Stable dual-wavelength Q-switched Nd:YAG laser using a two-step energy extraction technique

Appl Opt. 2015 Apr 1;54(10):3032-42. doi: 10.1364/AO.54.003032.

Abstract

The generation of stable dual-wavelength pulses from an actively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064 and 1319 nm was demonstrated. Pulse energies of the dual-wavelength laser were extracted by two temporally separated stimulated-emission processes for a single pumping process, thereby avoiding line competition between the two laser transitions. Total energy of the order of 20 mJ was achieved for the two pulses, and the ratio of the pulse energies of the two lasers could be selected by adjusting the output couplings. The pulse-to-pulse fluctuations for the lasers operating at 1319 and 1064 nm were 4.7%-4.8% and 1.5%-2.6%, respectively, which were almost equivalent to those for a single emission line in our system. The experimentally observed laser performance agreed reasonably well with theoretical predictions.