Single-mode 134-μm Nd:YVO_4 microchip laser with cw Ti:sapphire and diode-laser pumping

Abstract

We report cw single-mode output at 1.34 microm in a Nd:YVO(4) microchip laser pumped separately with a Ti:sapphire laser and a diode laser in the region of 809 nm. The 0.5 mm x 1.0 mm x 1.0 mm Nd(3+)-doped YVO(4) crystal produced output powers as high as 60 mW with slope efficiencies as high as 40% and laser thresholds between 155 and 275 mW by use of a pumped volume of approximately 150-microm diameter and 0.5-mm length. Data are also presented for the laser's performance as a function of pump wavelength and for the spectral variation of the output with crystal temperature.