PQSM Nd:YAG and Yb:YAG lasers.

Passive Q-switching of ˜2.7 µm Er:Lu2O3 ceramic laser with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Xiaojing; Shen, Deyuan; Zhang, Jian; Tang, Dingyuan

2018-02-01

We demonstrate the passively Q-switched operation of an Er:Lu2O3 ceramic laser at ˜2.7 µm for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. By using a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM), stable pulse trains with a repetition rate of 20-33.3 kHz are produced in a compacted v-shaped resonator. The pulse duration (FWHM), pulse energy, and peak power are 660 ns, 1.8 µJ, and ˜2.73 W, respectively, at 33.3 kHz repetition rate. Prospects for further improvements in terms of laser performances are discussed.

Diode-Pumped, 2-Micron, Q-Switched Thulium: Y3Al5O12 (Tm:Yag) Microchip Laser

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

switch with a chromium -doped zinc selenide crystal acting as a saturable absorber passive Q-switch. Finally, we will propose possible future...literature by Heine and Huber [4] and others, while passive Q-switching of 2 μm lasers by a chromium -doped zinc selenide has been demonstrated by Tsai and...these objectives for each component of the laser system. In Chapter 4 a design is presented for replacing our acousto-optic Q-switch with a chromium

Treatment of pigmentary disorders in patients with skin of color with a novel 755 nm picosecond, Q-switched ruby, and Q-switched Nd:YAG nanosecond lasers: A retrospective photographic review.

PubMed

Levin, Melissa Kanchanapoomi; Ng, Elise; Bae, Yoon-Soo Cindy; Brauer, Jeremy A; Geronemus, Roy G

2016-02-01

Laser procedures in skin of color (SOC) patients are challenging due to the increased risk of dyspigmentation and scarring. A novel 755 nm alexandrite picosecond laser has demonstrated effectiveness for tattoo removal and treatment of acne scars. No studies to date have evaluated its applications in pigmentary disorders. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the safety profile and efficacy of the picosecond alexandrite laser compared to the current standard treatment, Q-switched ruby and neodynium (Nd):YAG nanosecond lasers, for pigmentary disorders in SOC patients. A retrospective photographic and chart evaluation of seventy 755 nm alexandrite picosecond, ninety-two Q-switched frequency doubled 532 nm and 1,064 nm Nd:YAG nanosecond, and forty-seven Q-switched 694 nm ruby nanosecond laser treatments, in forty-two subjects of Fitzpatrick skin types III-VI was conducted in a single laser specialty center. The picosecond laser was a research prototype device. Treatment efficacy was assessed by two blinded physician evaluators, using a visual analog scale for percentage of pigmentary clearance in standard photographs. Subject assessment of efficacy, satisfaction, and adverse events was performed using a questionnaire survey. The most common pigmentary disorder treated was Nevus of Ota (38.1%), followed by solar lentigines (23.8%). Other pigmentary disorders included post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, congenital nevus, café au lait macule, dermal melanocytosis, Nevus of Ito, and Becker's nevus. Clinical efficacy of the Q-switched nanosecond lasers and picosecond laser treatments were comparable for lesions treated on the face with a mean visual analog score of 2.57 and 2.44, respectively, corresponding to approximately 50% pigmentary clearance. Subject questionnaires were completed in 58.8% of the picosecond subjects and 52.0% of the Q-switched subjects. Eighty four percent of subjects receiving Q-switched nanosecond laser treatments and 50% of the

Retrospective analysis of melasma treatment using a dual mode of low-fluence Q-switched and long-pulse Nd:YAG laser vs. low-fluence Q-switched Nd:YAG laser monotherapy.

PubMed

Choi, Chun Pil; Yim, Seon Mi; Seo, Soo Hong; Ahn, Hyo Hyun; Kye, Young Chul; Choi, Jae Eun

2015-02-01

Despite the effectiveness of low-fluence Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (QSNY) treatment in melasma, adverse events, including mottled hypopigmentation (MH) and rebound hyperpigmentation (RH) have been reported. To compare the effectiveness and safety of combination therapy using low-fluence QSNY and long-pulse Nd:YAG laser (LPNY) (Dual toning), with low-fluence QSNY monotherapy (QS toning), in Asian melasma patients. Patients were treated for 10 sessions at 1-week intervals with QSNY (6 mm spot); 2.5-3.0 J/cm(2) for QS toning (n = 177) or 2.1-2.5 J/cm(2) for dual toning (n = 183). The dual toning group was immediately treated with LPNY (7 mm spot, 15-17 J/cm(2)). The results were evaluated using the modified Melasma Area and Severity Index (mMASI) score and the physician's global assessment. MH or RH were significantly lower (1.1% vs. 14.1%) and the treatment efficacy was improved (median decrease of mMASI, 3.6 vs. 3.0) in the dual toning group compared with the QS toning group. Periorbital melasma showed distinctively high rates of adverse events in the QS toning group (23.9% vs. 5.7%), which were significantly reduced in the dual toning group (2.9%). Dual toning could represent a safe and effective treatment for Asian melasma patients, as it is associated with minimal adverse events and improved treatment efficacy compared with QS toning monotherapy.

Treatment of pigmented keratosis pilaris in Asian patients with a novel Q-switched Nd:YAG laser.

PubMed

Kim, Sangeun

2011-06-01

Treatment for most cases of keratosis pilaris requires simple reassurance and general skin care recommendations. Many Asian patients find lesions due to pigmented keratosis pilaris to be cosmetically unappealing. Treatment of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation using a 1064-nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser with low fluence is reported. To investigate the efficacy of a novel Q-switched Nd:YAG laser for the treatment of pigmented keratosis pilaris in Asian patients. Ten patients with pigmented keratosis pilaris underwent five weekly treatments using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (RevLite(®); HOYA ConBio(®), Freemont, CA, USA) at 1064 nm with a 6-mm spot size and a fluence of 5.9 J/cm(2). Photographic documentation was obtained at baseline and 2 months after the final treatment. Clinical improvement was achieved in all 10 patients with minimal adverse effects. For the treatment of keratosis pilaris, the use of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser can be helpful for improving cosmetic appearance as it can improve pigmentation.

Pulse-burst laser systems for fast Thomson scattering (invited)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Den Hartog, D. J.; Center for Magnetic Self-Organization in Laboratory and Astrophysical Plasmas, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706; Ambuel, J. R.

2010-10-15

Two standard commercial flashlamp-pumped Nd:YAG (YAG denotes yttrium aluminum garnet) lasers have been upgraded to ''pulse-burst'' capability. Each laser produces a burst of up to 15 2 J Q-switched pulses (1064 nm) at repetition rates of 1-12.5 kHz. Variable pulse-width drive (0.15-0.39 ms) of the flashlamps is accomplished by insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) switching of electrolytic capacitor banks. Direct control of the laser Pockels cell drive enables optimal pulse energy extraction, and up to four 2 J laser pulses during one flashlamp pulse. These lasers are used in the Thomson scattering plasma diagnostic system on the MST reversed-field pinchmore » to record the dynamic evolution of the electron temperature profile and temperature fluctuations. To further these investigations, a custom pulse-burst laser system with a maximum pulse repetition rate of 250 kHz is now being commissioned.« less

1 kW peak power passively Q-switched Nd(3+)-doped glass integrated waveguide laser.

PubMed

Charlet, B; Bastard, L; Broquin, J E

2011-06-01

Embedded optical sensors always require more compact, stable, and powerful laser sources. In this Letter, we present a fully integrated passively Q-switched laser, which has been realized by a Ag(+)/Na(+) ion exchange on a Nd(3+)-doped phosphate glass. A BDN-doped cellulose acetate thick film is deposited on the waveguide, acting as an upper cladding and providing a distributed saturable absorption. At λ=1054 nm, the device emits pulses of 1.3 ns FWHM with a repetition rate of 28 kHz. These performances, coupled with the 1 kW peak power, are promising for applications such as supercontinuum generation. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Multi-Billion Shot, High-Fluence Exposure of Cr(4+): YAG Passive Q-Switch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephen, Mark A.; Dallas, Joseph L.; Afzal, Robert S.

1997-01-01

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is developing the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) employing a diode pumped, Q-Switched, ND:YAG laser operating at 40 Hz repetition rate. To meet the five-year mission lifetime goal, a single transmitter would accumulate over 6.3 billion shots. Cr(4+):YAG is a promising candidate material for passively Q-switching the laser. Historically, the performance of saturable absorbers has degraded over long-duration usage. To measure the multi-billion shot performance of Cr(4+):YAG, a passively Q-switched GLAS-like oscillator was tested at an accelerated repetition rate of 500 Hz. The intracavity fluence was calculated to be approximately 2.5 J/cm(exp 2). The laser was monitored autonomously for 165 days. There was no evidence of change in the material optical properties during the 7.2 billion shot test.. All observed changes in laser operation could be attributed to pump laser diode aging. This is the first demonstration of multi-billion shot exposure testing of Cr(4+):YAG in this pulse energy regime

Idler-resonant intracavity KTA-based OPO pumped by a dual-loss modulated-Q-switched-laser with AOM and Cr4+:YAG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiao, Junpeng; Zhao, Shengzhi; Yang, Kejian; Zhao, Jia; Li, Guiqiu; Li, Dechun; Li, Tao; Qiao, Wenchao

2017-06-01

An idler-resonant KTiOAsO4 (KTA)-based intracavity optical parametric oscillator (IOPO) pumped by a dual-loss-modulated Q-switched laser with an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) and a Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber (Cr4+:YAG-SA) has been presented. By utilizing a type-II non-critically phase-matched KTA crystal, signal wave at 1535 nm and idler wave at 3467 nm have been generated. Under an incident pump power of 18.3 W, maximum output powers of 615 mW for signal wave and 228 mW for idler wave were obtained at an AOM modulation rate of 10 kHz, corresponding to a whole optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 4.6%. The shortest pulse widths of signal and idler wave were measured to be 898 ps and 2.9 ns, corresponding to the highest peak powers of 68.4 and 7.9 kW, respectively. In comparison with IOPO pumped by a singly Q-switched laser with an AOM, the IOPO pumped by a doubly Q-switched laser (DIOPO) with an AOM and a Cr4+:YAG-SA can generate signal wave and idler wave with shorter pulse width and higher peak power. By considering the spatial Gaussian distribution of intracavity photon density, a set of coupled rate equations for the idler-resonant DIOPO were built for the first time to the best of our knowledge. The simulation results agreed well with the experimental results.

Diode-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:YAG ceramic laser with a gold nanotriangles saturable absorber at 1 µm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Jinxi; Li, Ping; Chen, Xiaohan; Guo, Lei; Wang, Lili; Liu, Binghai

2017-08-01

Passively Q-switched Nd:YAG ceramic lasers at 1064 and 1123 nm are demonstrated based on a gold nanotriangles saturable absorber (GNTs-SA) for the first time. The maximum average output power reaches 226 mW at 1064 nm and 172 mW at 1123 nm with corresponding shortest pulse widths and maximum pulse repetition rates of (179 ns, 320 kHz) and (231 ns, 457 kHz), respectively. Our results prove that the GNTs-SA is a promising saturable absorber around the 1-µm region.

Effects of adding metals to MoS2 in a ytterbium doped Q-switched fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khaleque, Abdul; Liu, Liming

2018-03-01

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is widely used in lubricants, metallic alloys and in electronic and optical components. It is also used as saturable absorbers (SAs) in lasers (e.g. fiber lasers): a simple deposition of MoS2 on the fiber end can create a saturable absorber without the necessity of extensive alignment of the optical beam. In this article, we study the effects of adding different metals (Cr, Au, and Al) to MoS2 in a ytterbium (Yb)-doped Q-switched fiber laser. Experimental results show that the addition of a thin layer of gold and aluminium can reduce pulse durations to about 5.8 μs and 8.5 μs, respectively, compared with pure MoS2 with pulse duration of 12 μs. Experimental analysis of the combined metal and MoS2 based composite SAs can be useful in fiber laser applications where it may also find applications in medical, three dimensional (3D) active imaging and dental applications.

Passively Q-switched 1.6 µm Er:YAG laser with a γ-Ga2O3:Co-based glass-ceramics as a saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Yang; Gao, Chunqing; Ye, Qing; Wang, Shuo; Wang, Qing; Gao, Mingwei; Loiko, Pavel; Skoptsov, Nikolai; Dymshits, Olga; Zhilin, Alexander; Zapalova, Svetlana; Tsenter, Marina; Vitkin, Vladimir; Mateos, Xavier; Yumashev, Konstantin

2018-04-01

A resonantly pumped passively Q-switched Er:YAG laser operating at 1.617 and 1.645 µm is reported with γ-Ga2O3:Co2+-based glass-ceramics (GCs) as a saturable absorber. The maximum average output power achieved from this laser was 273 mW; the highest pulse energy was 5.9 µJ, corresponding to a pulse duration of 3.0 µs at a repetition frequency of 31 kHz. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time to use the γ-Ga2O3:Co2+-based GC as a passive Q-switcher for Er:YAG lasers and this is also the first time to obtain 1.617 µm and 1.645 µm pulses with a GC-based saturable absorber.

