Abstract

Recent progress in alexandrite laser technology has resulted in development of high-peak and average-power oscillators and oscillator-amplifier systems. In excess of 1 J, 50-MW peak power pulses have been delivered at 40-W average power in a 10-30X diffraction-limited beam from a tunable Q-switched stand-alone oscillator (using a single 0.635-cm diam ×11-cm long alexandrite rod) operating at 20-Hz prf. Q-switched pulses as short as 16 nsec have been demonstrated. Nearly 100 W of average power have been delivered by a similar laser operating in a long pulsed mode. Experimental laser results have demonstrated long-term durability with respect to optical damage for a properly designed alexandrite laser resonator.

© 1984 Optical Society of America