Abstract

Many industrial applications such as telecommunications, detection of pollutants, surgery, telemetry, detectors can be achieved by using solid-state lasers emitting at 1.5 μm as this particular spectral range matches well with eye-safe laser domain and also corresponds to the minimum of absorption of silica waveguides and to a high transparency window of the atmosphere. As those applications require mostly nanosecond pulses with high peak power in the mJ level [1], efficient and reliable Q-Switched 1.5 μm laser systems are intensively researched. The best laser performances at 1.5 μm have been obtained until now with an Er³⁺, Yb³⁺ doped phosphate glass both in CW and Q-Switch regimes [2]. However those glasses present low thermal conductivity (typical value of 0.8 W/m/K) and hence do not resist to strong pump power. New crystalline laser hosts presenting better thermo-mechanical properties are indeed researched [3].

© 2013 IEEE