Internally folded Nd:YAG and Nd:YVO4 lasers pumped by laser diodes

• Published in: IEEE journal of quantum electronics Vol. 30; no. 9; pp. 2132 - 2135
• Main Authors: SCHEPS, R, MYERS, J. F, MIZELL, G, YATES, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 01-09-1994
• Subjects: Doped-insulator lasers and other solid state lasers; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Lasers; Optics; Physics; Solid state lasers; Laser pumping; Yttrium compounds; Neodymium additions; Vanadates; Doped materials; Infrared radiation; Experimental study; YAG; Folded laser
• ISSN: 0018-9197; 1558-1713
• DOI: 10.1109/3.309874

An efficient, scalable, diode-pumped Nd laser design is reported. The gain element can be longitudinally pumped along five separate axes and is relatively simple to fabricate. Both Nd:YAG and Nd:YVO4 gain media were evaluated. Using five single-stripe laser diodes to pump the Nd:YAG, 3.94 W of absorbed power produced 2.1 W CW at 1.06 micron. The slope efficiency was 54 percent and the output was TEM(00). The threshold power was 40 mW. No evidence of thermal saturation was observed up to the maximum pump power. Repetitively Q-switched operation is also reported. The maximum output power for Nd:YVO4 obtained with 2.9 W of pump power was 1.3 W. The slope efficiency was 47 percent. (Author)