Generation of 589 nm Emission via Frequency Doubling of a Composite c-Cut Nd:YVO4 Self-Raman Laser

Intracavity frequency doubling was used to generate 589 nm emission from an acousto-optic Q-switched, double-end diffusion-bonded c-cut Nd:YVO
₄
crystal-based Raman laser. Frequency doubling was achieved using a non-critically phase matched LBO crystal (
$\theta $
= 90°,
$\varphi $
= 0°). Yellow laser performance of this system using a diffusion-bonded crystal was compared to that achieved using non-diffusion-bonded c-cut Nd:YVO
₄
crystal. The results demonstrate that the use of double-end diffusion-bonded crystals significantly improve the Raman conversion efficiency of the laser and reduce the thermal lensing effect. A maximum average output power of 3.22 W and conversion efficiency of 17% were achieved at a pulse repetition frequency of 40 kHz and with incident pump power of 18.8 W. The measured central wavelength of the laser was 589.2 nm, and the linewidth was 0.2 nm.