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Abstract. A diode-laser-array end-pumped acousto-optically Q-switched intracavity frequency-doubled Nd:GdVO[sub 4]/KTP green laser, formed with a three-mirror folded resonator, has been demonstrated. With 15 W of pump power incident upon the Nd:GdVO[sub 4] crystal, a maximum average green output power of 3.75 W was obtained at 50 kHz of pulse repetition frequency, giving an optical conversion efficiency of 25%, whereas the effective intracavity frequency-doubling efficiency was determined to be 72%. At the incident pump power of 12.8 W, the shortest laser pulse was achieved at a pulse repetition rate of 10 kHz, the resulting pulse width, single pulse energy, and peak power were measured to be 35n s, 108 mu J, and 3.1 kW, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. A comparative study of Nd:GdVO[sub 4] and Nd:YVO[sub 4] crystal lasers pumped by a cw diode laser has been conducted at the fundamental wavelengths of 1.06 micro m and 1.34 micro m, as well as when intracavity frequency-doubled to 532 nm and 670 nm, respectively. At these four wavelengths, maximum output powers from the Nd:GdVO[sub 4] crystal laser were 1.27 W, 800mW, 610mW, and 82mW at a diode-launched pump power of 2.9 W. The threshold pump powers were 64 mW, 159 mW, 5 mW, and 12 mW, respectively. All the results obtained from Nd:GdVO[sub 4] were superior to those of Nd:YVO[sub 4], indicating that Nd:GdVO[sub 4] is a more efficient laser crystal than Nd:YVO[sub 4] for diode-pumped solid-state lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]