Experimental analysis and theoretical modeling of a diode-pumped Er:Yb:glass microchip laser.

A comprehensive study of a diode-pumped Er:Yb:glass microchip laser, operating at 1530-nm wavelength, is presented. The operating conditions wherein a linearly polarized, single longitudinal and transverse mode operation is achieved are indicated. An optimum pump spot size that minimizes the threshold pump power and maximizes the slope efficiency is experimentally found and theoretically justified by a space-dependent rate-equation model.