Cw oscillation at 1.05 and 1.32 μm of LiNd(PO3)4 lasers in external resonator and in resonator with directly applied mirrors

The room temperature cw oscillation at 1.05 and 1.32 μm of lithium neodymium tetraphosphate [LiNd(PO3)4, LNP] lasers in an external resonator and, for the first time, also in a Fabry-Perot resonator with directly applied mirrors is reported. The growth and fluorescence properties of the LNP crystals are briefly described. Laser parameters such as threshold pump power, output power, differential efficiency, optical gain, emission cross section and laser modes are both measured and calculated. Laser experiments show the threshold pump power to be lower for 1.05 μm than for 1.32 μm emission because of the smaller emission cross section; the pump power density is lower for the external resonator than for the Fabry-Perot resonator because of its higher mode losses.