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sible way. We have obtained efficient intracavity frequency doubling with the Nd3+ groundstate transition in Nd:YAG and Nd:YAlO using the nonlinear crystals LBO, BBO, KNbO,, and LiJO,. Until now, the maximum cw output of 0.5 W at 473 nm was achieved with the combination of Nd:YAG and LiJO, in a folded cavity when pumping with about 20 W of diode laser power. Because of the internal reabsorption losses of the Nd3+-ground-state transition the application of high brightness pump sources like beam-shaped laser diodes is required. For the red spectral region (620-630 nm) we have investigated sum frequency mixing of diode pumped Nd-lasers operating near 1.06 p m and 1.44 pm. In the fundamental mode, both lasers are able to deliver a few watts output power at a pump level of 10 W. A double resonant cavity was constructed with a mixing resonator that consisted of two separate arms for each laser crystal (1.06 p,m- and 1.44 p,mNd:YAG) and one shared arm (with the LBO mixing crystal). So far the maximum cwoutput was 210 mW at 10 W pump power of each laser. In addition, we have operated a Pr, Yb-fiber upconversion laser with 1.1 W output power at 635 nm. This device was pumped with 55 W Tksapphire-laser radiation. However, diode pumping of a fiber system with such high intensity seems to be very difficult. Similar arguments apply for upconversion crystalline lasers. All realized lasers have a large potential for minaturization, which is an important feature for commercial applications in laser TV and projection devices. We acknowledge the support of the German government under contract 16SV094 and the support by Daimler Benz AG, Forschung und Technik, Miinchen.
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Comparison of 671/1342 nm generation with 532/1064 nm in Nd: WO, microchip lasers

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R. S. Conroy, A. Kemp, N. MacKinnon,* B. D. Sinclair, J. F. Allen Physics Research Laboratories, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fqe, Scotland, KY16 9SS. United Kingdom; E-mail: rcl@st-and.ac.uk Microchip lasers are typically formed byapplying dielectric mirrors directly to two nearparallel surfaces of a thin slice of laser gain material. NdYVO, is a commonly used gain material because of its short absorption depth and high stimulated emission cross section,' with the main Nd3+ transitions from the 4F3,, level occurring at 1064 nm and 1342 nm. We have observed monolithic devices to have low thresholds (17 mW at 1342 nm, 12 mW at 1064 nm) and high slope efficiencies (48% at 1342nm, 51% at 1064nm) in a TEM,, mode from laser diode pumping. The maximum single frequency power at 1342 nm (5% output coupling) was 84 mW, with 120 mW obtained at 1064 nm (10% output coupling) being limited by the pump power available. The intensity stability of these devices under diode pumping was found to be limited to around 1% (1342 nm) and 0.7% (1064 nm) by relaxation oscillations around 2-5 MHz. Frequency stability of these devices was determined by hetrodyne beating of two free running microchip lasers on a photodiode. The linewidth was found to be less than 300 kHz at both 1342nm and 1064 nm, but poor environmental control limited the frequency stability of the devices to tens of megahertz over one minute. Simple intensity modulation of these devices by gain-switching has produced pulses as short as 5.5 ns at 1342 and 1.85 ns at 1064 nm with peak powers of 8.4 W (1342 nm) and 24 W (1064 nm). We will report on the Q-switched operation of these devices. By forming a composite cavity with a piece of nonlinear material it is possible to frequency double these transitions. Previous work in St. Andrews has shown a sandwich of Nd:WO, and KTP produced 132 mW at 532 nm from such a device with 650 mW from a laser diode.' 671 nm can be produced by use of LBO cut for either type I or type I1 noncritical phasematching (NCPM)., Our initial work with type I material has shown 11 p W at 671 nm generated from single pass of 220 mW at 1342 nm. Our latest results on intracavity doubling into the red will be presented and compared with the green generation in Nd:WO,/KTP chipsets.
*Currently with Uniphase Lasers UK Lid,

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CF05 Fig. 1 Polarized emission spectra of Nd3+-doped Sr,(PO,),F. Arrows indicated the lasing wavelengths demonstrated so far.

