Using a Co(2+):Mg(0.4)Al(2.4)O(4) spinel crystal as saturable absorber, efficient passively Q-switched pulse laser operating at 1.5-1.6 μm was realized in an Er:Yb:LuAl(3)(BO(3))(4) crystal end-pumped by a 970 nm diode laser. At absorbed pump power of 15.7 W, 1540 nm laser with 28.6 μJ energy, 40 ns duration and 22 kHz repetition rate, and 1520 nm laser with 9.9 μJ energy, 37 ns duration and 63 kHz repetition rate were obtained in a plano-concave cavity, respectively. For a plano-plano cavity, corresponding values of 1520 nm laser were 16.3 μJ, 14 ns and 41 kHz, respectively, and the maximum output peak power was about 1.16 kW.
© 2012 Optical Society of America