title: Medium-power diode-pumped Nd:BaY2F8 laser.
abstract: We report what is to our knowledge the first Nd:BaY2F8 (Nd:BaYF) laser pumped with a multiwatt fiber-coupled diode array tuned at approximately 804 nm. As much as 2.4 W were obtained with 6.2 W of absorbed pump power, showing efficient operation (51% slope efficiency), excellent beam quality (M2=1.1), and weak thermal lensing. Small intracavity losses (<1%) were measured, indicating both reduced thermally induced aberrations and good optical quality of the laser crystal.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agnesi
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guandalini
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucca
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sani
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toncelli
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tonelli
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dell'acqua