Single-frequency gain-switched Ho-doped fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geng, Jihong; Wang, Q.; Luo, T.; Case, B.; Jiang, S.; Amzajerdian, Farzin; Yu, Jirong

2012-10-01

We demonstrate a single-frequency gain-switched Ho-doped fiber laser based on heavily doped silicate glass fiber fabricated in house. A Q-switched Tm-doped fiber laser at 1.95μm was used to gain-switch the Ho-doped fiber laser via in-band pumping. Output power of the single-frequency gain-switched pulses has been amplified in a cladding-pumped Tm-Ho-codoped fiber amplifier with 1.2m active fiber pumped at 803nm. Two different nonlinear effects, i.e., modulation instability and stimulated Brillouin scattering, could be seen in the 10μm-core fiber amplifier when the peak power exceeds 3kW. The single-frequency gain-switched fiber laser was operated at 2.05μm, a popular laser wavelength for Doppler lidar application. This is the first demonstration of this kind of fiber laser.

High-power actively Q-switched single-mode 1342 nm Nd:YVO₄ ring laser, injection-locked by a cw single-frequency microchip laser.

PubMed

Koch, Peter; Bartschke, Juergen; L'huillier, Johannes A

2015-11-30

In this paper we report on the realization of a single-mode Q-switched Nd:YVO₄ ring laser at 1342 nm. Unidirectional and single-mode operation of the ring laser is achieved by injection-locking with a continuous wave Nd:YVO₄ microchip laser, emitting a single-frequency power of up to 40 mW. The ring laser provides a single-mode power of 13.9 W at 10 kHz pulse repetition frequency with a pulse duration of 18.2 ns and an excellent beam quality (M² < 1.05). By frequency doubling of the fundamental 1342 nm laser, a power of 8.7 W at 671 nm with a pulse duration of 14.8 ns and a beam propagation factor of M² < 1.1 is obtained. The 671 nm radiation features a long-term spectral width of 75 MHz.

Solid-state YVO4/Nd:YVO4/KTP green laser system for the generation of subnanosecond pulses with adjustable kilohertz repetition rate.

PubMed

Zhang, Haijuan; Zhao, Shengzhi; Yang, Kejian; Li, Guiqiu; Li, Dechun; Zhao, Jia; Wang, Yonggang

2013-09-20

A solid-state green laser generating subnanosecond pulses with adjustable kilohertz repetition rate is presented. This pulse laser system is composed of a Q-switched and mode-locked YVO(4)/Nd:YVO(4)/KTP laser simultaneously modulated by an electro-optic (EO) modulator and a central semiconductor saturable absorption mirror. Because the repetition rate of the Q-switched envelope in this laser depends on the modulation frequency of the EO modulator, so long as the pulsewidth of the Q-switched envelope is shorter than the cavity roundtrip transmit time, i.e., the time interval of two neighboring mode-locking pulses, only one mode-locking pulse exists underneath a Q-switched envelope, resulting in the generation of subnanosecond pulses with kilohertz repetition rate. The experimental results show that the pulsewidth of subnanosecond pulses decreases with increasing pump power and the shortest pulse generated at 1 kHz was 450 ps with pulse energy as high as 252 μJ, corresponding to a peak power of 560 kW. In addition, this laser was confirmed to have high stability, and the pulse repetition rate could be freely adjusted from 1 to 4 kHz.

Histological Evaluation of Retina after Photo Disruption for Vitreous Humor by Q-Switched Neodymium-Doped Yttrium Aluminium Garnet (Nd:YAG) Laser

PubMed Central

Kameel Ghaly, Sally; Foad Ghoneim, Dina; Abdelkawi Ahmed, Salwa; Medhat Abdel-Salam, Ahmed

2013-01-01

Introduction: Rabbits’ eyes were exposed to vitreous humor liquefaction with Q - switched (sometimes called “ giant pulses”) Neodymium-Doped Yttrium Aluminium Garnet (Nd:YAG) laser using two different energy protocols (5 mJ X 100 pulse and 10 mJ X 50 pulse)with and without vitamin C administration. The histological changes in the retina were investigated to evaluate the protective role of vitamin C. Methods: The rabbits were divided into four main groups (n= 12 each). The first group was divided into three subgroups (n=4) and then treated with 5 mJ X 100 pulse (X means times) delivered to the anterior, middle and posterior vitreous humor respectively. The second group received a daily dose of 25 mg/Kg vitamin C for two weeks then was divided into three subgroups and treated with laser in the same manner as the first group.The third group was divided into three subgroups (n=4) and then treated with 10 mJ X 50 pulse delivered to the anterior, middle and posterior vitreous respectively. The fourth group received a daily dose of 25 mg/Kg vitamin C for two weeks then was divided into three subgroups and treated with laser in the same manner as the third group. After two weeks, rabbits were decapitated and histological examination for the retina was performed. Results: The results showed that, the anterior vitreous group exposed to 5mJX100 pulse and supplemented with vitamin C, showed no obvious change. Furthermore, all other treated groups showed alteration in retina’s tissues histology after laser. Conclusion: Application of Q-switched Nd: YAG laser in vitreous humor liquefaction induces changes in retina’s layers. Although there were some sorts of improvements in retinas supplemented with vitamin C, it cannot protect them against laser oxidative damage. PMID:25606329

Highly efficient, versatile, self-Q-switched, high-repetition-rate microchip laser generating Ince–Gaussian modes for optical trapping

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jun Dong; Yu He; Xiao Zhou

2016-03-31

Lasers operating in the Ince-Gaussian (IG) mode have potential applications for optical manipulation of microparticles and formation of optical vortices, as well as for optical trapping and optical tweezers. Versatile, self-Q-switched, high-peak-power, high-repetition-rate Cr, Nd:YAG microchip lasers operating in the IG mode are implemented under tilted, tightly focused laser-diode pumping. An average output power of over 2 W is obtained at an absorbed pump power of 6.4 W. The highest optical-to-optical efficiency of 33.2% is achieved at an absorbed pump power of 3.9 W. Laser pulses with a pulse energy of 7.5 μJ, pulse width of 3.5 ns and peakmore » power of over 2 kW are obtained. A repetition rate up to 335 kHz is reached at an absorbed pump power of 5.8 W. Highly efficient, versatile, IG-mode lasers with a high repetition rate and a high peak power ensure a better flexibility in particle manipulation and optical trapping. (control of laser radiation parameters)« less

Highly efficient, versatile, self-Q-switched, high-repetition-rate microchip laser generating Ince-Gaussian modes for optical trapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Jun; He, Yu; Zhou, Xiao; Bai, Shengchuang

2016-03-01

Lasers operating in the Ince-Gaussian (IG) mode have potential applications for optical manipulation of microparticles and formation of optical vortices, as well as for optical trapping and optical tweezers. Versatile, self-Q-switched, high-peak-power, high-repetition-rate Cr, Nd:YAG microchip lasers operating in the IG mode are implemented under tilted, tightly focused laser-diode pumping. An average output power of over 2 W is obtained at an absorbed pump power of 6.4 W. The highest optical-to-optical efficiency of 33.2% is achieved at an absorbed pump power of 3.9 W. Laser pulses with a pulse energy of 7.5 μJ, pulse width of 3.5 ns and peak power of over 2 kW are obtained. A repetition rate up to 335 kHz is reached at an absorbed pump power of 5.8 W. Highly efficient, versatile, IG-mode lasers with a high repetition rate and a high peak power ensure a better flexibility in particle manipulation and optical trapping.

Efficient continuous-wave, broadly tunable and passive Q-switching lasers based on a Tm3+:CaF2 crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jingjing; Zhang, Cheng; Zu, Yuqian; Fan, Xiuwei; Liu, Jie; Guo, Xinsheng; Qian, Xiaobo; Su, Liangbi

2018-04-01

Laser operations in the continuous-wave as well as in the pulsed regime of a 4 at.% Tm3+:CaF2 crystal are reported. For the continuous-wave operation, a maximum average output power of 1.15 W was achieved, and the corresponding slope efficiency was more than 64%. A continuous tuning range of about 160 nm from 1877-2036 nm was achieved using a birefringent filter. Using Argentum nanorods as a saturable absorber, the significant pulsed operation of a passively Q-switched Tm3+:CaF2 laser was observed at 1935.4 nm for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. A maximum output power of 385 mW with 41.4 µJ pulse energy was obtained under an absorbed pump power of 2.04 W. The present results indicate that the Tm3+:CaF2 lasers could be promising laser sources to operate in the eye-safe spectral region.

Solid state saturable absorbers for Q-switching at 1 and 1.3μm: investigation and modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šulc, Jan; Arátor, Pavel; Jelínková, Helena; Nejezchleb, Karel; Škoda, Václav; Kokta, Milan R.

2008-02-01

Yttrium and Lutecium garnets (YAG and LuAG) doped by Chromium or Vanadium ions (Cr 4+ or V 3+) were investigated as saturable absorbers potentially useful for passive Q-switching at wavelengths 1 μm and/or 1.3 μm. For comparison also color center saturable absorber LiF:F - II and Cobalt doped spinel (Co:MALO) were studied. Firstly, low power absorption spectra were recorded for all samples. Next, absorbers transmission in dependence on incident energy/power density was measured using the z-scan method. Crystals Cr:YAG, Cr:LuAG, V:YAG, and LiF:F - II were tested at wavelength 1064 nm. Therefore Alexandrite laser pumped Q-switched Nd:YAG laser was used as a radiation source (pulse length 6.9 ns, energy up to 1.5 mJ). Crystals V:YAG, V:LuAG, and Co:MALO were tested at wavelength 1338 nm. So diode pumped Nd:YAG/V:YAG microchip laser was used as a radiation source (pulse length 6.2 ns, energy up to 0.1 mJ). Using measured data fitting, and by their comparison with numerical model of a "thick" saturable absorber transmission for Q-switched Gaussian laser beam, following parameters were estimated: saturable absorber initial transmission T 0, saturation energy density w s, ground state absorption cross-section σ GSA, saturated absorber transmission T s, excited state absorption cross-section σ ESA, ratio γ = σ GSA/σ ESA, and absorbing ions density. For V:YAG crystal, a polarization dependence of T s was also investigated. With the help of rate equation numerical solution, an impact of saturable absorber parameters on generated Q-switched pulse properties was studied in plane wave approximation. Selected saturable absorbers were also investigated as a Q-switch and results were compared with the model.

The influence of the Q-switched and free-running Er:YAG laser beam characteristics on the ablation of root canal dentine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papagiakoumou, Eirini; Papadopoulos, Dimitrios N.; Khabbaz, Marouan G.; Makropoulou, Mersini I.; Serafetinides, Alexander A.

2004-06-01

Laser based dental treatment is attractive to many researchers. Lasers in the 3 μm region, as the Er:YAG, are suitable especially for endodontic applications. In this study a pulsed free-running and Q-switched laser was used for the ablation experiments of root canal dentine. The laser beam was either directly focused on the dental tissue or delivered to it through an infrared fiber. For different spatial beam distributions, energies, number of pulses and both laser operations the quality characteristics (crater's shape formation, ablation efficiency and surface characteristics modification) were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The craters produced, generally, reflect the relevant beam profile. Inhomogeneous spatial beam profiles and short pulse duration result in cracks formation and lower tissue removal efficiency, while longer pulse durations cause hard dentine fusion. Any beam profile modification, due to laser characteristics variations and the specific delivering system properties, is directly reflected in the ablation crater shape and the tissue removal efficiency. Therefore, the laser parameters, as fluence, pulse repetition rate and number of pulses, have to be carefully adjusted in relation to the desirable result.

Continuous-wave and acousto-optically Q-switched 1066 nm laser performance of a novel Nd:GdTaO4 crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yufei; He, Ying; Peng, Zhenfang; Sun, Haiyue; Peng, Fang; Yan, Renpeng; Li, Xudong; Yu, Xin; Zhang, Qingli; Ding, Shoujun

2018-05-01

A diode-pumped acousto-optically (AO) Q-switched 1066 nm laser with a novel Nd:GdTaO4 crystal was demonstrated for the first time to the best of our knowledge. The optimization selection of output coupler was carried out in the continuous-wave (CW) operation. After that the pulsed Nd:GdTaO4 laser performances using different modulation repetition rates of 10 kHz and 20 kHz were investigated. At an absorbed pump power of 10 W and repetition rates of 10 kHz, the obtained minimum pulse width was 28 ns and the maximum peak power was 5.4 kW.

Wavelength locking of CW and Q-switched Er(3+) microchip lasers to acetylene absorption lines using pump-power modulation.

