Continuous-wave and Q-switched operation of a resonantly pumped Ho3+:KY3F10 laser

We report continuous-wave and repetitively Q-switched operation of a resonantly pumped Ho3+:KY3F10 laser at room temperature. End pumped by a Tm3+-doped silica fiber laser operating at 1938 nm, a maximum laser power of 7.8 W was obtained at a wavelength of similar to 2041 nm for 21 W of absorbed pump power, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 60.7% with respect to absorbed power. At a repetition rate of 10 kHz up to 0.78 mJ, energy per pulse was demonstrated with pulse widths of 100 ns. The beam propagation factor (M-2) was measured to be <1.26 at the maximum output power. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America