Repetition-rate dependence of thermal loading in diode-end-pumped Q-switched lasers: influence of energy-transfer upconversion

The fractional thermal loading in diode-end-pumped Q-switched lasers was es timated from the theory of cavity stability. The experimental results show that the thermal loading depends on the pulse-repetition rate. This depende nce is attributed to the effect of energy-transfer upconversion (ETU). A th eoretical model including the ETU effect was developed to analyze the fract ional thermal loading in end-pumped Q-switched lasers. The theoretical pred ictions were found to be in good agreement with the experimental data.