Photon avalanche upconversion in Er3+:YAlO3

The results of an investigation of photon avalanche upconversion pumping in Er³⁺:TiAlO₃ are reported. Five pump wavelengths corresponding to transitions from the metastable ⁴I_13/2 state to the ²H_11/2 state generated upconversion laser emission at 549.8 nm. The dependence of the laser output power on pump power near laser threshold is discussed in terms of a four-level kinetics model and is shown to reflect the threshold power requirement for photon avalanche. The maximum output power at 7 K was 33 mW, giving an optical conversion efficiency of 3.5% and a conversion efficiency of 28% based on absorbed power. Pumping Er:YALO by cross relaxation energy transfer produced 166 mW of laser output with an optical conversion efficiency of 17%     

Efficient laser emission in concentrated Nd laser materials underpumping into the emitting level

The possibility of using concentrated Nd laser materials for efficient laser emission and for scaling to high powers is discussed. It is shown that the increased optical absorption in these materials makes direct pumping into the emitting level feasible, with a reduction of the quantum defect between the pump and emission wavelengths, which in turn can enhance the laser emission characteristics and reduce heat generation under pumping. The investigation of the effect of Nd concentration on emission decay of Nd:YAG indicates that up to quite high concentrations, the reduction of the emission quantum efficiency by self-quenching can be compensated by an increase in the pump absorption. Efficient continuous-wave laser emission is demonstrated under direct pumping into the ⁴F_3/2 emitting level of Nd:YAG crystals with up to 3.5-at.% Nd, Nd:YAG ceramics with up to 6.8-at.% Nd, and Nd:YVO₄ crystals with up to 3-at.% Nd. Superior performance as compared to traditional pumping into the ⁴F _5/2 state were obtained. It is inferred that direct pumping into the emitting level of concentrated Nd materials can improve the efficiency of solid-state lasers in the free-generation or low-storage regimes and opens the possibility of scaling these lasers to high powers     

Efficient gain-switched operation of a Tm-doped silica fiber laser

We present the results from experiments relating to a gain-switched Tm-doped silica fiber laser in which a gain-switched Nd:YAG laser is used to pump the ³H₅ energy level of the Tm³⁺ dopant ion. This fiber laser configuration is the first example to our knowledge of a moderate energy gain-switched fiber laser which is pumped with a low-repetition-rate high-energy pulsed laser. For a near-optimized cavity, the gain-switched fiber laser produces a maximum pulse energy of 1.46 mJ at a maximum linear slope efficiency of 20% and a total optical-to-optical efficiency (with respect to the launched energy) of 19%. At low pump energies, the slope efficiency is approximately 40%, however, saturation of the output pulse energy is observed with the increase in the launched pump energy. We also present results from a numerical model that simulates ³H ₅-band pumping and includes all of the known pump excited-state absorption (ESA) mechanisms and, in addition, four cross-relaxation mechanisms have also been included. The calculations establish that the pump ESA mechanism contributes only a small loss factor to the overall efficiency of the laser when the Tm-doped silica fiber laser is pumped at low pump energies, however, as the pump energy is increased, losses due to pump ESA limit the amount of output energy from the fiber laser. The loss mechanism is mainly attributed to pump ESA from the ³H₄ upper laser level to the combined ³F_2,3 energy level at low launched pump energies because of the large absorption cross section for this transition and the relatively long lifetime of the ³H₄ energy level. For harder pumping conditions, the majority of the excited state population resides in the ¹G₄ level, inhibiting in some laser configurations gain-switching of the fiber laser until cessation of the pump pulse itself     

Theoretical characterization of Raman oscillation with intracavitypumping of fiber lasers

Theoretical results relating to the generation of continuous-wave (CW) output from fiber lasers that are internally pumped with light generated from the stimulated Raman effect are presented. This investigation establishes the important fiber and resonator parameters, such as the fiber length and glass composition, dopant concentration, and pump power required to realize this new form of fiber laser arrangement. Three examples are studied: the Ho³⁺-doped silica fiber laser that is pumped at a wavelength of 1.15 μm, the Er ³⁺-doped silica fiber laser which is pumped at 1.48 μm and, the Tm³⁺-doped silica fiber laser which Is pumped at 1.625 μm. These three examples cover first Stokes pumping, second Stokes pumping, and first Stokes pumping with direct dopant absorption of the pump light, respectively. The simulations involve the use of simple numerical models comprising the spatially dependent field propagation equations (under the slowly varying field approximation) and the rate equations for the population densities. It is established that intracavity Raman pumping of fiber lasers with first Stokes radiation is efficient when the losses at the pump, Stokes and laser wavelengths are kept low (<10 dB/km). It is also established that second Stokes pumping is, even with direct absorption of the pump light, theoretically quite efficient and, as a result, the Er³⁺-doped silica fiber laser which is pumped with second Stokes radiation at 1.48 μm may provide the best demonstration of intracavity Raman pumping     

