Abstract

The potential for use of eyesafe solid-state lasers operating at 2 pm in atmospheric and planetary active remote sensing has initiated a vigorous pursuit of improved performance from these lasers. Applications such as these impose a premium on overall system efficiency. Toward this end, slope efficiencies of 60% relative to absorbed pump power and pulse energy extraction efficiencies of 64% in the Q-switched mode have recently been demonstrated from diode laser-pumped Tm,Ho: YLF at 275 K.^1,2

© 1992 Optical Society of America