CW diode end-pumped Nd:YAP laser at 1.34 /spl mu/m

Summary form only given.We have studied the Nd:YAP laser crystal, also named Nd:YAlO/sub 3/. The main interests of the YAP crystal is to exhibit high conductivity and hardness combined with a low laser threshold like the most common Nd: YAG crystal. But the most important reason is the large branching ratio for /sup 4/F/sub 3/2//spl rarr//sup 4/I/sub 11/2/ transitions, which makes Nd:YAP very attractive for operation at 1.34 /spl mu/m. Some experiments around 1.3 /spl mu/m have shown that Nd: YAP was more efficient than Nd:YAG under flashlamp pumping. This paper presents the results obtained with the Nd:YAP compared with the Nd:YAG around 1.3 and 1.0 /spl mu/m. To our knowledge this is the first study of a multiwatt diode-pumped laser system based on the Nd:YAP crystal.