Nd:YAG laser diode-pumped directly into the emitting level at 938 nm

We present the first demonstration of Nd:YAG laser pumped directly in band at 938 nm with a high-brightness fiber-coupled laser diode. Up to 6 W of CW laser emission at 1064 nm have been obtained under an absorbed pump power of 28 W at 938 nm. A comparison between 808 nm and 938 nm pumping, realized by thermal cartography, demonstrates the very low heat generation of in-band pumping. Numerical simulations were also implemented to study and discuss the laser performance of our system. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America