1.83-µm high-power and high-energy light source based on 885-nm in-band diode-pumped Nd:YAG bulk laser operating on 4F3/2→4I15/2 transition.

We report on 1.8-µm laser generation based on a 885-nm diode laser in-band pumping of conventional Nd:YAG bulk crystal. The maximum output power reaches 2.72 W at 1834 nm with slope efficiency of about 12.1% with respect to the absorbed power. With a Cr:ZnSe saturable absorber, passively Q-switched operation is also demonstrated with maximum average output power of 1.25 W. The achieved shortest pulse width, maximum pulse energy and peak power are 54 ns, 125.9 µJ and 2.27 kW, respectively. The results are very competitive to many reported Tm3+ lasers at 1.9 µm. However, this 1834-nm wavelength is indeed difficult to generate from Tm3+ solid-state lasers, which bridges the wavelength gap for potential applications.