Side-pumping improves efficiency of tunable all-solid-state UV laser
A tunable all-solid-state ultraviolet (UV) output laser has been demonstrated by researchers at the Institute for Molecular Science (Myodaiji, Japan) working with the US Air Force Research Laboratory (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH) and Kazan State University (Kazan, Russia). The cerium-doped lithium lutetium fluoride (Ce:LiLuF) laser was pumped by the fifth-harmonic output of a Nd:YAG laser at 213 nm with 5-ns, 16-mJ pulses at a repetition rate of 10 H¥and produced stable and reproducible 0.88-ns, 77-µJ pulses at 309 nm. Using a Littrow prism, the Ce:LiLuF laser was tunable from 309.5 to 312.3 nm and from 324.5 to 327.7 nm.
The device was based on a side-pumping scheme configured for improved efficiency and output-beam quality. The researchers believe this device is the first all-solid-state tunable UV laser pumped by the fifth harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser.