Frequency-doubled and Q-switched 946-nm Nd:YAG laser pumped by a diode-laser array

A Q-switched 946-nm Neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser pumped by a diode-laser array has been developed. At room temperature, pulses with 4.9-microj energy and 68.5-ns pulse duration were observed. When the temperature of the Nd:YAG crystal was lowered to 5 degrees C, the duration of the pulses was reduced to 62 ns, giving rise to peak powers of 76 W. By focusing the Q-switched pulses into a 5-mm-long potassium niobate crystal, second-harmonic generation produced blue light pulses at 473 nm of 42-ns duration and 22-W peak power. The pulse repetition rate was kept at 1.5 kHz throughout.