Abstract

Compared with actively Q-switched devices, passive techniques can significantly simplify the operation, reduce the costs and improve the reliability. Moreover, in space system, a high-voltage switch of active Q-switched laser takes the risk of failures from discharge at critical pressures.¹ Although good results were achieved in microchip lasers using Cr⁴⁺:YAG as saturable absorber,^1–3 very few researches were reported on high output laser with pulse energy of several millijoules. In this paper, we demonstrate a rod laser of Nd:YAG which was cw pumped by laser diode (LD) arrays and passively Q-switched by a Cr⁴⁺:YAG saturable absorber, and discussed the thermal lensing effect of the saturable absorber.

© 2000 Optical Society of America