title: Passively Q-switched ceramic Nd3+:YAG/Cr4+:YAG lasers.
abstract: Passively Q-switched ceramic Nd3+:YAG lasers with ceramic Cr4+:YAG saturable absorbers are demonstrated. When the lasers are pumped by a 1-W cw laser diode, optical-optical efficiency as great as 22% is obtained with Cr4+:YAG of initial transmission ranging from 94% to 79%. The results are similar to those in their crystalline counterparts. The operation of Brewster's angle and the polarization state of the laser output are also investigated.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Laser Science, University of Electro-Communications, 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan. feng@ils.uec.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Jianren
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takaichi
authors.forename: Ken-ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: Takagimi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yanagitani
authors.forename: Alexander A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kaminskii