High-energy Q-switched 0946-µm solid-state diode pumped laser

Abstract

Designing a high-energy Q-switched all-solid-state laser operating on the quasi-four-level 0.946-µm transition of Nd:YAG is quite challenging because of intense competition from the high-gain 1.064-µm transition. We have achieved such a laser by implementing an innovative resonator design, augmented by specialty coatings. Utilizing this approach, we obtained >75 mJ of Q-switched TEM00 mode energy in an all-solid-state diode pumped laser, a factor of 22 times more energy per pulse than any published data have reported.