A Passive Q-Switched Microchip Er/Yb Glass Laser Pumped by Laser Diode

A laser-diode-pumped 1.54-μm passive Q-switched erbium doped glass laser was reported. We utilize a laser diode with wavelength of 973nm to pump a 1-mm Er/Yb co-doped phosphate glass with the erbium and ytterbium concentrations of 1wt.% and 21wt.%, respectively. A Co²⁺:MgAl₂O₄ slab crystal was used as a passive Q-switcher. Q-switched pulses with repetition frequency of 800Hz, width of 7.4ns, peak power of 2.2kW and average power of 13.3mW were obtained when absorbed pump power was 475mW. A sandwich structure of the Q-switched microchip Er/Yb glass laser was demonstrated, which shows shorter pulse width of 6.8ns. Dependences of pulse duration and repetition frequency on pump power were also investigated.