Thermal analysis and 1.38 μm CW laser performances based on a new tungstate crystal Nd3+:Na2La4(WO4)7

Abstract 1.38 μm diode-end-pumped crystalline lasers have important applications and studies are worthy to be conducted since it is not easy to realize the 1.38 μm laser emission in Nd3+-doped crystals. In this paper, a Nd3+:Na2La4(WO4)7 crystal with dimensions of ϕ21 × 37 mm3 was successfully grown by the Czochralski method. The distributions of heat on the end-pump facet and along the axial orientations were analyzed and its effect on the laser properties at 1.38 μm was considered. Then, based on the physical properties of the Nd3+:Na2La4(WO4)7 crystal and the results of the thermal effects analysis, we designed the oscillation cavity and finally a 1381 nm laser was demonstrated with the maximum output power of 1.87 W. The slope efficiency is 22.8%. Results show that the Nd3+:Na2La4(WO4)7 crystal will be advantageous for the applications of ∼1.38 μm laser in many areas.