Yoko Inoue

Diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser producing 122-W CW power at 1.319 /spl mu/m

A high-power diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser oscillating at a wavelength of 1.319 /spl mu/m is reported. A 122-W CW laser beam with an M2 factor of 35 has been achieved with an optical efficiency of 19.6%. The lasing characteristics, including thermal lensing, at 1.319 /spl mu/m are compared with those at 1.06 /spl mu/m. Under lasing conditions, the focal length of thermal lensing at 1.319 /spl mu/m decreases by 25% and increases by 15% at 1.06 /spl mu/m with respect to the nonlasing conditions. Based on the experimental results, the heat dissipation in an Nd:YAG rod is discussed with reference to nonradiative transitions from the upper laser level.

High-power red beam generation by frequency-doubling of a Nd:YAG laser

This letter reports the generation of 6.1 W of red laser radiation by frequency-doubling a Nd:YAG laser operating at a wavelength of 1.319 /spl mu/m with a KTP crystal. The conversion efficiency and the stability of the red output power were both improved through the suppression by means of a thin etalon of two-wavelength operation in the 1.3-/spl mu/m region.

Efficient high-pulse-energy green beam generation by intracavity-frequency-doubling of a quasi-cw laser-diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser

Green pulse energy of 50-mJ was obtained at 1kHz repetition rate with 6% electrical efficiency by intracavity-frequency-doubling of a quasi-cw laser-diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser.