Er: glass lasers at the eye-safe wavelength of 1.54 m are the preferred laser devices in
numerous lidar and other applications which require Q-switched operation. For compact, low-
cost and reliable systems, a saturable-absorber Q switch SAQS is needed and consequently
this need has spurred the development of such components. These developments were
pioneered at the Center for Laser Studies at University of Southern California in conjunction
with parallel efforts at Hughes Aircraft Systems now Raytheon Systems Div. Our first results …