Demonstration of a diode pumped Nd,Y co-doped SrF2 crystal based, high energy chirped pulse amplification laser system

We report, to the best of our knowledge, a chirped pulse amplification laser system based on the Nd,Y:SrF2 crystal for the first time. The incorporation of Y3+ nonactive ions can significantly improve laser properties of Nd:SrF2 crystal, including broader emission linewidth, larger cross-section as well as longer fluorescence lifetime. Pulse laser with 5.1 mJ (uncompressed), 3.7 mJ (compressed) energy, 1.6 ps duration at 5 Hz repetition rate is demonstrated. The results indicate that the Nd,Y:SrF2 crystal is a potential candidate with excellent laser and thermal performance for developing ultra-intense laser with high repetition rate.