Efficient Second Harmonic Generation of a Diode-Pumped cw Nd:YAG Laser Using an Externally Resonant Cavity

摘要

Diode-pumped solid state lasers are efficient and compact sources of coherent IR radiation, but for many applications short wavelength visible sources are desired. Intracavity frequency doubling is a proven method of efficient conversion of these lasers to the visible, but generally results in deeply amplitude modulated output. An alternative approach is external cavity frequency doubling to provide stable single-axial-mode output at the second harmonic. We have used external cavity frequency doubling to generate 56% second harmonic conversion efficiency of a 53 mW, cw, diode-laser-pumped Nd:YAG oscillator. A monolithic cavity of MgO:LiNbO3 resonant at the fundamental was used to generate the 30 mW of single axial mode 532 nm radiation. Reprints. (jes)