PubMed

Brunel, Marc; Vallet, Marc

2007-02-19

We show that modulating the diode-pump power of a microchip solid-state laser enables to lock its wavelength to a reference molecular line. The method is applied to two different types of Er,Yb:glass monolithic microchip lasers operating at 1.53 microm. First, wavelength locking of a continuous-wave dual-polarization microchip laser to acetylene absorption lines is demonstrated, without using any additional modulator, internal or external. We then show that, remarkably, this simple method is also suitable for stabilizing a passively Q-switched microchip laser. A pulsed wavelength stability of 10(-8) over 1 hour is readily observed. Applications to lidars and to microwave photonics are discussed.

Fully integrated Q-switch for commercial high-power resonator with solitary XLMA-fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lange, R.; Bachert, C.; Rehmann, G.; Weber, H.; Luxen, R.; Enns, H.; Schenk, M.; Hosdorf, S.; Marfels, S.; Bay, M.; Kösters, A.; Krause, V.; Giesberts, M.; Fitzau, O.; Hoffmann, H.-D.

2018-02-01

In surface processing applications the correlation of laser power to processing speed demands a further enhancement of the performance of short-pulsed laser sources with respect to the investment costs. The frequently applied concept of master oscillator power amplifier relies on a complex structure, parts of which are highly sensitive to back reflected amplified radiation. Aiming for a simpler, robust source using only a single ytterbium doped XLMA fiber in a q-switched resonator appears as promising design approach eliminating the need for subsequent amplification. This concept requires a high power-tolerant resonator which is provided by the multikilowatt laser platform of Laserline including directly water-cooled active fiber thermal management. Laserline GmbH and Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology joined their forces1 to upgrade standard high power laser sources for short-pulsed operation exceeding 1 kW of average power. Therefor a compact, modular qswitch has been developed. In this paper the implementation of a polarization independent q-switch into an off-the-shelf multi-kilowatt diodepumped continuous wave fiber source is shown. In this early step of implementation we demonstrated more than 1000 W of average power at pulse lengths below 50 ns FWHM and 7.5 mJ pulse energy. The M2 corresponds to 9.5. Reliability of the system is demonstrated based on measurements including temperature and stability records. We investigated the variation possibilities concerning pulse parameters and shape as well as upcoming challenges in power up-scaling.

Double-Pulsed 2-micron Laser Transmitter for Multiple Lidar Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Upendra N.; Yu, Jirong

2002-01-01

A high energy double-pulsed Ho:Tm:YLF 2-micron laser amplifier has been demonstrated. 600 mJ per pulse pair under Q-switch operation is achieved with the gain of 4.4. This solid-state laser source can be used as lidar transmitter for multiple lidar applications such as coherent wind and carbon dioxide measurements.

Retinal damage from a Q-switched YAG laser.

PubMed

Jampol, L M; Goldberg, M F; Jednock, N

1983-09-01

A 42-year-old woman with sickle cell anemia and proliferative retinopathy underwent neodymium-YAG laser therapy for a taut posterior hyaloid membrane causing peripapillary and peripheral traction detachment of the retina. Vitrectomy was not done because the patient required anticoagulation. A Q-switched YAG laser was capable of cutting holes in the taut membrane, but treatment 2 to 3 mm from the retina resulted in microperforation of a retinal vein and focal areas of damage to the retinal pigment epithelium. The damage to the retinal pigment epithelium was not immediately apparent, and ophthalmoscopically visible lesions were seen only when the patient was reexamined 48 hours later.

The Effect of Anterior Stromal Puncture Using Q-Switched Nd:YAG Laser on Corneal Wound Healing

PubMed Central

Hamdy Abdelaziz, Mohamed; Fouad Ghoneim, Dina; Abdelkawi Ahmed, Salwa; Taher, Ibraheim Mohyeldin; Abdel- Salam, Ahmed Medhat

2014-01-01

Introduction: Recurrent corneal erosion occurs when the wounded corneal epithelium failed to adhere to the underlying stroma. Therefore, this work aimed to assess the effect of treatment of corneal injury using Q- switched Nd:YAG laser. Method: Twenty one New Zealand male rabbits weighing 2-2.5 kg and 3 months old were classified into three main groups. The control group: did not received any treatment (n=3 rabbits). The rest of the animals (n= 18 rabbits), corneal epithelium was injured by syringe needle and blade 15 and divided into:(A) Normal healing group: which was divided into three subgroups (n=3 rabbits each), and the animals were left for normal healing for1 day, 1 week, and 4 weeks respectively, (B) Laser treated group: divided into three subgroups (n=3 rabbit seach) and subjected to anterior stromal puncture using Q-switched Nd: YAG laser on corneal sub-epithelium or superficial stroma, and the animals were left for 1 day, 1 week, and 4 weeksrespectively. After the demonstrated periods, the corneas were isolated for estimation of total protein content, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), total antioxidative capacity (TAC), total oxidative capacity (TOC) and oxidative stress index (OSI). Results: The present results of corneal total protein showed increment in the percentage change in normal healed groups after 1 day, 1 week and 4 weeks by values of 93%, 68% and 39%. In Q-switched Nd: YAG laser treated group the results showed better improvement in corneal protein than normal healed group with percentage changes of 58%, 29%, and 7.5% respectively. In SDS- PAGE, a protein band at 110 KD appeared in the migrating epithelium for both normal healed group and Q-switched Nd:YAG laser treated group with changes in the peaks intensities at middle and low molecular weight regions. Moreover, after 4 weeks the peak at 110 KD disappeared in the wounded epithelium treated with Q-switched Nd:YAG. After four weeks, the OSI in laser

Tm:CaGdAlO4: spectroscopy, microchip laser and passive Q-switching by carbon nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loiko, Pavel; Mateos, Xavier; Choi, Sun Young; Rotermund, Fabian; Liebald, Christoph; Peltz, Mark; Vernay, Sophie; Rytz, Daniel; Wang, Yicheng; Kemnitzer, Matthias; Agnesi, Antonio; Vilejshikova, Elena; Yumashev, Konstantin; Griebner, Uwe; Petrov, Valentin

2017-02-01

Absorption, stimulated-emission and gain cross-sections are determined for 3 at.% Tm:CaGdAlO4. This crystal is employed in a microchip laser diode-pumped at 802 nm. In the continuous-wave (CW) regime, this laser generates 1.16 W at 1883-1893 nm with a slope efficiency of 32% with respect to the absorbed pump power. Using a special "bandpass" output coupler, vibronic CW laser operation up to 2043 nm is achieved. For passive Q-switching of the Tm:CaGdAlO4 laser-saturable absorbers (SAs) based on CVD-grown graphene and randomly-oriented arc-discharge single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in a PMMA film. The SWCNT-SA demonstrates superior performance. The laser produced a maximum average output power of 245 mW at 1844 nm with a slope efficiency of 8%. The latter corresponds to a pulse energy and duration of 6 μJ and 138 ns, respectively, at a repetition rate of 41 kHz. Using the graphene-SA, 2.8 μJ, 490 ns pulses are obtained at a repetition rate of 86 kHz.

Black phosphorus: a two-dimension saturable absorption material for mid-infrared Q-switched and mode-locked fiber lasers

PubMed Central

Li, Jianfeng; Luo, Hongyu; Zhai, Bo; Lu, Rongguo; Guo, Zhinan; Zhang, Han; Liu, Yong

2016-01-01

Black phosphorus (BP) as a novel class of two-dimension (2D) materials has recently attracted enormous attention as a result of its unique physical and chemical features. The remarkably strong light-matter interaction and tunable direct band-gap at a wide range make it an ideal candidate especially in the mid-infrared wavelength region as the saturable absorber (SA). In this paper, the simple and effective liquid phase exfoliation (LPE) method was used to fabricate BP. By introducing the same BP SA into two specifically designed rare earth ions doped fluoride fiber lasers at mid-infrared wavebands, Q-switching with the pulse energy of 4.93 μJ and mode-locking with the pulse duration of 8.6 ps were obtained, respectively. The operation wavelength of ~2970 nm for generated pulse is the reported longest wavelength for BP SA based fiber lasers. PMID:27457338

Efficient Q-switched operation in 1.64 μm Er:YAG tapered rod laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polyakov, Vadim M.; Vitkin, Vladimir V.; Krylov, Alexandr A.; Uskov, Alexander V.; Mak, Andrey A.

2017-02-01

We model output characteristics of the 1645 nm 8 mJ 10 ns 100 Hz Q-switched Er:YAG DPSSL. The laser is end pumped at a wavelength of 1532 nm. Fiber-coupled diode laser module was 10 nm FWHM, 12 W CW, 200 μm, NA 0.22. Various tapering of the active rod has been considered for 1 mm diameter, 20 mm long and 0.5% Er doping. We discuss the heat deposition process, the energy storage efficiency and the average power limitations for Q-switched regime of generation and amplification, and find the system scalable for the high power operation.

Frequency tuning characteristics of a Q-switched Co:MgF2 laser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lovold, S.; Moulton, P. F.; Killinger, D. K.; Menyuk, N.

1985-01-01

A tunable Q-switched Co:MgF2 laser has been developed for atmospheric remote sensing applications. Frequency tuning is provided by a quartz etalon and a specially designed three-element birefringent filter covering the whole gain bandwidth of the Co:MgF2 laser. The laser has good temporal and spectral characteristics, with an emission linewidth of approximately 3 GHz (0.1 per cm).

Design of a high-power Nd:YAG Q-switched laser cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Ikbal; Kumar, Avinash; Nijhawan, O. P.

1995-06-01

An electro-optically Q-switched Nd:YAG laser resonator that uses two end prisms placed orthogonally perpendicular to each other has been designed. This configuration improves the stability of the resonator and does not alter the characteristics of the electro-optical Q switch. The outcoupling ratio of the cavity is optimized by a change in the azimuthal angle of a phase-matched Porro prism placed at one end of the cavity. The prism placed at the other end of the cavity is designed so that it introduces a phase change of Pi , regardless of its orientation and index of refraction, resulting in a more efficient and stable cavity.

Exploiting nonlinear properties of pure and Sn-doped Bi2Te2Se for passive Q-switching of all-polarization maintaining ytterbium- and erbium-doped fiber lasers.

PubMed

Bogusławski, Jakub; Kowalczyk, Maciej; Iwanowski, Przemysław; Hruban, Andrzej; Diduszko, Ryszard; Piotrowski, Kazimierz; Dybko, Krzysztof; Wojciechowski, Tomasz; Aleszkiewicz, Marta; Sotor, Jarosław

2017-08-07

Due to their broadband nonlinear optical properties, low-dimensional materials are widely used for pulse generation in fiber and solid-state lasers. Here we demonstrate novel materials, Bi 2 Te 2 Se (BTS) and Sn-doped Bi 2 Te 2 Se (BSTS), which can be used as a universal saturable absorbers for distinct spectral regimes. The material was mechanically exfoliated from a bulk single-crystal and deposited onto a side-polished fiber. We have performed characterization of the fabricated devices and employed them in polarization-maintaining ytterbium- and erbium-doped fiber lasers. This enabled us to obtain self-starting passively Q-switched regime at 1 µm and 1.56 µm. The oscillators emitted stable, linearly polarized radiation with the highest single pulse energy approaching 692 nJ. Both lasers are characterized by the best performance observed in all-polarization maintaining Q-switched fiber lasers with recently investigated new saturable absorbers, which was enabled by a very high damage threshold of the devices. This demonstrates the great potential of the investigated materials for the ultrafast photonics community.

A Filmy Black-Phosphorus Polyimide Saturable Absorber for Q-Switched Operation in an Erbium-Doped Fiber Laser.

PubMed

Feng, Tianxian; Mao, Dong; Cui, Xiaoqi; Li, Mingkun; Song, Kun; Jiang, Biqiang; Lu, Hua; Quan, Wangmin

2016-11-11

We demonstrate an erbium-doped fiber laser passively Q-switched by a black-phosphorus polyimide film. The multi-layer black-phosphorus (BP) nanosheets were prepared via a liquid exfoliation approach exploiting N -methylpyrrolidone as the dispersion liquid. By mixing the BP nanosheets with polyimide (PI), a piece of BP-PI film was obtained after evaporating the mixture in a petri dish. The BP-PI saturable absorber had a modulation depth of 0.47% and was inserted into an erbium-doped fiber laser to realize passive Q-switched operations. The repetition rate of the Q-switched laser increased from 5.73 kHz to 31.07 kHz when the laser pump was enhanced from 31.78 mW to 231.46 mW. Our results show that PI is an excellent host material to protect BP from oxidation, and the BP-PI film can act as a promising nonlinear optical device for laser applications.

