Diode-pumped master oscillator power amplifier system based on cryogenically cooled Tm:Y 2 O 3 transparent ceramics

We demonstrated a master oscillator power amplifier system using cryogenically cooled Tm:Y2O3 transparent ceramics. The electro-optically switched master oscillator acted as a seed source and could be tuned from 1 to 100 Hz. A maximum pulse energy of 1.35 mJ with a pulse duration of 30 ns amounting to a peak power of 45 kW was obtained at 10 Hz. The power amplification via double-pass geometry achieved maximum single pulse energy of 2.94 mJ at 10 Hz with a pulse duration of 32 ns. The results showed the pulsed lasing potential of Tm:Y2O3 transparent ceramics at cryogenic temperatures. This gain material can be considered as an alternative gain medium for high average and peak power laser development around 2 µm in nano-second regime.