Efficient all-solid-state yellow laser source producing 1.2-W average power

We report a practical and efficient all-solid-state laser source operating at 578 nm. The source comprises a diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser gain medium producing fundamental output at 1064 nm, an intracavity LiIO3 Raman-active crystal that generates first-Stokes output at 1155 nm, and an intracavity LiB3O5, frequency-doubling crystal, which frequency doubles the first-Stokes output to 578 nm. Q-switched output with as much as 1.2-W average power has been obtained; conversion efficiencies from the fundamental to the yellow as high as 33% have been obtained. (C) 1999 Optical Society of America.