Compact intra-cavity pumped low-threshold passively Q-switched Ho:Sc2SiO5 laser by a LD-pumped Tm:YAP laser at room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xiao-tao; Xie, Wen-qiang; Liu, Long; Li, Lin-jun

2017-08-01

A compact intra-cavity pumped low-threshold passively Q-switched (PQS) Ho:Sc2SiO5 (Ho:SSO) laser is reported for the first time. The Tm:YAlO3 (Tm:YAP) crystal and the Ho:SSO crystal are placed in the same laser cavity. A laser diode with a central wavelength of 793 nm is used to realize the output of the Ho:SSO laser. Both the continuous wave (CW) and PQS operation are investigated. A Cr2+:ZnSe is used as the saturable absorber in the PQS Ho:SSO laser. For the CW mode, the laser threshold is only 750 mW, which is 980 mW in the PQS mode. A maximum pulse energy of 699 µJ is primarily obtained, corresponding to the pulse width of 96 ns. The maximum repetition frequency is 1.46 kHz. The maximum pulse peak power can be calculated to be 7.28 kW. The beam quality factor M 2 is calculated to be 1.4 with the maximum output power.

Q-Switched and Mode Locked Short Pulses from a Diode Pumped, YB-Doped Fiber Laser

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-26

a rod-type photonic crystal fiber [14]. Commercial pulsed fiber laser systems currently offered by Polar Onyx range from 1-10 W, with pulse... Onyx , Fiber laser products http://www.polaronyx.com/Uranus_introduction.htm . 20. Business Wire Press Release, “SPI Lasers 30W pulsed fiber laser

Short-pulsed gain-switched Cr2+:ZnSe laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorajek, L.; Jabczynski, J. K.; Kaskow, M.

2014-04-01

We report the first demonstration of gain-switched, ultra-low-threshold Cr2+:ZnSe laser generating pulses as short as 1.75 ns. A diode pumped Tm3+:YLF laser delivering up to 5 mJ energy in 11 ns pulses was utilized as a pump source. The laser operated at 20 Hz repetition rate with 0.1 duty factor allowing us to reduce thermal effects in an active crystal. In a short resonator (length, 70 mm) we obtained more than 0.5 mJ of output energy and 300 kW of corresponding peak power. The Cr2+:ZnSe laser was characterized by very low losses manifesting themselves by an extremely low generation threshold of less than 7 μJ and very high slope efficiency (reaching the quantum efficiency) determined with respect to absorbed pump power.

Fractional CO2 laser is as effective as Q-switched ruby laser for the initial treatment of a traumatic tattoo.

PubMed

Seitz, Anna-Theresa; Grunewald, Sonja; Wagner, Justinus A; Simon, Jan C; Paasch, Uwe

2014-12-01

Q-switched laser treatments are considered the standard method for removing both regular and traumatic tattoos. Recently, the removal of tattoo ink using ablative fractional lasers has been reported. Ablative fractional CO2 laser and q-switched ruby laser treatments were used in a split-face mode to compare the safety and efficacy of the two types of laser in removing a traumatic tattoo caused by the explosion of a firework. A male patient suffering from a traumatic tattoo due to explosive deposits in his entire face was subjected to therapy. A series of eleven treatments were performed. The right side of the face was always treated using an ablative fractional CO2 laser, whereas the left side was treated only using a q-switched ruby laser. After a series of eleven treatments, the patient demonstrated a significant lightening on both sides of his traumatic tattoo, with no clinical difference. After the first six treatments, the patient displayed greater lightening on the right side of his face, whereas after another five treatments, the left side of the patient's face appeared lighter. No side effects were reported. In the initial stage of removing the traumatic tattoo, the ablative fractional laser treatment appeared to be as effective as the standard ruby laser therapy. However, from the 6th treatment onward, the ruby laser therapy was more effective. Although ablative fractional CO2 lasers have the potential to remove traumatic tattoos, they remain a second-line treatment option.

Diversified pulse generation from frequency shifted feedback Tm-doped fibre lasers.

PubMed

Chen, He; Chen, Sheng-Ping; Jiang, Zong-Fu; Hou, Jing

2016-05-19

Pulsed fibre lasers operating in the eye-safe 2 μm spectral region have numerous potential applications in areas such as remote sensing, medicine, mid-infrared frequency conversion, and free-space communication. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate versatile 2 μm ps-ns pulses generation from Tm-based fibre lasers based on frequency shifted feedback and provide a comprehensive report of their special behaviors. The lasers are featured with elegant construction and the unparalleled capacity of generating versatile pulses. The self-starting mode-locking is initiated by an intra-cavity acousto-optical frequency shifter. Diversified mode-locked pulse dynamics were observed by altering the pump power, intra-cavity polarization state and cavity structure, including as short as 8 ps single pulse sequence, pulse bundle state and up to 12 nJ, 3 ns nanosecond rectangular pulse. A reflective nonlinear optical loop mirror was introduced to successfully shorten the pulses from 24 ps to 8 ps. Beside the mode-locking operation, flexible Q-switching and Q-switched mode-locking operation can also be readily achieved in the same cavity. Up to 78 μJ high energy nanosecond pulse can be generated in this regime. Several intriguing pulse dynamics are characterized and discussed.

Dual Q-switched laser outputs from a single lasing medium using an intracavity MEMS micromirror array.

PubMed

Bauer, Ralf; Lubeigt, Walter; Uttamchandani, Deepak

2012-09-01

An intracavity array of individually controlled microelectromechanical system scanning micromirrors was used to actively Q-switch a single side-pumped Nd:YAG gain medium. Two equal power independent laser outputs were simultaneously obtained by separate actuation of two adjacent micromirrors with a combined average output power of 125 mW. Pulse durations of 28 ns FWHM at 8.7 kHz repetition frequency and 34 ns FWHM at 7.9 kHz repetition frequency were observed for the two output beams with beam quality factors M2 of 1.2 and 1.1 and peak powers of 253 W and 232 W, respectively.

Conductive graphene as passive saturable absorber with high instantaneous peak power and pulse energy in Q-switched regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuikafly, Siti Nur Fatin; Khalifa, Ali; Ahmad, Fauzan; Shafie, Suhaidi; Harun, SulaimanWadi

2018-06-01

The Q-switched pulse regime is demonstrated by integrating conductive graphene as passive saturable absorber producing relatively high instantaneous peak power and pulse energy. The fabricated conductive graphene is investigated using Raman spectroscopy. The single wavelength Q-switching operates at 1558.28 nm at maximum input pump power of 151.47 mW. As the pump power is increased from threshold power of 51.6 mW to 151.47 mW, the pulse train repetition rate increases proportionally from 47.94 kHz to 67.8 kHz while the pulse width is reduced from 9.58 μs to 6.02 μs. The generated stable pulse produced maximum peak power and pulse energy of 32 mW and 206 nJ, respectively. The first beat node of the measured signal-to-noise ratio is about 62 dB indicating high pulse stability.

High repetition-rate Q-switched and intracavity doubled diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hemmati, Hamid; Lesh, James R.

1992-01-01

A Nd:YAG laser was end pumped with 2.2 W of continuous-wave (CW) diode laser output. Efficient operation of the laser at high repetition rates was emphasized. This laser provides 890 mW of TEM00 CW output at 1064 nm, and 340 mW of 532 nm average power at a Q-switched repetition rate of 25 kHz. Experimental data are compared with analysis.

Solid state lasers based on chromium- and neodymium-activated scandium garnets operating in the Q-switched mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denisov, A. L.; Zharikov, E. V.; Zavartsev, Iu. D.; Zagumennyi, A. I.; Lutts, G. B.

1991-02-01

The development of passively Q-switched and self-Q-switched lasers based on chromium-containing scandium garnets with phototropic centers is reported. The lasers operate over a wide frequency repetition rate with a mean output up to 100 W. The characteristics of phototropic absorption in the 1-micron region are examined, and the possibility of lasing at the weak transition of the Nd(3+) ion in chromium-containing scandium garnets with phototropic centers is discussed.

Synchronization of pairs of nanosecond pulses from a laser with two gain crystals pumped with two different sources.

PubMed

Staufert, Daniel; Cudney, Roger S

2018-05-10

We report a laser that emits two Q-switched pulses, one at 1.047 μm and the other at 1.064 μm, generated by a Nd:YLF and a Nd:YVO 4 , respectively. The crystals are pumped by two fiber-coupled diode lasers (808 nm and 880 nm); the delay between the pulses can be controlled by adjusting the power of the pumps. Two kinds of Q-switching techniques are reported, passive (Cr:YAG saturable absorber) and active (electro-optic modulator). We model both the active and passive Q switching and make a comparison between numerical simulations and experiments. We show experimentally and theoretically that in both cases the pulses can be synchronized; however, the stability of the synchronization (sensitivity to pump power fluctuations) is better for active than for passive Q switching. We also report that under certain experimental conditions a third wavelength is obtained, 1156 nm, which corresponds to the first Stokes shift of the 1047 nm pulse produced by stimulated Raman scattering from the Nd:YVO 4 crystal.

High-fluence 1064-nm Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser: Safe and effective treatment of café-au-lait macules in Asian patients.

PubMed

Baek, Jin Ok; Park, Il-Joong; Lee, Kyung Real; Ryu, Ha Ryeong; Kim, Jeongsoo; Lee, Seulki; Kim, Yu Ri; Hur, Hoon

2018-06-01

Café-au-lait macules (CALMs) are benign cutaneous hyperpigmentary disorders. Usually, laser therapies for cosmetic concerns result in more severe side effects in the people of Asian descent than that of Caucasians. Unfortunately, there is no gold standard for the laser treatment of CALMs in skin of people of Asian descent. To investigate the efficacy and safety of a high-fluence 1064-nm Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser treatment of CALMs in Asian patients. The medical records of 35 Korean patients (age range: 1 to 40 years old, mean age: 18.5 years) diagnosed with isolated CALMs were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were treated with a 1064-nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. The parameters were a spot size of 7 mm, a fluence of 2.2-2.4 J/cm 2 with a slow single sliding-stacking pass, and a pulse rate of 10 Hz with a 1-week interval for 20-50 sessions. At the week of the final treatment, all treated CALMs showed considerable pigmentation removal without any permanent side effects, such as scaring, mottled hypopigmentation and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). All treated CALMs showed more than 50% clinical improvement. No recurrence was observed in any of the patients after 12 months of follow-up. A high-fluence 1064-nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser treatment of CALMs in Asian patients is a safe and effective method without side effects and recurrence. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A single-frequency double-pulse Ho:YLF laser for CO2-lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kucirek, P.; Meissner, A.; Eiselt, P.; Höfer, M.; Hoffmann, D.

2016-03-01

A single-frequency q-switched Ho:YLF laser oscillator with a bow-tie ring resonator, specifically designed for highspectral stability, is reported. It is pumped with a dedicated Tm:YLF laser at 1.9 μm. The ramp-and-fire method with a DFB-diode laser as a reference is employed for generating single-frequency emission at 2051 nm. The laser is tested with different operating modes, including cw-pumping at different pulse repetition frequencies and gain-switched pumping. The standard deviation of the emission wavelength of the laser pulses is measured with the heterodyne technique at the different operating modes. Its dependence on the single-pass gain in the crystal and on the cavity finesse is investigated. At specific operating points the spectral stability of the laser pulses is 1.5 MHz (rms over 10 s). Under gain-switched pumping with 20% duty cycle and 2 W of average pump power, stable single-frequency pulse pairs with a temporal separation of 580 μs are produced at a repetition rate of 50 Hz. The measured pulse energy is 2 mJ (<2 % rms error on the pulse energy over 10 s) and the measured pulse duration is approx. 20 ns for each of the two pulses in the burst.

Graphene-PVA saturable absorber for generation of a wavelength-tunable passively Q-switched thulium-doped fiber laser in 2.0 µm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, H.; Samion, M. Z.; Sharbirin, A. S.; Norizan, S. F.; Aidit, S. N.; Ismail, M. F.

2018-05-01

Graphene, a 2D material, has been used for generation of pulse lasers due to the presence of its various fascinating optical properties compared to other materials. Hence in this paper, we report the first demonstration of a thulium doped fiber laser with a wavelength-tunable, passive Q-switched output using a graphene-polyvinyl-alcohol composite film for operation in the 2.0 µm region. The proposed laser has a wavelength-tunable output spanning from 1932.0 nm to 1946.0 nm, giving a total tuning range of 14.0 nm. The generated pulse has a maximum repetition rate and average output power of 36.29 kHz and 0.394 mW at the maximum pump power of 130.87 mW, as well as a pulse width of 6.8 µs at this pump power. The generated pulses have a stable output, having a signal-to-noise ratio of 31.75 dB, and the laser output is stable when tested over a period of 60 min. The proposed laser would have multiple applications for operation near the 2.0 micron region, especially for bio-medical applications and range-finding.

Experimental Results from a Laser-Triggered, Gas-Insulated, Spark-Gap Switch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camacho, J. F.; Ruden, E. L.; Domonkos, M. T.

