High-efficient diode-end-pumped actively Q-switched Nd:YAG/Nd:YVO4 laser

Abstract

Combining the respective advantages of Nd:YAG and Nd:YVO 4 crystals in achieving the 1.06-μm band laser, we proposed and demonstrated a highly efficient acousto-optically (AO) Q-switched dual-crystal hybrid gain laser. It not only had excellent power performance but also exhibited satisfactory polarization characteristics across a broad pulse repetition frequencies (PRFs) range. Under 42.00-W incident pump power, the maximum average output powers were 12.10 W and 19.64 W at the PRFs of 10 kHz and 200 kHz, respectively. The corresponding optical-to-optical efficiency rose from 28.81% to 46.76%. The results were significantly better than those of the conventional single-crystal laser in our control experiments. The laser polarization ratios at maximum average output power were ~7.6:1 and ~11:1 when the PRFs were 10 kHz and 200 kHz, respectively.