Passive Q-switching of 1.44 μm and 1.34 μm diode-pumped Nd:YAG lasers with a V:YAG saturable absorber

Spectroscopic data of a V3+:YAG passive Q-switch crystal were measured. The absorption recovery time was determined to be of 37 +/- 7 ns and the ground state absorption cross section was estimated to be 0.7 x 10(-18) cm(2) at 1.44 mum and 3.5 x 10(-18) cm(2) at 1.34 mum. Passively Q-switched operation of diode pumped 1.44 mum and 1.3 mum Nd:YAG lasers was demonstrated using this crystal as saturable absorber. Average output powers of 1.42 W (1.44 mum) and 1.56 W (1.34 mum) and pulse energies of 24 muJ (1.44 mum) and 25 muJ (1.34 mum) were observed, respectively.