DIODE-PUMPED NEODYMIUM LASERS REPETITIVELY Q-SWITCHED BY CR4-STATE SATURABLE ABSORBERS(YAG SOLID)

We report on the experimental results of a continuously diode-laser pu mped Nd:YAG laser, operating at 1064 nm and repetitively Q-switched by a Cr4+:YAG solid-state saturable absorber. End-pumping the Nd:YAG wit h a 10-W fiber-coupled diode-laser we could either optimize the energy or the average output power, depending on the choice of the saturable absorber and the output coupler, The maximum energy was approximate t o 200 mu J in single TEM00, 17 ns pulses at 6 kHz, whereas a maximum a verage power of approximate to 2 W with 32-ns pulses at 20 kHz was obt ained. We also present preliminary results of a repetitively Q-witched Nd:YVO4 laser at 1064 nm, The repetitive Q-switching operation is des cribed by an improved model, which accounts for the behavior of both t he active medium and the solid-state saturable absorber. The results o f the model agree fairly well with the experimental data. Experimental results of second harmonic conversion are also reported and interpret ed using a depleted pump model.