Abstract

Different end pumping configurations were used to investigate the continuouswave power performance of a diode-pumped Nd:YVO4 laser at 1342 nm. By using a high-power diode array at 806 nm, a compact resonator with a 3.6% transmitting output coupler produced as high as 3550 mW of continuous-wave output power with an absorbed power slope efficiency of 28.1 %. The focal length of the pump-induced thermal lens was measured as a function of the absorbed pump power. Results further showed that the laser output was insensitive to variations in the crystal boundary temperature between 20 and 40°C.

© 1999 Optical Society of America