Neodymium doped Lanthanum Scandium Borate (Nd:LSB) is a new laser crystal with high Nd concentration, high absorption coefficient at 808 nm wavelength and wide transparency. The saturation intensity of the main laser transition at 1.06 mm of Nd:LSB is five times higher than the ones of Nd:YAG and Nd:YVO4 (see table below). LSB is mostly used for efficient intracavity frequency doubling with Potassium Titanyl Phosphate (KTP) in diode pumped solid state minilasers. The minilasers are based on simple plane-plane two-three millimeters long resonator which is formed by glued together Nd:LSB and KTP crystals. The corresponding optical efficiency (conversion of pumping diode power at 808 nm to second harmonic power at 531 nm) is greater than 25%. Output power of 1.2 W and 1.5 Watts at 531 nm with slope efficiency of 30% and 32% was obtained in CW and quasi CW mode from an intracavity frequency doubled 2 mm long microchip Nd:LSB laser, pumped by a fiber coupled diode array.
| Chemical Formula | LaSc3(BO3)4:Nd |
|---|---|
| Crystal Structure | monoclinic |
| Density, g/cm3 | 3.93 |
| Transmission wavelength, mm | 0.2-3.0 |
| Refraction indices at 1000 nm | nx = 1.8280 ny = 1.8272 nz = 1.7486 |
| Thermal conductivity, W · cm-1 °C-1 | 0.0352 |
| Thermal diffusivity, m2 · s-1 | 15.4 · 10-7 |
| Heat capacity, J · kg-1 · °C-1 | 582 |
| Nd concentration, cm-3 | 5.1 · 1020 |
| Absorption coefficient at 808 nm, cm-1 | 36 |
| Absorption FWHM, nm | 3 |
| Fluorescence lifetime, ms | 118 |
| Stimulated emission cross-section at 1064 nm, cm2 | 1.3 · 10-19 |
| Emission FWHM, nm | 4 |
| Slope efficiency (at laser pumping), % | >60 |
| Saturation intensity S0 =hw /s emt , W · cm-2 | 12 · 103 |
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