Laser performance of highly neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet crystals

The laser performance of highly neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YA G) crystals is reported. In cw laser-diode pumping, a slope efficiency of 5 4% was achieved for a 2-at. %-doped sample, which was comparable with the s lope efficiency of 55% of YVO4. The crystal also exhibited a slope efficien cy of 64% under pulsed Ti:sapphire primping. Such a high efficiency suggest s a total cavity loss of similar to1%, which is as low as that of commercia lly available 1-at. % YAG crystal. The excellent performance of the neodymi um-doped YAG crystals indicates their high optical quality. (C) 2001 Optica l Society of America.