title: Excited-state absorption and 1064-nm end-pumped laser emission of Nd:YVO4 single-crystal fiber grown by laser-heated pedestal growth.
abstract: We present an investigation of the excited-state absorption and laser emission of a 1.0-at. %-Nd3+-doped YVO4 single-crystal fiber grown by the low-cost and versatile laser-heated pedestal growth technique. Efficient laser emission at 1064 nm was achieved when the fiber was pumped, in an end-pump cavity, by a Ti:sapphire laser at 808 nm. A continuous-wave threshold of 10 mW was observed with an efficiency of 42% with respect to the absorbed pump power and the maximum output power of 200 mW. These results are excellent when compared with those of a commercial bulk crystal adapted to the same cavity (48% efficiency, 250-mW maximum output power). Thus the fibers are characterized as strong candidates for the construction of compact lasers that can also be pumped by low-cost diode lasers.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil. andreasc@if.sc.usp.br
authors.forename: Andrea S S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: de Camargo
authors.forename: Luiz Antonio O
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: Diogenes R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Ardila
authors.forename: José Pedro
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Andreeta