Abstract

The first high-power Ho:YAG laser wavelength-stabilized by a volume Bragg grating is reported. A maximum output power of 15 W and a slope-efficiency of 37 % were achieved using in-band diode pumping. The spectrum of the Ho:YAG laser showed a stable narrow bandwidth operation. In free-running operation a maximum output power of 46 W and a slope efficiency of 62 % were achieved. The emitted wavelength of the free-running laser was 2118 nm and 2096 nm in wavelength-stabilized operation. In free-running Q-switched operation the maximum output pulse energy at a repetition rate of 250 Hz was 6.2 mJ, limited only to avoid damage of the optical surfaces.

© 2010 Optical Society of America