Diode-pumped passively Q-switched Nd : YAG laser at 1123 nm

Abstract

A diode-pumped Nd : YAG laser at 1123 nm is passively Q-switched by using a low doping concentration Cr4+ : YAG crystal as a saturable absorber. When pumped by a 1.5-W laser diode, the laser produces pulses of 50-ns duration with a pulse energy of as much as 15 muJ and a peak power of 300 W at a pulse-repetition rate of 10 kHz.