Compact and efficient Nd: YVO₄ laser that generates a tunable single-frequency green output

We demonstrate 250 mW of single-frequency 532-nm output from a simple intracavity-doubled Nd:YVO₄ laser, pumped with 1.2 W from a fiber-coupled diode laser. The laser can be frequency chirped smoothly over ~17 GHz while maintaining a single-frequency green output of greater than 200 mW. A short Fabry-Perot cavity is used, and single-frequency operation is enforced by means of a birefringent filter that utilizes the birefringence of both the KTP doubling crystal and the Nd:YVO₄ laser crystal with polarization-dependent loss from a glass Brewster plate combined with polarization-dependent gain from the laser crystal. © 2000 Optical Society of America.