Efficient GTR-KTP IOPO driven by a diode-pumped Nd:YAG/Cr4+:YAG laser with the shared cavity configuration

Abstract

An efficient eye-safe GTR-KTP IOPO with the shared cavity configuration and excited by a diode-end-pumped composite Nd:YAG/Cr4+:YAG laser was demonstrated. Under the incident LD power of 8.4 W, the maximum average output power of 900 mW at 1572 nm was obtained with the T=33% output coupler, corresponding to a diode-to-signal conversion efficiency of 10.7%. The corresponding signal pulse width and repetition rate were respectively 2.2 ns and 12 kHz, with the peak power and single pulse energy estimated to be 34.1 kW and 75 µJ, respectively. The instability of the average signal output power over hours-long operation was found to be 2.0%. As for the common KTP IOPO at the same pump condition and cavity design, a lower average output power of 640 mW with a longer pulse width of 4.6 ns was obtained. The corresponding diode-to-signal conversion efficiency was reduced by 28.8% compared with that obtained in GTR-KTP IOPO. A theoretical model for the compact GTR-KTP IOPO was also presented in this paper. Theoretical analysis on the pulse characteristics of the signal was performed, which showed a good agreement with that obtained experimentally.