Fiber laser pumped high energy cryogenically cooled Ho:YLF laser

Espen Lippert; Helge Fonnum; Knut Stenersen

doi:10.1117/12.973716

14 November 2012 Fiber laser pumped high energy cryogenically cooled Ho:YLF laser

Espen Lippert, Helge Fonnum, Knut Stenersen

Proceedings Volume 8543, Technologies for Optical Countermeasures IX; 854308 (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.973716
Event: SPIE Security + Defence, 2012, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

In this paper we report on a high energy, low repetition rate 2-micron-laser, with high conversion efficiency in terms of output energy per pump power. The laser consists of a Ho³⁺-doped LiYF₄ (YLF) crystal cooled to cryogenic temperatures in an unstable resonator, pumped by a thulium fiber laser. The cooling to 77 K makes Ho:YLF a quasi four level laser system, which greatly enhances the extraction efficiency. We achieved 356 mJ in Q-switched operation at 1 Hz PRF when pumping the laser with 58 W for 36 ms. The high beam quality from the fiber laser and the use of an unstable resonator with a graded reflectivity mirror (GRM) resulted in a high quality laser beam with a M²-value of 1.3.

Citation Download Citation

Espen Lippert, Helge Fonnum, and Knut Stenersen "Fiber laser pumped high energy cryogenically cooled Ho:YLF laser", Proc. SPIE 8543, Technologies for Optical Countermeasures IX, 854308 (14 November 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.973716

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