Efficient GaAlAs diode-laser-pumped operation of Nd: YLF at 1.047 Mum with intracavity doubling to 523.6 nm.

The use of semiconductor diode lasers as pump sources for solid-state lasers was demonstrated as early as 1964.1 In the past few years the dramatic increase in output power of diode lasers 2 has made pumping of solid-state lasers practical. Recently it was shown that diode-laser-pumped Nd:YAG lasers offer advantages over lamp-pumped lasers, including high efficiency3 and good frequency stability.4 Gainswitched versions of these sources have been used for injection seeding of high-power pulsed lasers.5 In addition, intracavity second-harmonic generation (SHG) by placing a nonlinear material in the cavity of a diode-pumped Nd laser was previously proposed6 and recently demonstrated using the combination KTiOPO4 (KTP) and Nd:YAG. 7 Diode pumping of other solid-state laser materials besides Nd:YAG is also possible and has been demonstrated using stoichiometric Nd materials such as LiNdP4O12 and NdAl3 (BO3)4. 8