Cr,Er:Y_2.93Sc_1.43Ga_3.64O₁₂ Laser Giant Pulse Generation at 2.79μm Using Electro-Optic Q-Switch

We present an electro-optically Q-switched 2.79μm Cr,Er:Y_2.93Sc_1.43Ga_3.64O₁₂ laser using LiNbO₃ Pockels cell and undoped Y₃Al₁₅O₁₂ plate polarizer. The optimal delay for triggering the Q-switch with respect to the peak of waveform of the flashlamp is found to be about 120μs. The minimum pump threshold of 13.2J is realized using the output coupler of reflectivity 74%. The maximum outputs of 72.3mJ at 3Hz and 35.4mJ at 10Hz repetition rates are obtained. The minimum pulse width is measured to be 31.9ns. The far-field divergence angle of the laser beam is about 8.8mrad. The influence of repetition rates on the output energy is also discussed.