access icon free Generation of passively Q-switched ytterbium laser by using tungsten tri-oxide film absorber

© The Institution of Engineering and Technology
Received 18/11/2019, Accepted 16/04/2020, Revised 05/04/2020, Published 20/04/2020

This study experimentally demonstrates a Q-switched fibre laser using a new tungsten tri-oxide (WO3)-based saturable absorber (SA). Using the drop and casting approach, we managed to prepare a thin film that contained WO3 powders in polyvinyl alcohol. A small bit of the film was used to form an SA which was placed in a ytterbium-doped fibre laser cavity to generate a Q-switched laser. The laser, operating at 1063.78 nm, was realised at the threshold pump power of 85 mW with a repetition rate of 23.87 kHz and a pulse width of 5.56 μs. At the pump power of 147 mW, the laser produced the maximum pulse energy of 625 nJ, signal-to-noise ratio of 59 dB, the repetition rate of 39.79 kHz and pulse width of 2.37 μs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of using WO3 SA to generate the pulse laser in the 1 μm region.

Inspec keywords: ytterbium; laser cavity resonators; Q-switching; optical pumping; optical saturable absorption; tungsten compounds; casting; fibre lasers; thin films

Other keywords: wavelength 1063.78 nm; time 5.56 mus; frequency 39.79 kHz; drop approach; passively Q-switched ytterbium laser; WO3; powders; pulse width; power 85.0 mW; Q-switched fibre laser; tungsten trioxide film absorber; time 2.37 mus; frequency 23.87 kHz; wavelength 1.0 mum; tungsten trioxide-based saturable absorber; energy 625.0 nJ; threshold pump power; casting approach; pulse energy; power 147.0 mW; polyvinyl alcohol; pulse laser; ytterbium-doped fibre laser cavity; repetition rate; signal-to-noise ratio

Subjects: Laser beam modulation, pulsing and switching; mode locking and tuning; Laser resonators and cavities; Laser beam modulation, pulsing and switching; mode locking and tuning; Fibre lasers and amplifiers; Optical saturation and related effects; Laser resonators and cavities; Design of specific laser systems; Fibre lasers and amplifiers; Optical transient phenomena, self-induced transparency, optical saturation and related effects

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