The performance of 1329 nm CW and passively Q-switched Nd:LGGG laser with low Lu-doping level

The Nd:(LuxGd1-x)(3)Ga5O12(Nd:LGGG) laser operating at 1329 nm in both the continuous wave (CW) and the passively Q-switched (PQS) regimes has been successfully demonstrated. With an absorbed pump power of 18.8 W, a maximum CW output power of 3.7 W was obtained, corresponding to an optical-optical conversion efficiency of 19.6% and a slope efficiency of 20.9%. The PQS laser performance was obtained using a V3+:YAG crystal as the saturable absorber. The maximum average output power, shortest pulse width, largest pulse energy and highest peak power were 0.75 W, 25.9 ns, 43.6 mu J and 1.7 kW, respectively. The results indicate that a Nd:LGGG crystal with a low Lu-doping level (0.66 at.%) could be a novel potential laser gain medium suitable for laser diode pumping and PQS operation at a wavelength of 1.3 mu m.