Blue microchip laser fabricated from Nd:YAG and KNbO(3)

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science
• Laser Physics

Background:

• Nd:YAG (Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet) lasers are widely used for various applications.
• Frequency doubling is a nonlinear optical process to generate shorter wavelengths.
• KNbO(3) (Potassium Niobate) is a nonlinear optical crystal suitable for frequency conversion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a compact blue laser source using a Nd:YAG/KNbO(3) composite microchip laser.
• To investigate the performance of the composite material for efficient second-harmonic generation.
• To characterize the output power and polarization properties of the generated blue radiation.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a Nd:YAG/KNbO(3) composite-material microchip laser.
• Diode laser and Ti:sapphire laser pumping at the fundamental wavelength (946 nm).
• Frequency doubling of the fundamental radiation in KNbO(3) using type I critical phase matching.

Main Results:

• Generation of blue radiation at 473 nm.
• Achieved output powers of 1 mW (diode pumped) and 9 mW (Ti:sapphire pumped).
• Observed linearly polarized fundamental and blue radiation, orthogonal to each other.

Conclusions:

• The Nd:YAG/KNbO(3) composite microchip laser is an effective system for generating blue radiation.
• The composite material enables efficient frequency doubling for compact blue laser development.
• The polarization characteristics are consistent with nonlinear optical processes in the KNbO(3) crystal.