Q-switched resonantly diode-pumped Er3+:YAG laser with fiberlike geometry

Crystalline fiberlike diode-pumped laser systems offer a convenient way to obtain compact, robust, and efficient operation whenever long active media are required. One of these cases is the diode-pumped Er3+:YAG laser emitting at 1.6 mu m, where long crystals are needed to avoid the upconversion processes. By resonantly pumping the I-4(13/2) level around 1.53 mu m, and by confining the pump radiation into the crystal by total internal reflection, a maximum output power of 14.5 W in cw mode is reached when pumped with similar to 40 W of absorbed power. In Q-switching mode, pulse energies of more than 8 mJ were obtained at a repetition rate of 90 Hz, limited by coating damage. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America