Continuous-wave and passively Q-switched cladding-pumped planar waveguide lasers

Greater than 12 W of average output power has been generated from a diode-p umped W:YAG cladding-pumped planar waveguide laser. The laser radiation dev eloped is linearly polarized and diffraction limited in the guiding dimensi on. A slope efficiency of 0.5 W/W with a peak optical-optical conversion ef ficiency of 0.31 W/W is achieved. In a related structure, greater than 8 W of Q-switched average output power has been generated from a Nd:YAG claddin g-pumped planar waveguide laser by incorporation of a Cr4+:YAG passive Q sw itch monolithically into the waveguide structure. Pulse widths of 3 ns and pulse-repetition frequencies as high as 80 kHz have been demonstrated. A sl ope efficiency of 0.28 W/W with a peak optical-optical conversion efficienc y of 0.21 W/W is achieved. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America.