High-power Colquiriite lasers with high slope efficiencies pumped by broad-area laser diodes.

Efficient high-power operation of Cr:LiSAF, Cr:LiSGAF, and Cr:LiCAF lasers pumped by broad-area laser diodes is demonstrated. A maximum slope efficiency of 51 % and output power of 0.55 W was reached at 1.2 W of absorbed pump power, which is the highest output power to date with broad-area laser diode pumping. With the laser design used the onset of thermal quenching in Cr:LiSAF due to high temperatures was pushed to higher pump powers and good mode matching was achieved.