Direct generation of 3.17 mJ green pulses in a cavity-dumped Ho3+-doped fiber laser at 543 nm

Abstract

High-energy pulsed lasers in the green spectral region are of tremendous interest for applications in space laser ranging, underwater detection, precise processing, and scientific research. Semiconductor pulsed lasers currently are difficult to access to the so-called “green gap,” and high-energy green pulsed lasers still heavily rely on the nonlinear frequency conversion of near-IR lasers, precluding compact and low-cost green laser systems. Here, we address this challenge by demonstrating, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, millijoule-level green pulses generated directly from a fiber laser. The green pulsed fiber laser consists of a 450 nm pump laser diode, a Ho3+-doped ZBLAN fiber, and a cavity-dumping module based on a visible wavelength acousto-optic modulator. Stable pulse operation in the cavity-dumping regime at 543 nm is observed with a tunable repetition rate in a large range of 100 Hz–3 MHz and a pulse duration of 72–116 ns. The maximum pulse energy of 3.17 mJ at 100 Hz is successfully achieved, which is three orders of magnitude higher than those of the rare-earth-doped fiber green lasers previously reported. This work provides a model for compact, high-efficiency, and high-energy visible fiber pulsed lasers.