title: Cr:forsterite laser pumped by broad-area laser diodes.
abstract: We report the demonstration of a Cr:forsterite laser pumped by broad-area laser diodes producing non-diffraction-limited beams. The use of a thin crystal to reduce losses at the lasing wavelength and of short-wavelength pump diodes reduces the lasing threshold to <500 mW .Relatively low output powers (5 mW) are obtained, but prospects for increasing the power and achieving mode-locked operation of this laser are good and are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wise