Passive Q-Switch Crystals
Description
Passive Q-switches or saturable absorbers provide high power laser pulses without electro-optic Q-switches.
Passive Q-switches or saturable absorbers provide high power laser pulses without electro-optic Q-switches, thereby reducing the package size and eliminating a high voltage power supply. ALTECHNA offers a wide range of solid state saturable absorbers such as Co2+:MgAl2O4, Cr4+:YAG or others.
Cr4.+:YAG is an excellent passive Q-switch crystal for Nd and Yb doped lasers (especially for Nd:YAG, Nd:YLF or Yb:YAG), if the wavelength is in the range of 900-1200 nm.
Co2+:MgAl2O4 is a relatively new material for saturable absorber passive Q-switching in lasers emitting from 1.2 to 1.6 m, in particular, for eye-safe 1.54 m Er:glass laser.
High absorption cross section of 3.5 x 10-19 cm2 permits Q-switching of Er:glass laser without intracavity focusing both with flash-lamp and diode-laser pumping. Negligible excited-state absorption results in high contrast of Q-switch, i.e. the ratio of initial (small signal) to saturated absorption is higher than 10. Finally, excellent optical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the crystal give an opportunity to design compact and reliable laser sources with this passive Q-switch.
Specifications:
Wavelength range, 1200-1600 nm
Damage threshold, 10 J/cm2
Contrast >10
Aperture, 5-12 mm
Initial transmittance, 30-99 %
Thickness, 1-5 mm
AR coatings at 1.54 m or other particular wavelengths are available.
V3+:YAG is a relatively new material for saturable absorber passive Q-switching in lasers emitting from 1.06 to 1.44 m, in particular, for 1.3 m Nd-lasers.
Extremely high ground state absorption (GSA) cross section of 7x10-18 cm2 near 1.3 m and negligible excited state absorption (ESA) permits Q-switching of 1.3 and 1.44 m Nd-lasers without intracavity focusing both with flash-lamp and diode-laser pumping. Negligible excited-state absorption results in high contrast of Q-switch, i.e. the ratio of initial (small signal) to saturated absorption is higher than 10. Finally, excellent optical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the host crystal give an opportunity to design compact and reliable laser sources with this passive Q-switch.
Specifications:
Wavelength range, 1000-1450 nm
Damage threshold, 7-10 J/cm2
Contrast >10
Aperture, 5-20 mm
Initial transmittance, 50-99 %
Thickness, 1-5 mm
AR coatings at 1.34 m or other particular wavelengths are available.
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