WIDE-BANDWIDTH ADJUSTABLE Q-SWITCH BASED ON RUBIDIUM DIMERS

A new type of Q switching for a flash-lamp-pumped Nd:YAG laser based o n the saturable absorption of rudibium dimers is demonstrated. The var iation of laser parameters such as output energy, pulse length, and re petition rate by means of temperature-controlled vapor pressure is sho wn. For a temperature of 320-degrees-C, a train of 40-ns pulses separa ted by 6-mus intervals is generated. When the temperature is 360-degre es-C, a single giant pulse with energy of 100 mJ and a pulse length of 10-15 ns is observed. Comparison with a solid-state passive Q switch based on LiF is provided. The new cell construction, consisting of a s ealed-off sapphire cell containing rubidium vapor, is proposed for rel iable, efficient, adjustable Q switching that is applicable to all typ es of solid-state lasers. The advantages of this mechanism of Q switch ing, such as thermal insensitivity, frequency locking and line narrowi ng, and wide spectral bandwidth, covering 0.6-1.3 mum, are discussed.