Operation of continuous wave and Q-switching on diode-pumped Nd,Y:CaF2 disordered crystal

The properties of continuous wave (CW) and Q-switching on the diode-pumped Nd,Y:CaF2 disordered crystal were demonstrated around 1 mu m in this paper. Using the different cavity lengths, we measured the output properties of CW of Nd,Y:CaF2 disordered crystal. Then based on Cr4+:YAG as the saturable absorber, the Q-switched pulse characteristics of this novel disordered crystal were researched for the first time. The maximum average output power of 120 mW and the shortest pulse width of 132 ns were obtained at the pulse repetition rate of 6.2 kHz. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.