In-band pumped Q-switched polycrystalline Er:YAG ceramic laser at 1617 and 1634 nm

Abstract We report on the performance of an Er,Yb fiber laser in-band pumped, acousto-optically Q-switched polycrystalline Er:YAG ceramic laser operating at 1617 and 1634 nm wavelength regions. A volume Bragg grating was employed to control the laser oscillating at either 1617 or 1634 nm via adjusting the incidence angle on the VBG of laser beams in the cavity. Spectral bandwidths of less than 0.1 nm were observed for both 1617 and 1634 nm wavelength laser emission. Stable pulses are generated for 0.1–10 kHz repetition rates. Maximum pulse energies of 6 mJ and 2.16 mJ were obtained for 1617 and 1634 nm under100 Hz repetition rate with pulse durations of 72 ns and 142 ns, respectively.