Abstract

V:YAG crystals have been recently proposed as solid-state saturable absorbers for Q-switched neodymium lasers at 1-1.3 µm [1,2]. V:YAG exhibits a relaxation time as short as few ns with respect to the 3-µs of Cr:YAG, as well as a reduced excited state absorption. High power diode-pumped Nd:lasers operating at 1-µm and passively Q-switched by V:YAG crystals were described in Ref. ³. We report what we believe to be the first investigations on high-power passively Q-switched Nd:YAG, Nd:YAP and Nd:YVO₄ lasers operated at 1.3 µm. These are known as the most efficient and readily available laser media at this wavelength. The pump source was a 12-W fiber-coupled diode array emitting near 810 nm.

© 2000 IEEE