Ho:Tm lasers. II. Experiments

For pt.I see ibid., vol.32, no.1, pp.92-103 (1996). Laser performance of Ho:Tm:YLF and Ho:Tm:YAG lasers are compared under a wide variety of experimental situations. Laser diode pumping is simulated using a Cr:BeAl₂O₄ laser tuned to the absorption peak of the Tm³H₄ manifold for the respective laser material. Laser performance is characterized by experimentally determining the threshold and slope efficiency, and compared with predicted results of a rate equation model developed in the companion paper. Energy transfer parameters for the rate equation model are calculated using the theory developed in that paper. For these experiments, four different pump pulselengths, six different output mirror reflectivities, different Ho concentrations and different length laser materials were evaluated. Using Ho:Tm:YAG an optical slope efficiency of 0.36 was achieved while with Ho:Tm:YLF an optical slope efficiency of 0.50 was reached     

New direct optical pump schemes for multiatmosphere CO2and N2O lasers

Nine schemes for direct optical pumping of multiatmosphere CO₂ and N₂O lasers at pump wavelengths in the 1.4-3.6-μm region are discussed. Most of these wavelengths can be generated by solid-state lasers, which are more attractive pump sources than the chemical lasers (HBr, HF) used previously to pump high-pressure CO₂ and N₂O lasers. Including previously studied pump schemes, there are altogether 14 possible pump transitions in CO ₂ and N₂O in the 1.4-4.5-μm region. Numerical laser simulations are carried out to compare all of these pump schemes. Assuming 10 J/cm² pump energy in a pulse of 100 ns FWHM, and 5% output coupling as the only resonator loss, the calculated energy conversion efficiencies are in the range of 6-40%. The pump thresholds are in the range of 0.1-3.1 J/cm²     

CW operation of a 1.064-μm pumped Tm-Ho-doped silica fiber laser

The results from experiments relating to the CW operation of a Tm-Ho-doped silica fiber laser which is pumped with the fundamental output from a Nd:YAG laser are presented. The measured maximum output power from the fiber laser of 11 mW was generated at a slope efficiency of approximately 1.8% for a fiber length of 0.574 m and an output coupling of 10%. An output wavelength of 2170 nm (one of the longest lasing wavelengths to be achieved with the use of a silica host material) was also generated from the Tm-Ho-doped fiber laser when the fiber length was extended to 1.240 m and a 5% output coupling incorporated. The reduced efficiency and increased threshold for the Nd:YAG-pumped Tm-Ho-doped silica fiber laser when compared to previous reports of Ti:sapphire pumping is discussed in detail with the aid of a comprehensive numerical model. The numerical model solves the rate equations for the Tm-Ho-doped silica fiber laser system by taking into account the cross relaxation, energy transfer, and upconversion mechanisms, and it utilizes all published spectroscopic parameters relevant to Tm-Ho-doped silica and Tm-Ho:ZBLAN glass materials. It is established that the excited state absorption relevant to Nd:YAG pumping severely depletes the ³H₄ energy level of Tm³⁺ and consequently hinders the energy transfer process to the ⁵I₇ energy level of Ho³⁺. Optimum dopant concentrations are also established for both Nd:YAG and Ti:sapphire pump schemes     

Amplification and excited state absorption in longitudinally pumped laser dyes

Direct measurements of optical gain using a probe laser beam for the laser dye cresyl violet perchlorate (CVP) in methanol solution using longitudinal pumping at two different wavelengths are described. An analysis of these longitudinal pumping experiments is developed and analytical expressions relating measured gain to the measured pump laser transmission are presented. This analysis is developed in terms of relevant optical cross sections including the influence of excited state absorption. The results demonstrate the influence of excited state absorption at the pump wavelength on pumping efficiency and on the gain per pass at the probe laser wavelength.     

