Abstract

In this paper we report on diode-pumped Nd³⁺:GdVO₄ and Nd³⁺:YAB (NYAB) lasers that are passively Q-switched with resonator internal crystals of Cr⁴⁺:YSGG and Cr⁴⁺:YAG as saturable absorb.¹ The laser systems are longitudinally pumped with 810-nm radiation of an SDL-2482 laser diode that generates a maximum output power of 4 W. The pump radiation emitted from the 1-µm×500-µm diode facet was focused into the laser crystal to a spot size of 40 µm×405 µm. The laser resonator was a V-shaped cavity of two plane and one concave mirrors (R =-150 mm). As seen in Fig. 1, the laser and the Cr⁴⁺ crystal were placed close to the end mirrors. The 2-mm-long Nd³⁺:GdVO₄ crystal was antireflection coated for 1062 nm at both facets. In cw operation (without the Cr⁴⁺-crystal) the laser oscillated in a fundamental transverse mode and generated 920 mW of 1062-nm radiation. The transmission of the output coupling mirror M3 was 10%, and the pump power entering the crystal was 2.8 W.

© 1995 Optical Society of America