Abstract
In this paper, we present highly efficient continuous-wave (cw) laser operation of Tm:YAG and Tm:LuAG lasers pumped by high-brightness red tapered diodes. The single-emitter tapered diode lasers (TDLs) provide up to 1 W of pump power around 680 nm. By adjusting the operation temperature of the TDL, the pump central wavelength could be matched to the strong absorption peak of ions in this region ( excitation). This absorption peak is around threefold stronger than the usually employed 785 nm transition (). In the cw laser experiments, we have achieved slope efficiencies exceeding 55% at room temperature, which is far above the Stokes limited slope efficiency (34%), indicating presence of a strong two-for-one cross-relaxation process. Pumping with high-brightness tapered diode lasers further facilitated usage of smaller pump spots (enabling quite low lasing thresholds) and generation of near-diffraction limited output beam profiles from standard -type cavities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of diode pumping of Tm-doped solid-state lasers around 680 nm as well as the first usage of TDLs as pump sources in Tm-doped laser systems.
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