Glass fiber laser system using uranium-doped crystal Q-switch

摘要

A glass fiber laser system (20) includes a laser resonator cavity (22) having a resonant path (23) and an erbium-doped glass fiber lasing element (28) with an emitted coherent light beam of from about 1.5 to about 1.6 micrometers within the laser resonator cavity (22). A pumping light source (32) directed into an input end of the glass fiber lasing element (28) optically pumps the lasing element (28) to emit light. A passive Q-switch (38) lies along the resonant path (23) within the laser resonator cavity (22). The Q-switch (38) is formed of a host material having a concentration of uranium ions therein, so as to be a saturable absorber of the light emitted by the lasing element. The Q-switch (38) is preferably a uranium-doped fluoride crystal such as U:CaF2, U:SrF2, or U:BaF2. <IMAGE>