FREQUENCY-STABILIZED HIGH-POWER RUBY-LASER Q-SWITCHED BY RB-2 VAPOR

Passive Q switching of a ruby laser by the use of molecular rubidium ( Rb-2) vapor has been realized. For the first time, to our knowledge, a n integrally sapphire cell containing Rb-2 vapor was used as the satur able absorber, which ensures an operation period of several years. Sin gle-frequency-stabilized giant pulses with 700-mJ energy, 22-ns durati on, and 200-MHz spectral width were obtained. (C) 1996 Optical Society of America