Diode-laser-pumped monolithic Nd:YLF laser operating at 1.053 microm

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics and Photonics
• Solid-State Lasers
• Diode-Laser Technology

Background:

• Neodymium-doped Yttrium Lithium Fluoride (Nd:YLF) lasers are crucial for various applications.
• Suppressing unwanted transitions is key to achieving specific laser outputs.
• Monolithic and diode-laser-pumped designs offer advantages in compactness and efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel monolithic diode-laser-pumped Nd:YLF minilaser.
• To achieve stable 1.053 micrometer lasing by suppressing the competing 1.047 micrometer transition.
• To characterize the continuous-wave (cw) and gain-switched performance of the developed laser.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a monolithic Nd:YLF laser resonator.
• Precise alignment of the Nd:YLF crystal's c-axis parallel to the laser resonator axis.
• Characterization of laser performance under continuous-wave (cw) and gain-switched operation.

Main Results:

• Successful demonstration of a monolithic diode-laser-pumped Nd:YLF minilaser operating at 1.053 micrometers.
• Complete suppression of the higher-gain 1.047 micrometer transition achieved through c-axis alignment.
• Measured cw and gain-switched performance metrics align well with theoretical calculations.

Conclusions:

• The described method effectively suppresses unwanted transitions in Nd:YLF lasers.
• This monolithic diode-laser-pumped design provides a stable and efficient source at 1.053 micrometers.
• The results validate the design principles and performance predictions for this type of laser.