title: Highly efficient 1063-nm continuous-wave laser emission in Nd:GdVO4.
abstract: Highly efficient 1-microm continuous-wave laser emission in 3-mm-thick, 0.5- and 1.0-at. % Nd:GdVO4 crystals longitudinally pumped at 879 nm into the laser emitting level is reported. Under Ti:sapphire pumping, the slope efficiency in absorbed power is approximately 80% for both crystals, while the slope efficiency, the optical-to-optical efficiency (at 1700-mW pump power), and the laser threshold in incident power are 79%, 78%, and 31 mW for 0.5-at. % Nd and 80%, 77%, and 40 mW for 1.0-at. % Nd, respectively. The slope efficiency is close to the quantum defect limit, the difference being fully accounted for by the residual optical losses. Under 879-nm diode laser pumping, the slope efficiency and the optical-to-optical efficiency in absorbed power of the 0.5-at. % Nd:GdVO4 crystal are 60% and 53%, owing to poorer superposition of the pumped and the laser mode volumes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Atomic Physics, Solid State Quantum Electronics Laboratory, Bucharest, R-76900 Romania. v.lupei@pluto.infim.ro
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lupei
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pavel
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taira