Passive Q switching of Er:glass (1.53 microm) with a new, robust, solid-state saturable absorber, Co(2+):Y(3)Sc(2)Ga(3)O(12), has been demonstrated. Q-switched pulses of 20 ns and 4 mJ of energy were obtained. An absorption cross section of 5 x 10(-20) cm(2) was measured. Preliminary results for a Co(2+):Y(3)Al(5)O(12) saturable absorber Q switch are also discussed.

We report what is to our knowledge the first dual operation comprising laser action and Q switching of Cr(4+):YAG pumped intracavity by a Nd:YAG laser. This technique produced dual 1.06- and 1.44-microm pulses with 35- and 200-ns pulse widths, respectively. The Nd:YAG rod was pumped by a 1-ms flash-lamp pulse, resulting in a train of 1.06- and 1.44-microm pulse pairs at approximately a 30-kHz rate.

We have demonstrated a continuously pumped, passively Q-switched, 1617 nm Er:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) laser oscillator with a pulse width of just under 7 ns, a pulse repetition frequency of about 4 kHz, and an output power of 0.9 W. The oscillator was pumped using an Er:fiber laser at 1534 nm, and Q switched using a Cr2+:ZnSe saturable absorber. The Er:YAG laser is useful either stand-alone, or as the master oscillator in a master-oscillator-power-amplifier architecture.

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Passive Q switching of an Er:phosphate glass laser using Er:Ca5(PO4)3F (Er:FAP) as a saturable absorber intracavity (IC) load is described for the first time. Q-switched output was obtained consisting of a 6-mJ single pulse of 83 ns full width at half maximum, with a 20% efficiency relative to the corresponding free-running output in the absence of the IC Er:FAP load.