Hyrax Lasers

Onyx Optics announces the Hyrax, a Ho:YAG laser system that utilizes Onyx‘s patented Adhesive-Free Bond® technology and operates with the highest efficiency at 2.1-µm. With pump powers of 23.7 W from a CW-mode Tm:Fiber laser, the system delivers an average output power of 18.6 W with beam quality of M2<1.2 at a repetition rate of 10 KHz and a pulse width of 35 ns. The system can also be operated at other repetition rates or in CW-mode without any significant alterations to power levels. 2.1-µm Ho:YAG lasers can be used for pumping Mid-IR ZGP OPO and are also important laser sources for laser remote sensing and medical surgery. To date, a majority of the reported Tm: laser pumped Ho:YAG laser systems have slope efficiencies of approximately 60%, while some can achieve over 70%. With an AFB® Ho:YAG laser composite and a 4-pass end-pump design, Onyx Optics has successfully improved the laser slope efficiency to a record high of 81% (optical-to-optical efficiency of 78%). Considering about 9% quantum defect and unavoidable cavity loss, we believe that the 81% slope efficiency has approached the theoretical limitation of Tm: laser pumped Ho:YAG lasers.