Absorption saturation properties and laser Q-switch performance of Cr5+-doped YVO4 crystal

The ground-state and excited-state absorption cross sections of a Cr5+:YVO4 single crystal were determined by the intensity-dependant transmission measurements to be(2.0±0.4)×10-18 cm2 and less than 0.1×10-18 cm2 at 1.08 μm, respectively. The bleaching relaxation time of the Cr5+:YVO4 crystal was estimated to be 3.5±1.5 ns. Passive Q-switching of a diode-pumped Yb3+:YVO4 laser with the Cr5+:YVO4 saturable absorber was realized.