Cost-effective low timing jitter passively Q-switched diode-pumped solid-state laser with composite pumping pulses

Abstract

A novel scheme that combines gain switching with passive Q switching of a miniature diode-pumped solid-state laser is proposed and implemented. A composite pumping pulse, consisting of a long, low-intensity pulse and a following short, high-intensity pulse, is used to reduce the timing jitter. A greater-than-tenfold reduction in timing jitter is demonstrated.

Recent Progress on Compact and Portable Terahertz Source Based on Parametric Conversion from Dual-Frequency Solid-State Laser Pulses

“…Such a disadvantage severely limits their applications in differential optical absorption spectroscopy [44] and THz generation [29]. In the past, several approaches for reducing the timing jitter were investigated [45][46][47][48][49]. In order to synchronize each pair of the pulses generated by two passively Q-switched lasers, specific cavities were exploited [49][50][51].…”

Design and performance of a high-repetition-rate single-frequency Yb:YAG microlaser

“…For pulsed pumping we set a low-level continuous current level and use an SRS DG535 digital delay generator to control the frequency (repetition rate), pulse width, and pulse amplitude of the drive current. Pulse pumping a passively Q-switched microlaser can reduce pulse-to-pulse timing jitter significantly 25,26 , but the technique is somewhat limited at higher repetition rates (say >15 kHz) by the rise-and fall-time of the laser diode driver.…”

Reduction of the pulse repetition period jitter of a diode-pumped passively Q-switched solid-state laser

“…The YAG:Cr 4+ crystal serves as the passive switch (saturating absorber) [1][2][3][4]. When pulsed solid-state lasers are used as the basis for the development of distance meters, master oscillators, synchronization systems, coherent optical radars, and remote gauges [5][6][7], it is necessary to reduce a jitter of the repetition period T of the generated pulses, i.e., to increase the stability of the repetition rate F = 1/T . Reduction of the jitter is especially important at lower rates F , since it increases with decreasing repetition rate [8], depends on F as 1/F γ , where γ = 1.3-1.4 [9], and amounts to about 10% for F ∼ 10 kHz [8,9].…”

“…In [6,7], the jitter of a laser with the active element based on the YAG:Nd 3+ crystal was reduced by using a combined pumping which consisted of constant and pulsed components.…”