Efficient Tm:YAG and Tm:LuAG lasers pumped by 681 nm tapered diodes


BEYATLI E., SUMPF B., ERBERT G., Demirbas U.

APPLIED OPTICS, vol.58, no.11, pp.2973-2980, 2019 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 58 Issue: 11
  • Publication Date: 2019
  • Doi Number: 10.1364/ao.58.002973
  • Journal Name: APPLIED OPTICS
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.2973-2980
  • Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

In this paper, we present highly efficient continuous-wave (cw) laser operation of Tm:YAG and Tm:LuAG lasers pumped by high-brightness red tapered diodes. The single-emitter tapered diode lasers (TDLs) provide up to 1 W of pump power around 680 nm. By adjusting the operation temperature of the TDL, the pump central wave-length could be matched to the strong absorption peak of Tm3+ ions in this region (H-3(6) -> F-3(3) excitation). This absorption peak is around threefold stronger than the usually employed 785 nm transition (H-3(6) -> H-3(4)). In the cw laser experiments, we have achieved slope efficiencies exceeding 55% at room temperature, which is far above the Stokes limited slope efficiency (34%), indicating presence of a strong two-for-one cross-relaxation process. Pumping with high-brightness tapered diode lasers further facilitated usage of smaller pump spots (enabling quite low lasing thresholds) and generation of near-diffraction limited output beam profiles from standard z-type cavities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of diode pumping of Tm-doped solid-state lasers around 680 nm as well as the first usage of TDLs as pump sources in Tm-doped laser systems. (C) 2019 Optical Society of America