Guiding Effects in Nd:YVO4 Microchip Lasers

Abstract

Microchip laser are monolithic devices typically consisting of a sub-millimetre thick slice of solid state gain material, which is polished to give plane parallel surfaces on to which dielectric mirrors are directly coated. These lasers are longitudinally pumped by a laser diode. Such devices are highly-efficient and compact lasers which produce beams of high spatial and spectral quality [1].