Ti:Er:LiNbO/sub 3/ waveguide laser of optimized efficiency

The development of a Fabry-Perot-type Ti,Er:LiNbO/sub 3/ waveguide laser of optimized CW output power up to 63 mW (/spl lambda//sub s/=1561 nm) at a pump power level of 210 mW (/spl lambda//sub p/=1480 nm) and a slope efficiency of up to 37% is reported. The theoretical model for the waveguide laser is presented and applied to determine the optimum resonator configuration using waveguide parameters obtained from a detailed characterization of the laser sample. With pulsed pumping, waveguide laser pulses of up to 6.2 W peak power were observed. Apart from residual relaxation oscillations, the laser emission proved to be shot-noise limited.