Dual-wavelength paired-pulse Tm:YAlO3/ Ho:LuLiF4 laser at 1944 and 2066 nm

The dual-wavelength paired-pulse output of a compact self-Q-switched Tm : YAlO3 intra-cavity pumping Ho : LuLiF4 laser was first demonstrated experimentally. By exploiting the self-Q-switching mechanism of Tm : YAlO3 and the gain-switching operation of Ho : LuLiF4 in a cavity, the dual-wavelength paired pulses were robustly generated with the pulse energy of 29 mu J, pulse width of 2.5 mu s at 1944 nm, pulse energy of 31 mu J, and pulse width of 338 ns at 2066 nm. The maximum average output powers were obtained simultaneously as high as 525 mW at 1944 nm and 323 mW at 2066 nm. The paired-pulse repetition frequency can be pump-tunable in the range of 8-22 kHz. The temporal delay in the paired pulses can be controllable from 9.5 to 2.9 mu s with the pump power increasing from 15.2 to 18.4 W. The compact dual-wavelength paired-pulse laser near 2 mu m has potential application in the differential absorption lidar. (c) 2023 Optica Publishing Group