2017-10-01

We are performing experiments on a laser-triggered spark-gap switch with the goal of studying the transition from photoionization to current conduction. The discharge of current through the switch is triggered by a focused 532-nm wavelength beam from a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser with a pulse duration of about 10 ns. The trigger pulse is delivered along the longitudinal axis of the switch, and the focal spot can be placed anywhere along the axis of the 5-mm, gas-insulated gap between the switch electrodes. The switch test bed is designed to support a variety of working gases (e.g., Ar, N2) over a range of pressures. Electrical and optical diagnostics are used to measure switch performance as a function of parameters such as charge voltage, trigger pulse energy, insulating gas pressure, and gas species. A Mach-Zehnder imaging interferometer system operating at 532 nm is being used to obtain interferograms of the discharge plasma in the switch. We are also developing a 1064-nm interferometry diagnostic in an attempt to measure plasma free electron and neutral gas density profiles simultaneously within the switch gap. Results from our most recent experiments will be presented.

Observation of Q-switching and mode-locking in two-section InAs/InP (100) quantum dot lasers around 1.55 mum.

PubMed

Heck, Martijn J R; Bente, Erwin A J M; Smalbrugge, Barry; Oei, Yok-Siang; Smit, Meint K; Anantathanasarn, Sanguan; Nötzel, Richard

2007-12-10

First observation of passive mode-locking in two-section quantum-dot lasers operating at wavelengths around 1.55 mum is reported. Pulse generation at 4.6 GHz from a 9 mm long device is verified by background-free autocorrelation, RF-spectra and real-time oscilloscope traces. The output pulses are stretched in time and heavily up-chirped with a value of 20 ps/nm, contrary to what is normally observed in passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers. The complete output spectrum is shown to be coherent over 10 nm. From a 7 mm long device Q-switching is observed over a large operating regime. The lasers have been realized using a fabrication technology that is compatible with further photonic integration. This makes the laser a promising candidate for e.g. a mode-comb generator in a complex photonic chip.

Passive Q-switching of femtosecond-laser-written Tm:KLu(WO4)2 waveguide lasers by graphene and MoS2 saturable absorbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kifle, Esrom; Mateos, Xavier; Vázquez de Aldana, Javier Rodríguez; Ródenas, Airan; Loiko, Pavel; Zakharov, Viktor; Veniaminov, Andrey; Yu, Haohai; Zhang, Huaijin; Chen, Yanxue; Aguiló, Magdalena; Díaz, Francesc; Griebner, Uwe; Petrov, Valentin

2018-02-01

A buried depressed-index channel waveguide with a circular cladding and a core diameter of 40 μm is fabricated in a bulk monoclinic 3 at.% Tm:KLu(WO4)2 crystal by femtosecond direct laser writing. In the continuous-wave regime, the Tm waveguide laser generates 210 mW at 1849.6 nm with a slope efficiency η of 40.8%. Passively Q-switched operation is achieved by inserting transmission-type 2D saturable absorbers (SAs) based on few-layer graphene and MoS2. Using the graphene-SA, a maximum average output power of 25 mW is generated at 1844.8 nm. The pulse characteristics (duration/energy) are 88 ns/18 nJ at a repetition rate of 1.39 MHz.

Laser based analysis using a passively Q-switched laser employing analysis electronics and a means for detecting atomic optical emission of the laser media

DOEpatents

Woodruff, Steven D.; Mcintyre, Dustin L.

2016-03-29

A device for Laser based Analysis using a Passively Q-Switched Laser comprising an optical pumping source optically connected to a laser media. The laser media and a Q-switch are positioned between and optically connected to a high reflectivity mirror (HR) and an output coupler (OC) along an optical axis. The output coupler (OC) is optically connected to the output lens along the optical axis. A means for detecting atomic optical emission comprises a filter and a light detector. The optical filter is optically connected to the laser media and the optical detector. A control system is connected to the optical detector and the analysis electronics. The analysis electronics are optically connected to the output lens. The detection of the large scale laser output production triggers the control system to initiate the precise timing and data collection from the detector and analysis.

Passively Q-switched side pumped monolithic ring laser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Steven X. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for generating a side-pumped passively Q-switched non-planar ring oscillator. The method introduces a laser into a cavity of a crystal, the cavity having a round-trip path formed by a reflection at a dielectrically coated front surface, a first internal reflection at a first side surface of the crystal at a non-orthogonal angle with the front, a second internal reflection at a top surface of the crystal, and a third internal reflection at a second side surface of the crystal at a non-orthogonal angle with the front. The method side pumps the laser at the top or bottom surface with a side pump diode array beam and generates an output laser emanating at a location on the front surface. The design can include additional internal reflections to increase interaction with the side pump. Waste heat may be removed by mounting the crystal to a heatsink.

High Repetition Rate Pulsed 2-Micron Laser Transmitter for Coherent CO2 DIAL Measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Uprendra N.; Bai, Yingxin; Yu, Jirong; Petros, Mulugeta; Petzar, Paul J.; Trieu, Bo C.; Lee, Hyung

2009-01-01

A high repetition rate, highly efficient, Q-switched 2-micron laser system as the transmitter of a coherent differential absorption lidar for CO2 measurement has been developed at NASA Langley Research Center. Such a laser transmitter is a master-slave laser system. The master laser operates in a single frequency, either on-line or off-line of a selected CO2 absorption line. The slave laser is a Q-switched ring-cavity Ho:YLF laser which is pumped by a Tm:fiber laser. The repetition rate can be adjusted from a few hundred Hz to 10 kHz. The injection seeding success rate is from 99.4% to 99.95%. For 1 kHz operation, the output pulse energy is 5.5mJ with the pulse length of approximately 50 ns. The optical-to-optical efficiency is 39% when the pump power is 14.5W. The measured standard deviation of the laser frequency jitter is about 3 MHz.

BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS: Q switching of a resonator by the metal-semiconductor phase transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bugaev, A. A.; Zakharchenya, Boris P.; Chudnovskiĭ, F. A.

1981-12-01

An experimental study was made of Q switching in a resonator by a mirror with a nonlinear reflection coefficient. This mirror was an interference reflecting structure containing a vanadium oxide film capable of undergoing a metal-semiconductor transition. The nonlinearity of the reflection coefficient was due to initiation of this phase transition by laser radiation. A determination was made of the parameters of a giant radiation pulse obtained using such a passive switch with a vanadium oxide film.

Passively Q-switched Nd:YAG/Cr(4+):YAG bonded crystal microchip laser operating at 1112  nm and its application for second-harmonic generation.

PubMed

Fu, S G; Ouyang, X Y; Liu, X J

2015-10-10

A passively Q-switched Nd:YAG/Cr⁴⁺:YAG microchip laser operating at 1112 nm is demonstrated. Under a pump power of 5.5 W, a maximum average output power of 623 mW was obtained with T=6% output coupler, corresponding to an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 11.3% and a slope efficiency of 19.5%. The minimum pulse width was 2.8 ns, the pulse energy and peak power were 39.3 μJ and 14 kW, respectively. Additionally, based on the 1112 nm laser, a 230 mW 556 nm green-yellow laser was achieved within an LBO crystal.

Continuous-wave and passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4 laser at 1085 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Hongyi; Liu, Hong; Huang, Xiaohua; Zhang, Jiyan

2017-11-01

An admirable and efficient Nd:YVO4 laser at 1085 nm is demonstrated with a compact 35 mm plano-plano cavity. A chosen narrow bandpass filter with high-transmittance (HT) coating at 1064 nm (T=96%) and optimized part-reflection (PR) coating at 1085 nm (T=15%) is used as the output coupler. In the continuous-wave (CW) regime, the maximum output power reaches 3110 mW at the pump power of 11.41 W. Based on a Cr:YAG crystal with initial-transmittance of 91%, the first passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4 laser at 1085 nm is achieved. When the pump power is changed from the threshold of 4.50 to 6.08 W, the dual-wavelength lines at 1064 and 1085 nm are generated simultaneously. However, at the pump power of above 6.08 W, the single-wavelength line at 1085 nm is achieved. The largest output power, the highest peak power, and the narrowest pulse width are 1615 mW, 878 W and 26.2 ns, respectively.

Effect of pulse duration on photomechanical response of soft tissue during Ho:YAG laser ablation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jansen, E. Duco; Motamedi, Massoud; Pfefer, T. Joshua; Asshauer, Thomas; Frenz, Martin; Delacretaz, Guy P.; Abela, George S.; Welch, Ashley J.

1995-05-01

Mechanical injury during pulsed holmium laser ablation of tissue is caused by rapid bubble expansion and collapse or by laser-induced pressure waves. In this study the effect of pulse duration on the photomechanical response of soft tissue during holmium:YAG laser ablation has been investigated. The dynamics of laser-induced bubble formation was documented in water and in transparent polyacrylamide tissue phantoms with a water concentration of 84%. Holmium:YAG laser radiation ((lambda) equals 2.12 micrometers ) was delivered in water or tissue phantoms via an optical fiber (200 or 400 micrometers ). The laser was operated in either the Q- switched mode ((tau) p equals 500 ns, Qp equals 14 +/- 1 mJ, 200 micrometers fiber, Ho equals 446 mJ/mm2) or the free-running mode ((tau) p equals 100 - 1100 microsecond(s) , Qp equals 200 +/- 5 mJ, 400 micrometers fiber, Ho equals 1592 mJ/mm2). Bubble formation was documented using a fast flash photography setup while simultaneously a PVDP needle hydrophone (40 ns risetime), recorded pressures. The effect of the pulse duration on the photomechanical response of soft biological tissue was evaluated by delivering 5 pulses of 800 mJ to the intimal side of porcine aorta in vitro, followed by histologic evaluation. It was observed that, as the pulse duration was increased the bubble shape changed from almost spherical for Q-switched pulses to a more elongated, cylindrical shape for the longer pulse durations. The bubble expansion velocity was larger for shorter pulse durations. A thermo- elastic expansion wave was measured only during Q-switched pulse delivery. All pulses that induced bubble formation generated pressure waves upon collapse of the bubble in water as well as in the gel. The amplitude of the pressure wave depended strongly on the size and geometry of the laser-induced bubble. The important findings of this study were (1) the magnitude of collapse pressure wave decreased as laser pulse duration increased, and (2

LD-pumped actively Q-switched c-cut Nd:GdVO4 self-Raman laser operating at 1166 and 1176 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Xinzhi; Zhang, Xihe; Li, Shutao; Dong, Yuan

2017-12-01

A laser diode pumped actively Q-switched c-cut Nd:GdVO4 self-Raman laser is experimentally investigated. Simultaneous pulse outputs at 1166 nm and 1176 nm corresponding to the Raman shifts of 807 and 882 cm-1 are acquired. At the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 20 kHz, the maximum output power is 103 mW at 1166 nm with the incident pump power of 2.31 W, while 1176 nm output power reaches 530 mW with the incident pump power of 4.11 W. The maximum output power of Raman laser is 570 mW with the incident pump power of 4.11 W and the PRF of 30 kHz. With the incident pump power of 3.67 W and the PRF of 30 kHz, the highest diode-to-Stokes optical conversion efficiency of 14.9% is obtained with the corresponding average output power of 547 mW.

Correct calibration procedure for the Q-switched ruby laser and checking the treatment irradiation pattern

PubMed Central

Ohshiro, Takafumi; Sasaki, Katsumi; Takenouchi, Kiyofumi; Kozuma, Mituaki; Ohshiro, Naoyuki; Kageyama, Yuichi

2013-01-01

Background and aims: There are many Q-switched lasers. The Q-switched ruby laser is the one most popularly used in dermatology, aesthetic surgery and plastic surgery, to remove pigmented lesions or tattoos. Correct and regular calibration of such a system is essential. However, some clinics fail to perform this with the excuse of having no measuring instrument (MI) in their offices or treatment rooms in some of their hospitals or clinics, or even the case of well-known medical universities in Japan. The present article explains the precise calibration procedure and beam pattern checking for the Q-switched ruby systems in the first author's clinic. Rationale: In the case of treatment with a medical laser, the calibration and the irradiated pattern (IP) check of the laser being used for treatment are the most important factors for treatment efficacy and safety. If these factors change, the treatment result could be different from that expected. Such kind of data are not acceptable as scientific information for a presentation or published paper. With such unreliable results and incorrect beam pattern, replicating such a study would be impossible Regular calibration check: In our clinic, we have 2 Q-switched ruby laser systems. On a daily basis, the beam patterns, both the optical axis of the beam and its treatment footprint, are checked on dedicated printed sheets and footprint paper, respectively, at the beginning of the day and after the last procedure. Every two weeks we calibrate our systems in-house using a precise MI. Every six months we calibrate the systems in-house with the MI, and then we send the systems back to the manufacturers for calibration. Once every year, we have our MI calibrated by an accredited facility in Japan. In this way, we are not only ensuring accurate and safe treatment for our patients, but we are also producing accurate system and treatment data which can be replicated by others, the basis of evidence-based medicine. PMID:24204090

Efficient continuous-wave and passively Q-switched pulse laser operations in a diffusion-bonded sapphire/Er:Yb:YAl3(BO3)4/sapphire composite crystal around 1.55 μm.

