Nd:YAG/V:YAG microchip laser operating at 1338 nm

Q-switched microchip laser emitting radiation at wavelength 1338 nm was designed and constructed. This laser was based on a monolith crystal which combines in one piece a cooling undoped part (undoped YAG crystal), an active laser part (Nd3+ :YAG), and a saturable absorber (V3+ :YAG, T-o = 85%). The microchip resonator consists of dielectric mirrors directly deposited on the monolith surfaces. The output coupler with reflection 90% was placed on the V3+-doped part. Q-switched microchip laser was tested under pulsed, and CW diode pumping. The pulse length was the same for all regimes and it equals to 6.2 ns. The wavelength of linearly polarized laser emission was 1338 nm. For pulsed pumping the output pulse energy was stable up to mean pump power 1 W and it was equal to 131 mu J, which corresponds to peak power 21 kW. In CW regime for pumping up to 14 W the pulse energy was 37 mu J.