Development of the monolith Nd:YAG/Cr+4:YAG passively Q-switched microchip laser

The main features of passively Q-switched microchip lasers development are considered. The active medium of laser is an epitaxial structure combining an epitaxial layer of saturable absorber Cr4+:Y3Al5O12 (Cr:YAG) grown on substrate of generating crystal Nd:YAG by liquid phase epitaxy. The modulator layer has an initial optical absorption of 36 cm(-1) at wavelength of lasing (1064 nm). The epitaxial layer grown on unworking side was mechanically removed and this substrate side was optically polished. The other one was processed precisely to needed thickness. The cavity's mirrors were deposited by electron beam technique directly on each side of the structure to form a rugged, monolithic resonator. Diode laser Model ATC-C4000 with lasing wavelength 808 nm provided the CW end pumping. The output pulses parameters were investigated by means of test bench consisting of photoelectric transducer FEK-15 and Digital Phosphor Oscilloscope TDS 5052B. The obtained laser parameter are as follows: pulse width (FWHM) about 1.3 ns, repetition rate 5.5 kHz, average output power about 10 mW, pulse energy 1.0 mu J, pick power 1.2 kW. The possible solutions for laser parameter improving and optimization are discussed.