Efficient high-power UV laser generated by an optimized flat-flat actively Q-switched laser with extra-cavity harmonic generations

Abstract

We investigate the parasitic lasing effect in the high-power actively Q-switched laser with a flat-flat resonator. The parasitic lasing effect in the low-Q stage is found to lead to long tails in the output pulses, corresponding to the peak-power reduction. We experimentally determine the shortest cavity length without the parasitic lasing effect to optimize the performance of the high-power actively Q-switched laser with a flat-flat cavity. We further use the optimized fundamental laser to generate green and UV lasers by extra-cavity harmonic generations. At a pump power of 44 W, the output powers at 355 nm and 532 nm as high as 6.65 W and 8.38 W are obtained at a pulse repetition rate of 40 kHz. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.