Performance of diode-pumped Nd:YAG and Nd:YLF lasers in a tightly folded resonator configuration

The performance of diode bar pumped Nd:YAG and Nd:YLF lasers in a novel tightly folded resonator configuration is described. For Nd:YLF at a pump level of 9.2 W a TEM/sub 00/ output power of 3.1 W with a slope efficiency of 47% was observed. In Q-switched operation a pulse energy of 0.7 mJ and a pulsewidth of 5 ns were obtained. The same resonator design configured to operate as an optical amplifier provides small-signal gain of 28 dB and average output powers of greater than 1 W.<
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