Output beam characteristics of a Nd:YVO4 miniature laser

Abstract

The output beam characteristics of a CW diode end-pumped miniature Nd:YVO4 laser (1.1 at.%, 1 X 3 X 3 mm3) operating in fundamental and SHG regime are presented. Using M2 factor to describe the multimode pump beam's propagation from the broad-emission-area diode-laser the coupling optics was designed to obtain a high value for the mode-matching efficiency. A maximum slope efficiency of (eta) s equals 58.6%, with (eta) 0 equals 53.8% optically efficiency at maximum pump power, characterized a laser resonator of 50 mm length in transversal TEM00 mode. In the SHG experiments using a KTP crystal a maximum power of 100 mW was reach in a circular laser beam of 4.2 mrad half-angle divergence.