Blue LD-pumped continuous wave a-cut Pr3+:LiYF4 near-infrared laser at 868 nm

Abstract

We reported an 868 nm Pr3+:LiYF4 (Pr:YLF) laser pumped by an InGaN blue laser diode (LD) for the first time. The maximum power of the laser was 641 mW and the beam quality Mx2 and My2 factors were ∼2.66 in the x-direction and ∼2.32 in the y-direction, respectively. The output power fluctuation was stable within ±2 %. The 868 nm laser was successfully realized in Pr:YLF crystal by designing and optimizing the laser resonant cavity and optical thin films. In addition, we theoretically simulated the nonlinear relationship between the laser output power and the absorbed pump power, and the theoretical simulation results were in agreement with the experimental data. The first realization of the 868 nm Pr:YLF laser further expands the near-infrared lasers.