Open AccessHigh power eye‐safe Er 3+ :YVO 4 laser diode‐pumped at 976 nm
Author(s) -
Newburgh G.A.,
Dubinskii M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
electronics letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.375
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1350-911X
pISSN - 0013-5194
DOI - 10.1049/el.2016.0252
Subject(s) - materials science , laser , optics , diode , slope efficiency , laser beam quality , crystal (programming language) , optoelectronics , laser diode , laser power scaling , wavelength , laser beams , fiber laser , physics , computer science , programming language
The performance of an eye‐safe laser based on a Er‐doped orthovanadate (Er:YVO4) single crystal, diode‐pumped at 976 nm ( 4 I 15/2 → 4 I 11/2 transition) and operating at 1603 nm ( 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 transition) with near diffraction limited beam quality is reported. A 10 mm long Er 3+ :YVO 4 slab, cut with its c ‐axis perpendicular to the laser cavity axis, was pumped in σ ‐polarisation and lased in π ‐polarisation. The laser operated in a quasi‐continuous wave regime with nearly 9 W output power, and with a slope efficiency of about 39% with respect to absorbed power. This is believed to be the highest efficiency and highest power achieved from an Er 3+ :YVO 4 laser pumped in the 970–980 nm absorption band.