PubMed

Chen, Yujin; Lin, Yanfu; Huang, Jianhua; Gong, Xinghong; Luo, Zundu; Huang, Yidong

2018-01-08

A composite crystal consisting of a 1.5-mm-thick Er:Yb:YAl 3 (BO 3 ) 4 crystal between two 1.2-mm-thick sapphire crystals was fabricated by the thermal diffusion bonding technique. Compared with a lone Er:Yb:YAl 3 (BO 3 ) 4 crystal measured under the identical experimental conditions, higher laser performances were demonstrated in the sapphire/Er:Yb:YAl 3 (BO 3 ) 4 /sapphire composite crystal due to the reduction of the thermal effects. End-pumped by a 976 nm laser diode in a hemispherical cavity, a 1.55 μm continuous-wave laser with a maximum output power of 1.75 W and a slope efficiency of 36% was obtained in the composite crystal when the incident pump power was 6.54 W. Passively Q-switched by a Co 2+ :MgAl 2 O 4 crystal, a 1.52 μm pulse laser with energy of 10 μJ and repetition frequency of 105 kHz was also realized in the composite crystal. Pulse width was 315 ns. The results show that the sapphire/Er:Yb:YAl 3 (BO 3 ) 4 /sapphire composite crystal is an excellent active element for 1.55 μm laser.

Visible lesion thresholds with pulse duration, spot size dependency, and model predictions for 1.54-microm, near-infrared laser pulses penetrating porcine skin.

PubMed

Cain, Clarence P; Schuster, Kurt J; Zohner, Justin J; Stockton, Kevin L; Stolarski, David J; Thomas, Robert J; Rockwell, Benjamin A; Roach, William P

2006-01-01

Er:glass lasers have been in operation with both long pulses (hundreds of microseconds) and Q-switched pulses (50 to 100 ns) for more than 35 yr. The ocular hazards of this laser were reported early, and it was determined that damage to the eye from the 1.54-microm wavelength occurred mainly in the cornea where light from this wavelength is highly absorbed. Research on skin hazards has been reported only in the past few years because of limited pulse energies from these lasers. Currently, however, with pulse energies in the hundreds of joules, these lasers may be hazardous to the skin in addition to being eye hazards. We report our minimum visible lesion (MVL) threshold measurements for two different pulse durations and three different spot sizes for the 1.54-microm wavelength using porcine skin as an in vivo model. We also compare our measurements to results from our model, based on the heat transfer equation and the rate process equation. Our MVL-ED50 thresholds for the long pulse (600 micros) at 24 h postexposure were measured to be 20, 8.1, and 7.4 J cm(-2) for spot diameters of 0.7, 1.0, and 5 mm, respectively. Q-switched laser pulses of 31 ns had lower ED50 (estimated dose for a 50% probability of laser-induced damage) thresholds of 6.1 J cm(-2) for a 5-mm-diam, top-hat spatial profile laser pulse.

Tunable passively Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser with Chitosan/MoS2 saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, H.; Aidit, S. N.; Ooi, S. I.; Tiu, Z. C.

2018-07-01

Chitosan, an organic polymer derived from the outer skeletons of crustacean and in the cell wall of fungi is explored as polymer host to develop thin film saturable absorber (SA). As a polymer, Chitosan shows high thermal stability as well as significant transmission characteristics. The highly transparent polymer serves as a good host for SA materials, and a composite Chitosan/MoS2 thin film is demonstrated to successfully generate stable Q-switched lasing output at operating wavelength of 1561.5 nm. At maximum pump power of 280.5 mW, the generated pulse exhibits maximum pulse repetition rate and pulse energy of 79.4 kHz and 43.69 nJ respectively as well as minimum pulse width of 1.02 μs. The overall efficiency of the laser cavity with the Chitosan/MoS2 thin film SA is approximately 0.93%. These results reflect the outstanding performance of Chitosan/MoS2 SA as compared to other MoS2 SA prepared using mechanical exfoliation and optical deposition technique. Moreover, the Chitosan polymer is shown to be a highly potential host in the SA fabrication process due to its promising performance which is comparable to PVA.

MoTe2 saturable absorber for passively Q-switched Ho,Pr:LiLuF4 laser at ∼3 μm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Zhengyu; Li, Tao; Zhao, Shengzhi; Yang, Kejian; Li, Dechun; Li, Guiqiu; Zhang, Shuaiyi; Gao, Zijing

2018-03-01

Multilayer molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2) nanosheets were prepared by liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) method. A YAG-based MoTe2 saturable absorption (SA) was consequently fabricated. The MoTe2-SA was employed in a passively Q-switched Ho,Pr:LiLuF4 laser at 2.95 μm. Under the absorbed pump power of 3.8 W, an average output power of 90 mW was achieved. The shortest pulse duration of 670 ns was generated with an output power of 73 mW and a repetition rate of 76.46 kHz, corresponding to a pulse energy of 0.95 μJ.

Time stretch dispersive Fourier transform based single-shot pulse-by-pulse spectrum measurement using a pulse-repetition-frequency-variable gain-switched laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furukawa, Hideaki; Makino, Takeshi; Wang, Xiaomin; Kobayashi, Tetsuya; Asghari, Mohammad H.; Trinh, Paul; Jalali, Bahram; Man, Wai Sing; Tsang, Kwong Shing; Wada, Naoya

2018-02-01

The time stretch dispersive Fourier Transform (TS-DFT) technique based on a fiber chromatic dispersion is a powerful tool for pulse-by-pulse single-shot spectrum measurement for highrepetition rate optical pulses. The distributed feedback laser diode (DFB-LD) with the gain switch operation can flexibly change the pulse repetition frequency (PRF). In this paper, we newly introduce a semiconductor gain-switched DFB-LD operating from 1 MHz up to 1 GHz PRF into the TS-DFT based spectrum measurement system to improve the flexibility and the operability. The pulse width can be below 2 ps with a pulse compression technique. We successfully measure the spectrum of each optical pulse at 1 GHz, 100 MHz, and 10 MHz PRF, and demonstrate the flexibility of the measurement system.

Passive Q-switching of a Tm:YLF laser with a Co2+ doped silver halide saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hecht, Harel; Burshtein, Zeev; Katzir, Abraham; Noach, Salman; Sokol, Maxim; Frumker, Eugene; Galun, Ehud; Ishaaya, Amiel A.

2017-02-01

We report a successful passive Q-switching of a Tm:YLF laser operating at λ = 1.9 μm, using a Co2+:AgCl0.5Br0.5 saturable absorber. Approximately 200-ns long, 150 μJ pulses were obtained. Increase in pump energy resulted in repetitive pulsing, with a repetition rate approximately proportional to the pump pulse energy. Room-temperature optical transmission saturation curves measured in ∼1-mm thick Co2+:AgCl0.5Br0.5 plates yielded a ground state absorption cross section σgs =(7.8 ± 0.5) ×10-18 cm2 , and an excited state absorption cross section σes =(3.3 ± 0.3) ×10-18 cm2 , at λ = 1.9 μm. The lifetime of the A2(4F) second excited-state of the octahedral O symmetry was τ∗ =(0.6 ± 0.06) ns .

A retrospective analysis of the clinical efficacies of Q-switched Alexandrite and Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers in the treatment of nevus of Ota in Korean patients.

PubMed

Choi, Jae Eun; Lee, Joo Bong; Park, Ki Beom; Kim, Bang Soon; Yeo, Un-Cheol; Huh, Chang Hun; Kim, Jie Hoon; Kye, Young Chul

2015-06-01

While the Q-switched Alexandrite laser (QSAL) and the Q-switched neodymium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (QSNY) laser have been widely used in treating nevus of Ota, few studies compared them. To compare the efficacies of the QSAL and the QSNY laser in the treatment of nevus of Ota in Korean patients. A retrospective multicenter study was conducted in 76 patients with nevus of Ota. Thirty-one patients were treated with a QSAL (5.5-8.0 J/cm(2), 4-mm spot size) and 45 patients were treated with QSNY laser (6.0-12.0 J/cm(2), 2-mm spot size). Treatment outcomes were categorized into five grades and the results were compared with the relevant variables taken into account using multivariate logistic regression analysis. QSAL treatment was more likely to achieve a better response compared with that with QSNY laser treatment. The odds ratio of achieving an excellent response, compared with the odds ratio of having a poor response, was 12.213-times more likely when a QSAL was used than when a QSNY laser was used (p = 0.026). The QSAL tends to be more efficient than the QSNY laser in the treatment of nevus of Ota in Korean patients. Further controlled, prospective comparison studies are needed.

Broadband tunable integrated CMOS pulser with 80-ps minimum pulse width for gain-switched semiconductor lasers.

PubMed

Chen, Shaoqiang; Diao, Shengxi; Li, Pengtao; Nakamura, Takahiro; Yoshita, Masahiro; Weng, Guoen; Hu, Xiaobo; Shi, Yanling; Liu, Yiqing; Akiyama, Hidefumi

2017-07-31

High power pulsed lasers with tunable pulse widths are highly favored in many applications. When combined with power amplification, gain-switched semiconductor lasers driven by broadband tunable electric pulsers can meet such requirements. For this reason, we designed and produced a low-cost integrated CMOS pulse generator with a minimum pulse width of 80 ps and a wide tuning range of up to 270 ns using a 40-nm microelectronic process technique. We used this pulser to drive a 1.3-µm semiconductor laser diode directly, and thereafter investigated the gain-switching properties of the laser system. The optical pulses consist of a spike followed by a steady state region. Tuning the width of the electrical pulse down to approximately 1.5 ns produces optical pulses consisting only of the spike, which has a minimum pulse-width of 100 ps. Moreover, the duration of the steady state can be tuned continuously by tuning the electrical pulse width, with a peak power of approximately 5 mW. The output voltage of the electric pulser has a tuning range of 0.8-1.5 V that can be used to directly drive semiconductor laser diodes with wavelengths in the near-infrared spectrum, which are suitable for power amplification with rare-earth doped fiber amplifiers.

High power high repetition rate VCSEL array side-pumped pulsed blue laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Leeuwen, Robert; Zhao, Pu; Chen, Tong; Xu, Bing; Watkins, Laurence; Seurin, Jean-Francois; Xu, Guoyang; Miglo, Alexander; Wang, Qing; Ghosh, Chuni

2013-03-01

High power, kW-class, 808 nm pump modules based on the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) technology were developed for side-pumping of solid-state lasers. Two 1.2 kW VCSEL pump modules were implemented in a dual side-pumped Q-switched Nd:YAG laser operating at 946 nm. The laser output was frequency doubled in a BBO crystal to produce pulsed blue light. With 125 μs pump pulses at a 300 Hz repetition rate 6.1 W QCW 946 nm laser power was produced. The laser power was limited by thermal lensing in the Nd:YAG rod.

Dependence of Nd:YAG laser derusting and passivation of iron artifacts on pulse duration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osticioli, Iacopo; Siano, Salvatore

2013-11-01

In this work laser derusting and passivation process of iron objects of conservation interest were investigated. In particular, the effects induced by laser irradiation of three lasers with different temporal emission regimes were studied, exhibiting very different behavior. Nd:YAG(1064 nm) laser systems were employed in the experiments: a Q-Switching laser with pulse duration of 8 ns, a Long Q-Switching laser with pulse duration of 120 ns and a Short Free Running pulse duration in a range of 40-120 μs. These lasers are commonly used in conservation. Lasers treatments were applied on iron samples subjected to natural weathering in outdoor conditions for about five years. Moreover some experiments were also performed on metallic parts of an original chandelier from the seventies as well as on a deeply corroded Roman sword. Results obtained reveals that longer pulse duration leads to phase changes on the rust layer and a homogeneous black-grayish coating is formed on the surface (identified as magnetite) after treatment. Whereas, QS laser pulses are capable to induce ablation of the corrosion layer exposing the pure metal underneath. Finally, LQS interaction includes deep ablation with localized micro-melting of the metal surface and partial transformation of the residual mineral areas was observed. The irradiation results were characterized through optical and BS- ESEM along with Raman spectroscopy, which allowed a clear phenomenological differentiation among the three operating regimes and provided information on their optimal exploitation in restoration of iron artifacts.

Multiple acousto-optic q-switch

DOEpatents

Deason, Vance A.

1993-01-01

An improved dynamic moire interferometer comprised of a lasing medium providing a plurality of beams of coherent light, a multiple q-switch producing multiple trains of 100,000 or more pulses per second, a combining means collimating multiple trains of pulses into substantially a single train and directing beams to specimen gratings affixed to a test material, and a controller, triggering and sequencing the emission of the pulses with the occurrence and recording of a dynamic loading event.

Multiple acousto-optic q-switch

DOEpatents

Deason, Vance A.

1993-12-07

An improved dynamic moire interferometer comprised of a lasing medium providing a plurality of beams of coherent light, a multiple q-switch producing multiple trains of 100,000 or more pulses per second, a combining means collimating multiple trains of pulses into substantially a single train and directing beams to specimen gratings affixed to a test material, and a controller, triggering and sequencing the emission of the pulses with the occurrence and recording of a dynamic loading event.

Q-switched Nd: YAG laser versus trichloroacetic acid peeling in the treatment of melasma among Egyptian patients.

PubMed

Moubasher, Alaa E A; Youssef, Eman M K; Abou-Taleb, Doaa A E

2014-08-01

Melasma is a common disorder of facial hyperpigmentation that is often resistant to treatment. To evaluate the efficacy of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) peeling in comparison with double frequency Q-switched neodymium-doped:yttrium aluminum garnet (QS-Nd:YAG) laser in the treatment of melasma. Sixty-five adult Egyptian female patients with melasma were enrolled in this study. Wood light was used for determination of the histological type of melasma. The patients were divided into 4 groups according to treatment modalities: peeling with different concentrations of TCA and double frequency QS-Nd:YAG laser. Trichloroacetic acid peeling was performed every 2 weeks up to 8 sessions, whereas laser treatment was performed every month up to 6 sessions. Melasma area and severity index (MASI) score was used before and after treatment for evaluation. Improvement percentage of MASI score was significantly higher among patients treated with TCA 25% (p < .001). Epidermal type of melasma was significantly improved compared with the dermal type (p = .0029). Q-switched neodymium-doped:yttrium aluminum garnet laser showed the highest incidence of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (53.3%). Trichloroacetic acid peeling is effective in the treatment of melasma, TCA 25% was the most effective concentration. Q-switched neodymium-doped:yttrium aluminum garnet laser is not recommended in the treatment of melasma because it was associated with the highest incidence of complications.

Treatment of toe nail fungus infection using an AO Q-switched eye-safe erbium glass laser at 1534nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, Michael J.; Myers, Jeffrey A.; Roth, Franziska; Guo, Baoping; Hardy, Christopher R.; Myers, Sean; Carrabba, Angelo; Trywick, Carmen; Bryant, Stewart; Griswold, John Robert; Mazzochi, Aggie

2013-03-01

We report on "eye-safe" erbium glass laser operating at Short-Wave Infra-Red (SWIR) region at 1534nm, to treat Onychomycosis or toenail fungus. Infected toenails of 12 patients were treated over a 3 month period using both long pulse and Q-switched laser output pulses. Our results compared favorably to Neodymium Yittrium Aluminum Garnet (Nd:YAG) laser fungus treatment studies as reported in literature. Nd:YAG laser devices, operating in the Near Infra- Red, (NIR) region at 1064nm, have recently become an effective alternative treatment to traditional oral medications used to treat nail fungal infections. Conventional nail infection treatments employ medications such as allylamines, azoles and other classes of antifungal drugs that are unpopular due to numerous side-affects and drug interactions. Side effects of these drugs include headache, itching, loss of sense of taste, nausea, diarrhea, heart failure and even potential death from liver failure [1,2,3]. The effectiveness of conventional oral antifungal medications varies. In addition, antifungal prescription drugs are administered for long periods ranging from 6 weeks to 18 months. Nd:YAG antifungal laser treatment reports claim high success rates (65-95%) in eradicating toenail fungus and without adverse side-affects. Multiple laser treatments are administered over a 3 to 6 month period [4,5,6,7]. Our initial treatments performed with the Er:glass laser on toenail fungus patients required only 1 to 2 treatments for cure. This same SWIR laser was used in experiments to treat Athlete's Foot fungal infections. The 1534nm Er:glass laser emission has been found to be well optimized for dermatological treatments due high transmission properties of human skin in the SWIR region. Increased depth of tissue penetration is well

Ultrasensitive nonlinear absorption response of large-size topological insulator and application in low-threshold bulk pulsed lasers.

PubMed

Xu, Jin-Long; Sun, Yi-Jian; He, Jing-Liang; Wang, Yan; Zhu, Zhao-Jie; You, Zhen-Yu; Li, Jian-Fu; Chou, Mitch M C; Lee, Chao-Kuei; Tu, Chao-Yang

2015-10-07

Dirac-like topological insulators have attracted strong interest in optoelectronic application because of their unusual and startling properties. Here we report for the first time that the pure topological insulator Bi2Te3 exhibited a naturally ultrasensitive nonlinear absorption response to photoexcitation. The Bi2Te3 sheets with lateral size up to a few micrometers showed extremely low saturation absorption intensities of only 1.1 W/cm(2) at 1.0 and 1.3 μm, respectively. Benefiting from this sensitive response, a Q-switching pulsed laser was achieved in a 1.0 μm Nd:YVO4 laser where the threshold absorbed pump power was only 31 mW. This is the lowest threshold in Q-switched solid-state bulk lasers to the best of our knowledge. A pulse duration of 97 ns was observed with an average power of 26.1 mW. A Q-switched laser at 1.3 μm was also realized with a pulse duration as short as 93 ns. Moreover, the mode locking operation was demonstrated. These results strongly exhibit that Bi2Te3 is a promising optical device for constructing broadband, miniature and integrated high-energy pulsed laser systems with low power consumption. Our work clearly points out a significantly potential avenue for the development of two-dimensional-material-based broadband ultrasensitive photodetector and other optoelectronic devices.

Ultrasensitive nonlinear absorption response of large-size topological insulator and application in low-threshold bulk pulsed lasers

PubMed Central

Xu, Jin-Long; Sun, Yi-Jian; He, Jing-Liang; Wang, Yan; Zhu, Zhao-Jie; You, Zhen-Yu; Li, Jian-Fu; Chou, Mitch M. C.; Lee, Chao-Kuei; Tu, Chao-Yang

2015-01-01

Dirac-like topological insulators have attracted strong interest in optoelectronic application because of their unusual and startling properties. Here we report for the first time that the pure topological insulator Bi2Te3 exhibited a naturally ultrasensitive nonlinear absorption response to photoexcitation. The Bi2Te3 sheets with lateral size up to a few micrometers showed extremely low saturation absorption intensities of only 1.1 W/cm2 at 1.0 and 1.3 μm, respectively. Benefiting from this sensitive response, a Q-switching pulsed laser was achieved in a 1.0 μm Nd:YVO4 laser where the threshold absorbed pump power was only 31 mW. This is the lowest threshold in Q-switched solid-state bulk lasers to the best of our knowledge. A pulse duration of 97 ns was observed with an average power of 26.1 mW. A Q-switched laser at 1.3 μm was also realized with a pulse duration as short as 93 ns. Moreover, the mode locking operation was demonstrated. These results strongly exhibit that Bi2Te3 is a promising optical device for constructing broadband, miniature and integrated high-energy pulsed laser systems with low power consumption. Our work clearly points out a significantly potential avenue for the development of two-dimensional-material-based broadband ultrasensitive photodetector and other optoelectronic devices. PMID:26442909

Passively Q-switched of EDFL employing multi-walled carbon nanotubes with diameter less than 8 nm as saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nur Fatin Zuikafly, Siti; Ahmad, Fauzan; Haniff Ibrahim, Mohd; Wadi Harun, Sulaiman

2017-11-01

The paper demonstrates passively Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser implementing multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) based saturable absorber. The paper is the first to report the use of the MWCNTs with diameter less than 8 nm as typically, the diameter used is 10 to 20 nm. The MWCNTs is incorporated with water soluble host polymer, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to produce a MWCNTs polymer composite thin film which is then sandwiched between two fiber connectors. The fabricated SA is employed in the laser experimental setup in ring cavity. The Q-switching regime started at threshold pump power of 103 mW and increasable to 215 mW. The stable pulse train from 41.6 kHz to 76.92 kHz with maximum average output power and pulse energy of 0.17 mW and 3.39 nJ are produced. The shortest pulse width of 1.9 μs is obtained in the proposed experimental work, making it the lowest pulse width ever reported using MWCNTs-based saturable absorber.

A study on the clinical characteristics of treating nevus of Ota by Q-switched Nd:YAG laser.

PubMed

Yan, Liu; Di, Li; Weihua, Wang; Feng, Liu; Ruilian, Li; Jun, Zhou; Hui, Su; Zhaoxia, Ying; Weihui, Zeng

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to retrospectively analyze the clinical characteristics of treating nevus of Ota by Q-switched Nd:YAG laser in Laser Cosmetology Center of Department of Dermatology, the Second Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University. The data of 1168 patients of nevus of Ota were analyzed retrospectively, which included the correlation among lesion color, treatment sessions, sex, age, lesion types, and effect. The Q-switched (QS) Nd:YAG laser system had a higher number of treatment sessions which were positively associated with a better response to treatment. Other variables, including gender, age, the categorization of the lesion according to Tanino's classification, and the color of the lesion, were not associated with the response to treatment. The treatment of nevus of Ota with QS Nd:YAG laser is safe and effective, with rare complications.

Compact, passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser for the MESSENGER mission to Mercury.

PubMed

Krebs, Danny J; Novo-Gradac, Anne-Marie; Li, Steven X; Lindauer, Steven J; Afzal, Robert S; Yu, Anthony W

2005-03-20

A compact, passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser has been developed for the Mercury Laser Altimeter, an instrument on the Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging mission to the planet Mercury. The laser achieves 5.4% efficiency with a near-diffraction-limited beam. It passed all space-flight environmental tests at subsystem, instrument, and satellite integration testing and successfully completes a postlaunch aliveness check en route to Mercury. The laser design draws on a heritage of previous laser altimetry missions, specifically the Ice Cloud and Elevation Satellite and the Mars Global Surveyor, but incorporates thermal management features unique to the requirements of an orbit of the planet Mercury.

Method and apparatus for generating high power laser pulses in the two to six micron wavelength range

DOEpatents

MacPherson, David C.; Nelson, Loren D.; O'Brien, Martin J.

1996-01-01

Apparatus performs a method of generating one or more output laser pulses in a range of 2 to 6 microns. When a plurality of the output laser pulses are generated, a first output pulse has any selected wavelength within the range and a second output pulse is temporally closely spaced relative to the first output pulse and has a chosen wavelength differing from the selected wavelength. An oscillator laser cavity is provided with a tunable oscillator rod capable of generating initial laser pulses within a range of from 750 to 1000 nm, and a tuning element is coupled to the rod. A flashlamp is operable to pump the rod. For two pulse operation, the flashlamp has a given duration. A Q-switch provides the initial laser pulses upon operation of the tuning element and the flashlamp. A Raman device coupled to the rod shifts the wavelength of such initial laser pulse into the range of from 2 to 6 microns to form the output laser pulse having a wavelength within the range. For multiple pulses, a controller causes the Q-switch to provide first and second ones of the initial laser pulses, spaced by a time interval less than the given duration. Also, a selector coupled to the tuning element is operable within such duration to successively select the wavelength of the first output pulse and the chosen wavelength of the second initial pulse. The Raman device is responsive to each of the initial light pulses to generate radiation at first and second Stokes wavelengths, each of said the output laser pulses being radiation at the second Stokes wavelength.

Method and apparatus for generating high power laser pulses in the two to six micron wavelength range

DOEpatents

MacPherson, D.C.; Nelson, L.D.; O`Brien, M.J.

1996-12-10

Apparatus performs a method of generating one or more output laser pulses in a range of 2 to 6 microns. When a plurality of the output laser pulses are generated, a first output pulse has any selected wavelength within the range and a second output pulse is temporally closely spaced relative to the first output pulse and has a chosen wavelength differing from the selected wavelength. An oscillator laser cavity is provided with a tunable oscillator rod capable of generating initial laser pulses within a range of from 750 to 1000 nm, and a tuning element is coupled to the rod. A flashlamp is operable to pump the rod. For two pulse operation, the flashlamp has a given duration. A Q-switch provides the initial laser pulses upon operation of the tuning element and the flashlamp. A Raman device coupled to the rod shifts the wavelength of such initial laser pulse into the range of from 2 to 6 microns to form the output laser pulse having a wavelength within the range. For multiple pulses, a controller causes the Q-switch to provide first and second ones of the initial laser pulses, spaced by a time interval less than the given duration. Also, a selector coupled to the tuning element is operable within such duration to successively select the wavelength of the first output pulse and the chosen wavelength of the second initial pulse. The Raman device is responsive to each of the initial light pulses to generate radiation at first and second Stokes wavelengths, each of said the output laser pulses being radiation at the second Stokes wavelength. 30 figs.

