Optics Express · 2005 · 14 citations · 3 references
EngineeringMaterials SciencePhysicsOpticsOptoelectronicsPhotonicsElectro-optic EffectsElectro-optic MaterialsLaser PhysicsOptical SwitchingOptoelectronic DevicesUltrafast OpticsElectro-optic SwitchingLaser Cavity DesignOptical ActivityOptical SwitchesPhotonic SwitchesQ SwitchingQ-switched Lasers
By theoretical calculations we search the hold-on and hold-off state of the pulse-off electro-optic (EO) Q-switch made of La3Ga5SiO14 (langasite, LGS) which exhibits both electro-optic (EO) effect and optical activity (OA), from which the proper applied voltage and orientation of LGS are determined. For the first time to our knowledge, a pulse-off EO Q-switch made of LGS is successfully designed and used in the Nd:YAG laser cavity. Q-switched pulses with energy 360 mJ and pulse width 8.3 ns are obtained, and the dynamic-static ratio is 80%.
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