High-power diode-end-pumped laser with multi-segmented Nd-doped yttrium vanadate

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Diode-end-pumped solid-state lasers are crucial for various applications.
• Power scaling in these lasers is often limited by thermal effects.
• Composite crystals are used to manage doping profiles but can introduce interface issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a novel multi-segmented Neodymium-doped Yttrium Orthovanadate (Nd:YVO4) crystal for power scaling.
• To compare the laser characteristics of this segmented crystal against conventional composite crystals.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of using multi-doping concentration gain media for power scale-up without thermal issues.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a three-segment Nd:YVO4 crystal with varying doping concentrations.
• Systematic comparison of laser performance between the segmented and conventional composite crystals.
• Construction and testing of a dual-end-pumped actively Q-switched oscillator at 1064 nm.

Main Results:

• The multi-segmented Nd:YVO4 crystal demonstrated comparable or improved laser characteristics versus conventional composite crystals.
• No significant thermally accompanied effects were observed with the segmented crystal design.
• The dual-end-pumped oscillator achieved a maximum pulse energy of 1.06 mJ and an output power of 45 W.

Conclusions:

• The multi-segmented Nd:YVO4 crystal design is feasible for power scaling in diode-end-pumped lasers.
• This approach effectively mitigates thermal issues associated with high-power laser operation.
• The developed crystal design offers a promising avenue for efficient high-power laser generation.