LAUSR

Abstract Polymethine dye-based optical compounds characterized by low absorption at the pump radiation wavelength 808 nm and at the same time by high absorption at the lasing wavelength 1064 nm have been developed for the diode pumped Nd:YAG laser systems. It has been theoretically shown that the thiopyrylotricarbocyanines with saturated bridging groups in the polymethine chains are the most effective medium for such applications. The passive Q-switch unit as well as the saturable absorber mirror fabricated using the developed polymethine dye-compounds were examined experimentally. It has been shown that these dye-based optical components can provide the efficient lasing in the modes of the Q-switching and formation of the picosecond pulse train.