title: Directly diode-laser-pumped Ti:sapphire laser.
abstract: A directly diode-laser-pumped Ti:Al(2)O(3) laser is demonstrated. Using a 1 W, 452 nm GaN diode laser, 19 mW of cw output power is achieved in a potentially portable format. Pumping at this short wavelength induces a loss at the laser wavelength that is not seen for the more typical green pump wavelengths. This effect is characterized and discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Photonics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NW, Scotland. peter.roth@strath.ac.uk
authors.forename: Peter W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Alexander J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Maclean
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kemp