title: Performance enhancement of sub-nanosecond diode-pumped passively Q-switched Yb:YAG microchip laser with diamond surface cooling.
abstract: We experimentally confirm that diamond surface cooling can significantly enhance the output performance of a sub-nanosecond diode-end-pumped passively Q-switched Yb:YAG laser. It is found that the pulse energy obtained with diamond cooling is approximately 1.5 times greater than that obtained without diamond cooling, where a Cr(4+):YAG absorber with the initial transmission of 84% is employed. Furthermore, the standard deviation of the pulse amplitude peak-to-peak fluctuation is found to be approximately 3 times lower than that measured without diamond cooling. Under a pump power of 3.9 W, the passively Q-switched Yb:YAG laser can generate a pulse train of 3.3 kHz repetition rate with a pulse energy of 287 μJ and with a pulse width of 650 ps.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrophysics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan. yfchen@cc.nctu.edu.tw
authors.forename: W Z
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Yi-Fan
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Y F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D003080:Cold Temperature; D018130:Diamond / Q000737:chemistry*; D004735:Energy Transfer; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D053844:Lasers, Solid-State; D008904:Miniaturization; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D018130:Diamond