LDA End-pumped Acousto-optics Q-switched Yb∶YAG 1.03μm Laser

For the first time a cw diode laser array end-pumped Acousto-optics Q-switched Yb:YAG 1.03μm laser was reported.At room temperature,the Yb:YAG crystal has a quasi-three-level structure,and the lasing threshold is high because of serious re-absorption at the laser wavelength.In oreder to realized actively Q-swithed 1.03μm laser,we chose a LDA to pump the crystal with high pump intensity.The maximum output power 760 mW was obtained at pulse repetition frequency(PRF) of 20 kHz when the drive current was 30 A.The shortest laser pulse with FWHM width of 53.9 ns was observed at PRF of 1.22 kHz when the drive current was 25 A.The highest peak power 5.74 kW and the maximum pulse energy 371 μJ were achieved at PRF of 1.22 kHz when the drive current was 30 A.