Design and development of a high-power LED-pumped Ce:Nd:YAG laser

Abstract

By studying quasi-continuous wave (QCW) operation of a direct LED-Pumped Ce:Nd:YAG solid-state laser, we demonstrate its feasibility as an alternative to direct-diode or flashlamp pumped systems. LEDs emitting at both 460nm and 810nm were used to pump Ce:Nd:YAG laser rod, the former being made possible by the (Ce^{3+}) co-dopant that enables transfer of excitations at 460nm to (Nd^{3+}) ions in the YAG lattice. Comparison of these two pumping schemes has allowed for a thorough analysis of the performance and efficiency of this laser system. QCW output powers as high as 18mJ/pulse are reported, which to the best of our knowledge is the highest output power achieved by an LED-pumped solid-state laser to date.