Efficient high-power dual-wavelength lime-green Nd:YVO₄ lasers

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Physics
• Nonlinear Optics

Background:

• Neodymium-doped Yttrium Orthovanadate (Nd:YVO4) lasers are widely used for various applications.
• Generating dual-wavelength outputs from a single laser system offers advantages in spectral flexibility and system compactness.
• Self-Raman lasers provide a pathway to generate specific wavelengths through nonlinear optical processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient, high-power, dual-wavelength lime-green laser system.
• To investigate the use of two lithium triborate (LBO) crystals for generating distinct wavelengths.
• To demonstrate tunable control over the relative output powers of the generated wavelengths.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Nd:YVO4 laser as the primary gain medium.
• Employed two distinct lithium triborate (LBO) crystals for second-harmonic generation and Raman shifting.
• Controlled the temperature of the second LBO crystal to tune the phase matching and relative output power.
• Investigated laser performance at different temperature settings for maximum total power and balanced output.

Main Results:

• Achieved a dual-wavelength output at 532 nm (green) and 559 nm (lime).
• Demonstrated a maximum total output power of 10.0 W (7.1 W at 532 nm and 2.9 W at 559 nm) with a conversion efficiency of 31.6% at a pump power of 31.6 W.
• Obtained a balanced output of 4.3 W at 532 nm and 4.2 W at 559 nm, with a conversion efficiency of 26.9%.

Conclusions:

• Successfully developed an efficient high-power dual-wavelength Nd:YVO4 self-Raman laser.
• The use of two LBO crystals with temperature tuning provides effective control over the output wavelengths and their relative intensities.
• This tunable dual-wavelength laser system shows promise for applications requiring specific green and lime light sources.