Diode-Pumped Long-Pulse-Length Ho:Tm:YLiF4 Laser at 10 Hz

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jani, Mahendra G.; Naranjo, Felipe L.; Barnes, Norman P.; Murray, Keith E.; Lockard, George E.

1995-01-01

An optical efficiency of 0.052 under normal mode operation for diode-pumped Ho:Tm:YLiF4 at a pulse repetition frequency of 10 Hz has been achieved. Laser output energy of 30 mJ in single Q-switched pulses with 600-ns pulse length were obtained for an input energy of 3 J. A diffusion-bonded birefringent laser rod consisting of Ho:Tm-doped and undoped pieces of YLF was utilized for 10-Hz operation.

Diode-pumped laser altimeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welford, D.; Isyanova, Y.

1993-01-01

TEM(sub 00)-mode output energies up to 22.5 mJ with 23 percent slope efficiencies were generated at 1.064 microns in a diode-laser pumped Nd:YAG laser using a transverse-pumping geometry. 1.32-micron performance was equally impressive at 10.2 mJ output energy with 15 percent slope efficiency. The same pumping geometry was successfully carried forward to several complex Q-switched laser resonator designs with no noticeable degradation of beam quality. Output beam profiles were consistently shown to have greater than 90 percent correlation with the ideal TEM(sub 00)-order Gaussian profile. A comparison study on pulse-reflection-mode (PRM), pulse-transmission-mode (PTM), and passive Q-switching techniques was undertaken. The PRM Q-switched laser generated 8.3 mJ pulses with durations as short as 10 ns. The PTM Q-switch laser generated 5 mJ pulses with durations as short as 5 ns. The passively Q-switched laser generated 5 mJ pulses with durations as short as 2.4 ns. Frequency doubling of both 1.064 microns and 1.32 microns with conversion efficiencies of 56 percent in lithium triborate and 10 percent in rubidium titanyl arsenate, respectively, was shown. Sum-frequency generation of the 1.064 microns and 1.32 microns radiations was demonstrated in KTP to generate 1.1 mJ of 0.589 micron output with 11.5 percent conversion efficiency.

Optical triggering of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser via transverse bleaching of a Cr:YAG saturable absorber.

PubMed

Cole, Brian; Lei, Jonathan; DiLazaro, Tom; Schilling, Bradley; Goldberg, Lew

2009-11-01

Optical triggering via direct bleaching of a Cr:YAG saturable absorber was applied to a monolithic Nd:YAG/Cr:YAG laser crystal. The method uses a single laser diode bar to bleach a thin sheet within the saturable absorber from a direction orthogonal to the lasing axis. By placing the Q-switch at the time corresponding to the steepest slope (dT/dt) for change in transmission during bleaching, the pulse-to-pulse timing jitter showed a 13.2x reduction in standard deviation, from 132 ns for free-running operation to 10 ns with optical triggering. We measured that a fluence of 60 kW/cm(2) was sufficient to enable optical triggering, where a diode appropriately sized for the length of the Cr:YAG (approximately 3 mm) would then require only approximately 150 W of optical power over a 1-2 micros duration to enable effective jitter reduction. Additionally, we measured an increase in optical-to-optical efficiency with optical triggering, where the efficiency improved from 12% to 13.5%.

220 microJ Monolithic Single-Frequency Q-switched Fiber Laser at 2 micrometers by Using Highly Tm-doped Germanate Fibers

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-15

actively Q-switching all-fiber lasers include mag- netostriction modulation of fiber Bragg gratings ( FBGs ), stretching of FBGs with piezoelectric...report an all- fiber single-frequency actively Q-switched laser operat- ing at ∼1920 nm by using a piezo to press the fiber in the FBG cavity based on...fusion-spliced between two FBGs as shown in Fig. 1. One FBG has a high reflectivity (HR) grating imprinted on a non-PM silica fiber. The other FBG

Enhancement of the design of a pulsed UV laser system for a laser-desorption mass spectrometer on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolleck, C.; Büttner, A.; Ernst, M.; Hunnekuhl, M.; Hülsenbusch, T.; Moalem, A.; Priehs, M.; Kracht, D.; Neumann, J.

2017-11-01

A laser-desorption mass spectrometer will be part of the ESA-led ExoMars mission with the objective of identifying organic molecules on planet Mars. A UV laser source emitting nanosecond pulses with pulse energy of about 250 μJ at a wavelength of 266 nm is required for the ionization of nonvolatile soil constituents. A passively q-switched, diode-pumped Nd∶YAG laser oscillator with external frequency quadrupling has been developed. The basic optical concept and a previously developed flight-near prototype are redesigned for the engineering qualification model of the laser, mainly due to requirements updated during the development process and necessary system adaptations. Performance issues like pulse energy stability, pulse energy adjustment, and burst mode operation are presented in this paper.

Synchronization of pulses from mode-locked lasers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harvey, G.T.

A study of the synchronization of mode-locked lasers is presented. In particular, we investigate the timing of the laser output pulses with respect to the radio frequency (RF) signal driving the mode-locking elements in the laser cavity. Two types of mode-locked lasers are considered: a cw loss-modulated mode-locked argon ion laser; and a q-switched active-passive mode-locked Nd:YAG laser. We develop theoretical models for the treatment of laser pulse synchronization in both types of lasers. Experimental results are presented on a combined laser system that synchronizes pulses from both an argon ion and a Nd:YAG laser by using a common RFmore » signal to drive independent mode-lockers in both laser cavities. Shot to shot jitter as low as 18 ps (RMS) was measured between the output pulses from the two lasers. The theory of pulse synchronization for the cw loss-modulated mode-locked argon ion laser is based on the relationship between the timing of the mode-locked laser pulse (with respect to the peak of the RF signal) and the length of the laser cavity. Experiments on the argon laser include the measurement of the phase shift of the mode-locked pulse as a function of cavity length and intracavity intensity. The theory of synchronization of the active-passive mode-locked Nd:YAG laser is an extension of the pulse selection model of the active-passive laser. Experiments on the active-passive Nd:YAG laser include: measurement of the early noise fluctuations; measurement of the duration of the linear build-up stage (time between laser threshold and saturation of the absorber); measurement of jitter as a function of the mode-locker modulation depth; and measurement of the output pulse phase shift as a function of cavity length.« less

A randomized, split-face clinical trial of low-fluence Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (1,064 nm) laser versus low-fluence Q-switched alexandrite laser (755 nm) for the treatment of facial melasma.

PubMed

Fabi, Sabrina G; Friedmann, Daniel P; Niwa Massaki, Ane B; Goldman, Mitchel P

2014-09-01

Melasma is distressing for patients and challenging for physicians to treat. Clinical data from controlled comparative studies is lacking to support the efficacy, longevity, and safety of laser treatments for melasma. Compare the efficacy and safety of low fluence Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (1,064 nm) laser (Nd:YAG) versus low-fluence Q-switched alexandrite laser (755 nm) (QSAL) for the treatment of facial melasma. Twenty male and female subjects with moderate to severe mixed-type melasma on both sides of the face were randomized to six, weekly treatments with the low-fluence Q-switched Nd:YAG laser on one side and the low-fluence QSAL to the other side. Two independent investigators conducted Modified Melasma Area and Severity Index (MMASI) evaluations and subjects completed self-assessment questionnaires at baseline, after three treatments and each follow-up visit 2, 12, and 24 weeks after the last treatment. Standardized digital photographs were taken at baseline and at each subsequent follow-up visit. One male and fifteen females, mean age of 43.4 (range 32-64) years, completed the 29-week study. Both laser treated sides showed a significant improvement in MMASI evaluations after two treatments (22% improvement on the QS-Nd:YAG, 17% QSAL) and each follow-up visit 2 (36% QS-Nd:YAG; 44% QSAL), 12 (27% QS-Nd:YAG; and 24% QSAL), and 24 weeks (27% QS-Nd:YAG; and 19% QSAL) after the last treatment, but no significant difference was seen between study groups at any visit. There was also no significant difference in subject evaluation of improvement between both treatment sides at any visit. Both laser treated sides were tolerated well, and no serious adverse events were noted. Only one subject was taken out of the study due to development of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation bilaterally. Both low-fluence Q-switched Nd:YAG and low-fluence QSAL were equally effective at improving moderate to severe mixed-type facial melasma. This was a

Passively Q-switched Tm-doped fiber laser based on concave gold bipyramids assembled quasi-2D saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Jiaxin; Wu, Hanshuo; Wu, Jian; Xu, Jiangming; Xiao, Hu; Leng, Jinyong; Zhou, Pu; Liu, Zejin

2018-07-01

We demonstrated a concave gold bipyramids (CAuBPs) quasi-2D saturable absorbers (SAs) based ~2 μm band fiber laser for the first time. CAuBPs were synthesized by using modified aqueous wet-chemical synthesis method. Through controlling the size and morphology of CAuBPs, the longitudinal surface plasmon resonance peak of CAuBPs based quasi-2D SA is tuned to be ~2 μm. Passively Q-switched lasing of thulium-doped fiber laser is achieved successfully with a maximum average output power of 9.72 mW and ~9% slope efficiency. The minimum pulse width is 4.56 µs at the repetition rate of 20 kHz. Experimental results reveals that CAuBPs could be used as SAs in the 2 µm region, which verifies the saturable absorption properties of CAuBPs.

Q-switching of a Tm,Ho:KLu(WO4)2 microchip laser by a graphene-based saturable absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serres, J. M.; Loiko, P.; Mateos, X.; Jambunathan, V.; Yumashev, K.; Griebner, U.; Petrov, V.; Aguiló, M.; Díaz, F.

2016-02-01

The first Ho microchip laser passively Q-switched using a graphene-based saturable absorber is demonstrated based on a Tm,Ho:KLu(WO4)2 crystal cut along the N g-axis. A maximum average output power of 74 mW is extracted from the diode-pumped laser at 2061 nm with a slope efficiency of 4%. Pulses as short as 200 ns with an energy of ~0.2 μJ are obtained at a repetition rate of 340 kHz. The energy transfer (ET), 3F4 (Tm3+) ↔ 5I7 (Ho3+) is studied, yielding ET parameters of P 28  =  1.69 and P 71  =  0.15  ×  10-22 cm3 μs-1, revealing the strong prevalence of direct ET.

Treatment of infraorbital dark circles using 694-nm fractional Q-switched ruby laser.

PubMed

Xu, Tian-Hua; Li, Yuan-Hong; Chen, John Z S; Gao, Xing-Hua; Chen, Hong-Duo

2016-12-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of using a 694-nm fractional Q-switched ruby laser to treat infraorbital dark circles. Thirty women with infraorbital dark circles (predominant color: dark/brown) participated in this open-labeled study. The participants received eight sessions of 694-nm fractional Q-switched ruby laser treatment using a fluence of 3.0-3.5 J/cm 2 , at an interval of 7 days. The melanin deposition in the lesional skin was observed in vivo using reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM). The morphological changes were evaluated using a global evaluation, an overall self-assessment, and a Mexameter. Twenty-eight of the 30 patients showed global improvements that they rated as excellent or good. Twenty-six patients rated their overall satisfaction as excellent or good. The melanin index indicated a substantial decrease from 240.44 (baseline) to 194.56 (P < 0.05). The RCM results showed a dramatic decrease in melanin deposition in the upper dermis. The adverse effects were minimal. The characteristic finding of dark/brown infraorbital dark circles is caused by increased melanin deposition in the upper dermis. The treatment of these infraorbital dark circles using a 694-nm fractional QSR laser is safe and effective.

A low-fluence 1064-nm Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet laser for the treatment of café-au-lait macules.

PubMed

Kim, Hyeong-Rae; Ha, Jeong-Min; Park, Min-Soo; Lee, Young; Seo, Young-Joon; Kim, Chang-Deok; Lee, Jeung-Hoon; Im, Myung

2015-09-01

Café-au-lait macules (CALMs) are a common pigmentary disorder. Although a variety of laser modalities have been used to treat CALMs, their efficacies vary and dyspigmentation may develop. We evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of a low-fluence 1064-nm Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd:YAG) laser for the treatment of CALMs. In a preliminary investigation, 6 patients underwent a split-lesion comparative study with 532- and 1064-nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser treatment. In total, 32 patients with 39 CALMs were enrolled in a subsequent prospective trial to evaluate the treatment with a low-fluence 1064-nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. In the preliminary study, the 1064-nm treatment group had a more favorable response and a shorter recovery time. In a subsequent prospective trial of a 1064-nm laser, 74.4% of the lesions showed a clinical response with clearance of ≥50.0%. The treatment regimen was well tolerated; 15.4% of patients experienced adverse events. The study participants were followed for 6 months, and there were no relevant treatment controls in the prospective trial group. Low-fluence 1064-nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser therapy afforded good clinical improvement for treating CALMs. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A pulse-burst laser system for a high-repetition-rate Thomson scattering diagnostic