Patent ID: 7286587
Filing Date: 2007-10-23
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
1. A Ho:YAG crystal laser amplifier with a separate thulium fiber coherent light pump source at a wavelength of 1.9 μm to amplify a signal having a wavelength of 2.1 μm by directly end pumping the Ho:YAG crystal laser at its 5 I 7 to 5 I 8 transition, the Ho:YAG crystal laser amplifier comprising: a yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) crystal host rod doped with less than 2% holmium (Ho) active ions, and having a length long enough to produce an output laser emission with less than 2% holmium active ions in the Ho:YAG crystal laser; and wherein the Ho:YAG crystal laser has a quantum defect less than 1.0 when the holmium ions are directly pumped from the pump source to produce an output laser emission having a wavelength of 2.1 μm.