Diode-pumped Q-switched Alexandrite laser in single longitudinal mode operation with Watt-level output power.

We present significantly improved performance data of a diode-pumped -switched Alexandrite laser in single longitudinal mode operation developed as a beam source for resonance lidar systems. The average output power of the laser-operating at the potassium resonance at 770 nm with a linewidth below 10 MHz-could be increased by a factor of five to the Watt-level by means of an optimized resonator design and pump scheme. The pulse energy is 1.7 mJ with a beam quality of ≤1.1 in both spatial directions at a repetition rate of 500 Hz.