Opt Express. 2014 Sep 22;22(19):23057-65. doi: 10.1364/OE.22.023057.

Diode-laser pumping into the emitting level for efficient lasing of depressed cladding waveguides realized in Nd:YVO4 by the direct femtosecond-laser writing technique.

Optics express

Nicolaie Pavel, Gabriela Salamu, Florin Jipa, Marian Zamfirescu

PMID: 25321776 DOI: 10.1364/OE.22.023057

Abstract

Depressed cladding waveguides have been realized in Nd:YVO(4) employing direct writing technique with a femtosecond-laser beam. It was shown that the output performances of such laser devices are improved by the reduction of the quantum defect between the pump wavelength and the laser wavelength. Thus, under the classical pump at 808 nm (i.e. into the (4)F(5/2) level), a 100-μm diameter circular waveguide inscribed in a 0.7-at.% Nd:YVO(4) outputted 1.06-μm laser pulses with 3.0-mJ energy, at 0.30 optical efficiency and slope efficiency of 0.32. The pump at 880 nm (i.e.directly into the (4)F(3/2) emitting level) increased the pulse energy at 3.8 mJ and improved both optical efficiency and slope efficiency at 0.36 and 0.39, respectively. The same waveguide yielded continuous-wave 1.5-W output power at 1.06 μm under the pump at 880 nm. Laser emission at 1.34 μm was also improved using the pump into the (4)F(3/2) emitting level of Nd:YVO(4).

MeSH terms

• Equipment Design
• Lasers, Semiconductor*
• Lasers, Solid-State*
• Light*
• Surface Plasmon Resonance / instrumentation

Publication Types

• Journal Article
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't