A penalty-free approach to wavelength stabilization of high power diode lasers from 900 nm to 1900 nm

Several laser gain materials (such as Nd, Yb, Er, and Ho) exist which can be pumped with low quantum defect with diode pumps operating at wavelengths close to the laser transition. The corresponding absorption features can be narrow, placing ever-tighter constraints on the spectral performance of the diode pump. This is because efficient laser systems requiring uniform absorption of the pump light need the diode source to be well-matched (in terms of spectral width and spectral position) to the absorption feature.