Abstract:
We study the oscillation of three-micron lasers based on Er3+:YAG, Er3+:Cr3+:YSGG, and Ho3+:Yb3+:Cr3+:YSGG crystals under optical pumping by pulsed diode arrays with a total peak power of up to 15 kW at a wavelength of 970 nm and a pulse repetition rate of up to 50 Hz. In a diode-pumped Er3+:Cr3+:YSGG laser, the maximum output energy of more than 0.8 J was achieved for the first time in the free lasing regime. In the case of active Q-switching, the peak power of the output laser pulses with a duration of 55 ns exceeded 1 MW with an energy stability (standard deviation) of less than 3 %. Using the developed laser systems as sources for stable pulsed pumping of a Få2+:ZnSe single-crystal laser with a short optical cavity, pulses with a duration of less than 2 ns at a wavelength in the vicinity of 4.3 μm were obtained.