Quantum-limited 35 W, TEM/sub 00/ Nd:YVO/sub 4/ laser

Summary form only given. We have developed a diode-bar-pumped Nd:YVO/sub 4/ laser that generates up to 35 W of average power in a polarized, TEM/sub 00/ mode (M/sup 2//spl sim/1.1). This performance is achieved with 62% optical-to-optical conversion efficiency from fiber-coupled diode-bar pump power to 1064 nm output of the laser. The quantum efficiency of this laser system, defined as percentage of 1054 nm photons generated per quantity of 809 nm pump photons absorbed in the Nd:YVO/sub 4/ laser crystals, was /spl sim/94%. To our knowledge, these are the highest efficiencies reported to date for a diode-pumped solid-state TEM/sub 00/ laser.