100 mJ Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium lithium fluoride laser with intracavity second harmonic generation and optimized neodymium-doped yttrium lithium fluoride crystal properties, applications, and performance results

We report on the first kilohertz 100 mJ 527 nm YLF laser on the market or in any laboratory. The laser is capable of operating from single shot to 10 kHz with pulse widths of 100 ns at 1 kHz and with an M2 value of 10–15. Its availability presents new opportunities for the ultrafast community and industrial applications. Employing it as the pump source for the ultrafast lasers, new forms of radiation such as extreme ultraviolet obtained via laser-driven high-harmonic generation can be generated. These forms of radiation can be used for time-resolved studies of fast and ultrafast phenomena, along with many other applications, including medical sciences, industrial applications, and more. Green solid-state lasers with long pulse duration are an excellent choice for annealing power devices, where dopant activation and damage healing occur over micron depths. Manufacturers are currently using green lasers for thin Si films on glasses and plastics for various large-area microelectronic applications. The newly developed high pulse energy Nd:YLF lasers can replace the currently employed excimer lasers for applications previously mentioned. Annealing of semiconductor materials is extremely important for the power industry as increases in pulse energy can lead to an increase of annealing exposure area. At the same time, the stability of the annealing temperature depends on pulse width. Short pulses are able to achieve higher temperatures fast, but cool quickly, while using longer pulses, lower temperatures are enabled, but with a more gradual heating and cooling. The pulse duration stability of the Nd:YLF laser makes it an excellent candidate for use in the annealing processes. Other applications of such high power/high pulse energy lasers are biomedical instrumentation (laser induced breakdown spectroscopy, laser induced fluorescence, flow cytometry, confocal laser scanning microscopy, optical tweezers), medical (dermatology and ophthalmology), defense (nonlethal visual disruption, illuminators), and fluid dynamics (particle image velocimetry).