Diode-pumped continuous-wave quasi-three-level Nd:YLF laser operating below 900 nm

Abstract We report a diode-pumped continuous-wave quasi-three-level Nd:YLF laser operating below 900 nm. The effective gain of the quasi-three-level Nd:YLF laser were calculated. By rotating the intracavity Lyot filter (LF), three laser wavelengths at 873 nm, 880 nm and 885 nm were realized in σ -polarization, respectively. At an absorbed pump power of 16.6 W, the output powers obtained at 873 nm, 880 nm and 885 nm were 734 mW, 956 mW and 327 mW, respectively. The corresponding slope efficiencies with respect to the absorbed pump power were 5.9%, 7.3% and 3.8%, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first quasi-three-level Nd:YLF laser operating at the wavelength below 900 nm. The paper demonstrates the potential of Nd-doped solid-state lasers for applications in the blue range by frequency-doubled technology, in replacement of gas lasers such as helium-cadmium lasers.