title: High-power tunable diode-pumped Yb3+:CaF2 laser.
abstract: Results of diode-pumped cw laser operation of an Yb3+:CaF2 single crystal are reported for what is to our knowledge the first time. With a 5-at.% Yb3+ -doped sample we obtained 5.8-W output power at 1053 nm for 15 W of incident power at 980 nm. The laser wavelength could be tuned from 1018 to 1072 nm, and a small-signal gain as high as 1.8 was achieved, showing the great potential of Yb3+:CaF2 as an amplifier medium for femtosecond pulses.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Charles Fabry de l'Institut d'Optique, du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et de l'Université Paris-Sud Centre Universitaire, Batiment 503, 91403 Orsay, France. andrea.lucca@unipv.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucca
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jacquemet
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Druon
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Balembois
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Georges
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Camy
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Doualan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moncorgé