Performance Improvement of Flashlamp-Pumped Ti: sapphire Laser

Experimental study is performed on flashlamp-pumped Ti: sapphire lasers with single, double, and four-partial-ellipse-pump cavities aiming at improving the performance of the lasers. The output energy of 604 mJ per pulse with a width of 25 $\mu$s at a total laser efficiency of 0.13% is achieved in the laser pumped by a light pulse of 45$\mu$s without a fluorescent converter The laser output energy versus its Ti: sappy ire rod length, pumping-light pulse duration, and electrical input energy are discussed with or without using a fluorescent converter. The result shows that much more output energy is obtained il a longer Ti: sapphire-rod laser pumped by a shorter light pulse when its output coupler has an optimized transmittance. In addition, an enhancement of output energy by a factor of 7 is achieved. in the laser using a fluorescent converter LD490.