Efficient 100-W Nd:YAG laser operating at a wavelength of 1.444 microm

Efficient laser emission of flash-lamp-pumped Nd:YAG rods at a wavelength of 1.444 microm is reported. A maximum average output power of 100 W at pulse energies of 5.5 J and a pulse duration of 0.65 ms was achieved. The highest electrical-to-optical overall efficiency of 1.3% was attained with a single elliptical silver pump cavity with europium-doped quartz as a spectral filter. The 1.444-microm performance as well as the output characteristics at 1.064 and 1.32 microm of Nd:YAG were investigated as a function of doping concentration and rod diameter.