Abstract

Laser emission at 1535nm from Er³⁺:glass lasers is interesting due to its eye-safe wavelength and high transmission through the atmosphere and commercial fused silica fibers. Er³⁺:glass lasers have been used for a number of applications including rangefinding, lidar, communication, and atmospheric data measurements. High peak power, Q-switched pulses are required for many of these applications. Mechanical devices, such as rotating mirrors, porro prisms, and frustrated total internal reflection are still the most popular methods of Q-switching Er:Glass Lasers. Spinning prism and Electro-optical Q-switched Er3+:glass lasers have been produced by Kigre, Inc. for various repetition rates[1]. Compared to active Q-switching, passive Q-switching using a saturable absorber is simpler, more compact, and lacks additional auxiliary electronics.

© 1995 Optical Society of America