Compact and efficient Nd : YVO4 laser that generates a tunable single-frequency green output

We demonstrate 250 mW of single-frequency 532-nm output from a simple intra cavity-doubled Nd:YVO4 laser, pumped with 1.2 W from a fiber-coupled diode laser. The laser can be frequency chirped smoothly over similar to 17 GHz w hile maintaining a single-frequency green output of greater than 200 mW. A short Fabry-Perot cavity is used, and single-frequency operation is enforce d by means of a birefringent filter that utilizes the birefringence of both the KTP doubling crystal and the Nd:YVO4 laser crystal with polarization-d ependent loss from a glass Brewster plate combined with polarization-depend ent gain from the laser crystal. (C) 2000 Optical Society of America OCIS c odes: 140.3480, 140.3530, 140.3570, 140.3580, 140.7300.