Efficient, all-solid-state, Raman laser in the yellow, orange and red

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• Nonlinear Optics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Potassium gadolinium tungstate (KGd(WO(4))(2)) is a promising material for Raman lasers.
• Efficient generation of visible light sources is crucial for numerous scientific and technological applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficient operation of a KGd(WO(4))(2) Raman laser.
• To explore wavelength generation in the yellow-to-red spectral region.
• To characterize the performance of the Raman laser in terms of output power, spectral purity, and beam quality.

Main Methods:

• Pumping a KGd(WO(4))(2) crystal with a 1 W, 532 nm laser module.
• Utilizing different output couplers and crystal orientations to tune the generated wavelengths.
• Analyzing the spectral output and measuring power, purity, and beam quality.

Main Results:

• Generation of more than 8 wavelengths spanning the yellow-to-red region (555-658 nm).
• Demonstration of spectrally pure output (>90%) with output power up to 400 mW.
• Achieved high slope efficiency (up to 68%) and good beam quality (M(2)~1.5).

Conclusions:

• The KGd(WO(4))(2) Raman laser operates efficiently when pumped by a low-power green laser.
• The laser system offers versatile wavelength tunability and high-quality output in the visible spectrum.
• This work highlights the potential of KGd(WO(4))(2) for developing compact and efficient visible light sources.