Pulse repetition rate in a self-contained strontium ion laser

The frequency and energy parameters of self-contained strontium ion laser (λ = 1.033 and 1.091 μm) are studied upon excitation by an additional pulse before each excitation pulse. The kinetics of processes in the active medium of this laser is numerically simulated. It is shown that the pulse repetition rate of the self-contained strontium laser can achieve ∼1 MHz. It is found that the laser pulse energy in the first pulse and the average output power and efficiency increase in a certain range of time delays between the additional and excitation pulses, which is caused by the significant prepulse concentration of strontium ions which had no time to recombine. The outlook for the application of pulse trains to excite self-contained IR transitions in strontium ions is shown. (lasers)