Continuous-wave, intracavity doubled, self-Raman laser operation in Nd:GdVO4 at 586.5 nm

We report a continuous-wave self-Raman laser based on diode-pumped Nd: GdVO4 giving first-Stokes output at 1173 nm and intracavity frequency-doubled output at 586.5 nm. A maximum cw output power at 1173 nm of 2 W was obtained for diode pump powers of 22 W and a maximum cw power at 586 nm of 678 mW with 16.3 W pump power. Infrared and yellow powers were limited by thermal lensing in the gain medium and parasitic oscillations of weak Nd3+ transitions. Quasi-cw operation at 50% duty-cycle reduced the thermal load in the laser/Raman crystal, allowing cavity stability to be obtained near maximum available pump power (25.7 W) for which the maximum quasi-cw yellow output power was 1.88 W. (C) 2007 Optical Society of America.