INTRACAVITY DOUBLED MODE-LOCKED AND CW DIODE-PUMPED LASERS

A CW-diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser producing 12.5 W of multimode output at 1.064-mu-m, is described. Mode locking, and intracavity doubling produced 3 W of output at 0.532-mu-m with an amplitude stability better than +/- 1% rms. Surprisingly, up to 2.8 W at 0.532-mu-m was obtained when the laser is run CW without mode locking. Stabilities equal to those obtained from the mode-locked laser were observed from the CW laser by axially rotating either the laser rod or KTP doubling crystal into a fixed relative orientation.