shown in Fig. 1 for .sr-polarization (E // caxis) and o-polarization (E I c-axis). The arrows indicate the lasing wavelengths (i.e., 945, 1059, 1129, and 1328 nm) we have demonstrated so far. Nonlinear frequency conversion techniques have been applied to generate green, red, yellow, and blue lasers. With a 1 W cw diode, more than 100,30,50, and 5 mw of powers have been generated in 530, 664, 565, and 473 nni, respectively. Nd:SFAP is characterized by its long fluorescence lifetime, large emission cross section, low loss, strong absorption, and naturally linear lasing polarization. It is ideal for diodepumped intracavity frequency doubled applications. Since the crystals with excellent quality can be grown in large size, NdSFAP will be very cost effective in large quantity manufacturing. The wavelength diversity also makes NdSFAP an unique choice for many laser applications. CF05 2:15 pm TREOL-Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers, University of Central Florida, Visible laser applications of Nd3+-doped Orlando, Florida 32816 Sr,(PO,),F 1. K. B. Steinbruegge, T. Henningsen, R. H. X. X. Zhang, W.-L. Zhou, P. Hong, D. B. Hopkins, R. Mazelsky, N. T. Melamed, Darby, B. H. T. Chai,* Melles Griot Inc., E. P. Riedel, G. W. Roland, Appl. Opt. 11, N e w Laser Products Division, Auburn, Massa999 (1972). chusetts 01501; E-mail: 102132.1257@ 2. X. X. Zhang, P. Hong, G. B. Loutts, J. Lecompuserve.com faucheur, M. Bass, B. H. T. Chai, Appl. Neodymium-doped strontium fluorapatite, Phys. Lett. 64, 3205 (1994). 3. G. B. Loutts, B. H. T. Chai, SPIE Proc. Sr,(PO,),F, or NdSFAP, was first demon1863,31 (1993). strated, along with other apatite crystals, as a 4. X. X. Zhang, G. B. Loutts, M. Bass, promising laser material in the late 1960s.' B. H. T. Chai, Appl. Phys. Lett. 64, 10 However, because of the inadequate crystal quality, its application as a laser crystal was ( 1994). 5. P. Hong, X. X. Zhang, M. Bass, B. H. T. neglected for many years. Interest in Nd:SFAP Chai, in Conference on Lasers and Electrohas been renewed recently in the search for Optics, Vol. 8, 1994 OSA Technical Digest more efficient materials for diode laser pumpSeries (Optical Society of America, Washing, thanks to the availabilityof large size, high ington, DC 1994), p. 159. quality crystals.324 SFAP has been ~ h o w nto ~.~ 6. B. H. T. Chai, G. Loutts, J. Lefaucheur, be one of the best hosts for Nd3+ doping X.X. Zhang, P. Hong, M. Bass, I. A. among the apatite crystals as demonstrated by Shcherbakov, A. I. Zagumennyi, OSA excellent laser performance resulting from suProc. Advanced Solid-State Lasers, T. Y. perior spectroscopic proper tie^.^,^ Fan, B. H. T. Chai, eds. (Optical Societyof SFAP can be grown by the Czochralski America, Washington, DC, 1994), 20, 41 method. High optical quality and low scatter(1994). ing loss SFAP crystals can now be grown in 7. X. X. Zhang, M. Bass, B. H. T. Chai, P. J. large boules (one inch in diameter by six inches Johnson, J. C. Oles, J. Appl. Phys. 80,1280 in length) consistently. ( 1996). The emission spectra of Nd:SFAP are

Newnham, United Kingdom 1. G. J. Kintz, T. Baer, J. Quantum Electron. 2 6 9 (1990). 2. MacKinnon, Sinclair, Opt. Commun. 105 (1994); MacKinnon, Sinclair, Sibbett, Jenny, Jenks, Craven, Piehler, Proc CLEO '94. 3. G. R. Morrison, M. Ebrahimadeh, C. F. Rae, M. H. Dunn, Opt. Commun. 118, 55-60 (1995).