Parameters for Quantitative Comparison of Two-, Three-, and Four-Level Laser Media, Operating Wavelengths, and Temperatures

Several parameters are proposed for describing the statistical thermodynamic component of the exchange of photons between a pump and a laser beam. They are based on the occupation probability of absorbing and emitting, pump and laser levels, and are complementary to the optical cross sections. The ldquooccupation factor,rdquo f ₀ , is appropriate for describing an optical amplifier in the small signal regime. f ₁ is appropriate for describing an amplifier in the large signal regime, e.g., a laser. They serve to facilitate a quantitative comparison of laser gain media, operating temperatures, and choice of pump and laser wavelengths. After a simple scaling, both occupation factors have a numerical value that coincides well, in most cases, with conventional usage of the terms two-, three-, and four-level laser. They can thus serve as an unambiguous, quantitative alternative to the quasi-two-, quasi-three-, and quasi-four-level terminology. The proposed definitions are general enough to apply to many types of gain media, but are particularly useful for comparing systems with discrete levels, pumped with a narrowband source, in near-resonance with the laser wavelength. Several low-quantum-defect combinations of pump and laser wavelengths are analyzed for Er³⁺ , Nd³⁺ , Yb³⁺ , and Ho³⁺ in YAG, as a function of temperature.     

Efficient laser diode side pumped neodymium glass slab laser

The authors report efficient pulse operation of an Nd:glass slab laser-side-pumped by laser diode arrays. 7.5 mJ output and a slope efficiency of 29% were obtained with 35 nJ pump energy at 0.8 μm in 200 μs pulses. The wide absorption band at 0.8 and low laser loss in this phosphate glass allow for efficient pump light absorption and straightforward scalability to high power. The authors demonstrate 22% optical efficiency in a long pulse, multimode diode pumped laser oscillator based on a phosphate laser glass, LHG-8, highly doped with Nd ₂O₃. The strong and wide absorption bands in such phosphate glasses allow efficient pumping while somewhat relaxing the expensive wavelength selection requirements for laser arrays compared with crystal line host materials. With such materials, smaller slab thickness or rod diameters that are feasible with Nd:YAG can be used in the side-pumping geometry     

Er3+:YAlO3 upconversion laser

Upconversion lasing in Er:YAlO₃ is reported. Laser emission was produced using both sequential two-step pumping and cross-relaxation energy transfer. In addition, photon avalanche upconversion pumping was demonstrated. Selection among these pumping mechanisms is determined by the pump wavelength, and laser operation was obtained with excitation between 785 nm and 840 nm. The highest laser output power was achieved at 34°K, where 918 mW of pump power at 807 nm produced 121 mW of TEM₀₀ emission. The optical conversion efficiency was 13%. Repetitively Q-switched operation is reported, and the temporal- and temperature-dependence of the laser output is discussed     

Performance of a continuous-wave forsterite laser with krypton ion,Ti:sapphire, and Nd:YAG pump lasers

The authors characterize continuous-wave operation of a chromium-doped forsterite (Cr⁴⁺:Mg₂SiO₄) laser using krypton ion, Ti:sapphire, and Nd:YAG lasers as pump sources. Measurements were made pumping at 647 nm and 676 nm with the krypton ion laser, between 690 and 1010 nm with the Ti:sapphire laser, and at 1.06 μm with the Nd:YAG laser. Threshold pump powers and slope efficiencies are compared for output coupler transmissions varying between 1 and 15.5%. Room-temperature operation was only achieved using the Nd:YAG pump laser. Forsterite laser output power as a function of both temperature and pumping wavelength is discussed     

The influence of pump wavelength on Er:YAG Green-emitting laser characteristics

Mathematical modeling is used to study the influence of pump wavelength on the emission of an Er(0.5 at.%):YAG laser on the transition /sup 4/S/sub 3/2//spl rarr//sup 4/I/sub 15/2/ (561 nm). Three pump wavelengths (direct pumping: 488 nm, upconversion pumping: 800 and 810 nm) are investigated and the corresponding laser emission regimes are discussed. For upconversion pumping, we find an optimum pump wavelength and optimum resonator losses for lowering of the continuous-wave emission threshold.     

Excitation spectra of the green Ho:fluorozirconate glass fiberlaser

Laser and fluorescence excitation spectra of the green Ho:ZBLAN glass fiber laser have been measured at room temperature by pumping 20-90-cm-long fibers in the 640-653-nm spectral region with a CW dye laser. Pronounced structure in the laser excitation spectrum appears to arise from Stark sublevels of the Ho³⁺⁵F₅ and ⁵I₈ states rather than excited state absorption. Because the overall gain profile is inhomogeneously broadened, the laser excitation spectrum width increases with pump power and is ~5.7-nm FWHM when the pump power is a factor of 2.3 above threshold. For a 22-cm fiber, the threshold pump power is 128±5 mW and, with 5% output coupling, more than 12 mW has been extracted in the green for 318 mW of 646.7 nm input power. The slope efficiency for this oscillator (accounting for the pump launch efficiency) exceeds 14%     

