Multiwatt diode-pumped 1064 nm and 1320 nm Nd3+:YAG ceramic lasers

High quality ceramics are now taken into application to replace common single crystalline laser hosts. In our investigations on laser ceramics we examined different laser transitions mainly on 1064 nm and 1320 nm in comparison to single crystal materials. This paper presents our latest results on ceramic Nd:YAG laser. Several samples, manufactured by Konoshima Chemical Co., have been tested for 1064 nm, 1320 nm and 946 nm laser emission. The laser active ceramic was an 0.6 % doped Nd:YAG. With a 6 % out-coupling mirror a maximum laser power of 3.65 W could be achieved corresponding to a slope efficiency of ∼35 %.