Passively Q-switched Tm:YAP laser with a Ti3AlC2-based saturable absorber

In this paper, a passively Q-switched (PQS) Tm:YAP laser was experimentally demonstrated by using a Ti3AlC2-based saturable absorber (SA). In the PQS regime, an average output power of 2010/1575 mW with a pulse width of 266/859 ns at 130/155 kHz was achieved from a Tm:YAP laser under an output couple mirror with a transmittance (T) of 1.5%/2.5%, corresponding to an optical conversion efficiency of 9.2%/11.6%. Also, a single pulse energy of 15.5/10.2 mu J and a peak power of 58.1/11.8 W were acquired from the PQS Tm:YAP laser. As far as we know, this is the first time that a Ti3AlC2-based SA was used for a PQS Tm:YAP laser.