LD端面抽运Nd:MgO:LiNbO3质子交换波导激光器

报道了 Nd:Mg O:L i Nb O3 波导激光器的研制。在掺有 Nd和 Mg O的 x切 Li Nb O3 晶片上利用退火质子交换法制作单模光波导 ,用波长为 0 .814μm的半导体激光器作为抽运源 ,以波导两端面本身作为反射镜 ,研制成了波导激光器 ,获得波长为 1.0 84 μm的激光输出 ,其阈值功率为 3.5m W,斜率效率为 16 % ,最大输出功率为 1.2 m W。     

Laser action in hydrazine: observation and characterization of newlarge offset FIR laser lines

Using for the first time a waveguide CO₂ laser with a tunability of 300 MHz, in order to pump large offset infrared absorptions, we obtained 34 new far-infrared laser lines from the hydrazine molecule; their wavelengths range from 155.2 to 669.3 μm. All of the new lines and some other already known laser emissions are characterized in the wavelength, the polarization relative to that of the pumping CO₂ laser, the optimum pressure of operation, relative intensity, and the offset relative to the CO₂ center frequency     

Far-infrared raman laser with high intensity laser pumping

Theoretical and experimental results are presented for a pulsed far-infrared (FIR) molecular gas laser with high intensity laser pumping. In these FIR lasers, high intensity pumping is found to produce stimulated Raman emission at very large offsets (up to 30 GHz) from resonance with the intermediate state. A theoretical, density matrix model is developed for these lasers to account for simultaneous Raman emission on rotational levels in the ground and excited vibrational states (double Raman resonance). This theoretical approach is necessary in the case of off-resonant, high intensity pumping. Theory predicts the FIR emission frequency, the FIR laser gain, and the pump threshold intensity as a function of pump laser frequency. Experimental results are obtained onP-,Q-, andR-branch transitions in¹²CH3F and¹³CH3F using a single-mode, grating tuned CO2TEA pump laser with an intensity of up to 40 MW/cm². Good agreement is obtained between theory and experiment for the observed values of FIR emission frequency and pump threshold intensity. These results indicate that a widely tunable (150-1200 mum), pulsed FIR CH3F laser could be constructed with a tunable, multiatmospheric CO2pump laser of modest power (about 2-5 MW).     

Theoretical and experimental investigations of a diode-pumpedquasi-three-level laser: the Yb3+-doped Ca4GdO(BO3)3 (Yb:GdCOB) laser

We present a theoretical and experimental analysis of a diode-pumped Yb³⁺-doped Ca₄GdO(BO₃)₃ (Yb:GdCOB) laser. A new model for a diode-pumped quasi-three-level laser is described. The effects of absorption saturation, temperature profile, and the beam quality M² factor of the pump diode have been taken into account, for the first time to our knowledge. We have obtained a good agreement between experimental measurements and theoretical calculations with two different pump wavelengths, 902 and 976 nm. Our model has given good predictions of the laser performances for different crystal temperatures and different M² factors of the pump beam. As much as 440 mW of output power (at 1082 nm) have been achieved for 640 mW of absorbed pump power at 976 nm, corresponding to one of the highest slope efficiencies (81%) ever obtained with Yb-doped lasers     

光纤气体激光光源研究进展及展望(Ⅱ):基于粒子数反转

粒子数反转和受激拉曼散射是实现光纤气体激光器输出的最常见的两种基本原理。与光纤气体拉曼激光光源不同,基于粒子数反转原理的光纤气体激光器是通过气体分子振转能级的本征吸收跃迁实现激光输出。由于绝大多数气体分子的振转能级对应的激射跃迁谱线都在中红外波段,这种激光器的输出波长基本都在中红外波段。简要分析了基于粒子数反转原理的光纤气体激光器在产生中红外波段激光方面的优势,重点回顾了其发展历史与研究现状,并对下一步的发展趋势进行了展望。     

Room temperature Dy:YLF laser operation at 4.34 μm

A Dy:YLF laser operating on the ⁶H_11/2 to ⁶H_13/2 transition at 4.34 μm and using a laser pumping scheme is reported. This pumping scheme is necessitated by the short upper-laser-level lifetime and the small effective stimulated-emission cross section. A suitable laser for this application is the Er:YLF laser operating at 1.73 μm. A simple model that approximates Dy:YLF laser performance well is presented. Results on laser performance, including a determination of the slope efficiency and threshold as a function of the output mirror reflectivity and a correlation of the pulse length with the laser output energy, are reported. Overall laser efficiency is found to be limited primarily by the ratio of the pump wavelength to laser output wavelength and the terminated four-level laser operation