Abstract

We report here on the development of a diode-end-pumped Nd:YLF laser pumped by two quasi-cw diode laser bars. The endpumping technique offers the ability to overlap the gain region with the fundamental laser resonator mode resulting in higher efficiency operation as compared with side- pumped geometries. The laser produces Q-s witched pulses up to 6 mJ with a temporal duration of 18 ns (FWHM) and operates at repetition rates up to 500 Hz, Tírese high peak-power pulses have been efficiently converted into the green and ultraviolet using standard nonlinear crystals. Further, the output from the laser has been used to pump an OPO resulting in tunable radiation in the red and near-infrared.

© 1993 Optical Society of America