title: Enhanced performance of Cr,Yb:YAG microchip laser by bonding Yb:YAG crystal.
abstract: Highly efficient, laser-diode pumped Yb:YAG/Cr,Yb:YAG self-Q-switched microchip lasers by bonding Yb:YAG crystal have been demonstrated for the first time to our best knowledge. The effect of transmission of output coupler (T(oc)) on the enhanced performance of Yb:YAG/Cr,Yb:YAG microchip lasers has been investigated and found that the best laser performance was achieved with T(oc) = 50%. Slope efficiency of over 38% was achieved. Average output power of 0.8 W was obtained at absorbed pump power of 2.5 W; corresponding optical-to-optical efficiency of 32% was obtained. Laser pulses with pulse width of 1.68 ns, pulse energy of 12.4 μJ, and peak power of 7.4 kW were obtained. The lasers oscillated in multi-longitudinal modes. The wide separation of longitudinal modes was attributed to the mode selection by combined etalon effect of Cr,Yb:YAG, Yb:YAG thin plates and output coupler. Stable periodical pulse trains at different pump power levels have been observed owing to the longitudinal modes coupling and competition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronics Engineering, School of Information Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ren