Continuous wave laser radiation at 1314 and 1386 nm and infrared to red self-frequency doubling in nonlinear LaBGeO5:Nd3+ crystal

We report efficient generation of continuous wave laser radiation in the nonlinear LaBGeO5:Nd3+ crystal around 1.3 mu m. The F-4(3/2)-->I-4(13/2) laser channel of Nd3+ ions in this crystal leads to efficient generation of laser radiation at 1314 nm (pi polarization) and at 1386 nm (sigma polarization). Under resonant pumping with a Ti:sapphire laser at 800 nm in the GaAlAs laser diode emission spectral region, an absorbed power threshold of 26 mW is obtained for 1% output coupling. A slope efficiency of 40% is obtained for an output coupling of 3%. Visible red laser radiation at 657 nm is obtained by self-frequency doubling in a type I phase matched crystal. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)02744-8].