A comparative study of the laser performance of diode-laser-pumped Nd : GdVO4 and Nd : YVO4 crystals

A comparative study of Nd:GdVO4 and Nd:YVO4 crystal lasers pumped by a cw d iode laser has been conducted at the fundamental wavelengths of 1.06 mu m a nd 1.34 mu m, as well as when intracavity frequency-doubled to 532 nm and 6 70 nm, respectively. At these four wavelengths, maximum output powers from the Nd:GdVO4 crystal laser were 1.27 W, 800 mW, 610 mW, and 82 mW at a diod e-launched pump power of 2.9 W. The threshold pump powers were 64 mW, 159 m W, 5 mW, and 12 mW, respectively. All the results obtained from Nd:GdVO4 we re superior to those of Nd:YVO4, indicating that Nd:GdVO4 is a more efficie nt laser crystal than Nd:YVO4 for diode-pumped solid-state lasers.