Anyone have experience using Nd:YVO4 with diffusion bonded endcaps or Nd:GdVO4?

[brianpe]

I am thinking that for my laser project I need to start looking at a gain medium that has better thermals than Nd:YVO4. I'm considering either Nd:YVO4 with diffusion bonded endcaps or using Nd:GdVO4.

I am trying to estimate what the end caps would do for thermal lensing. I can calculate lensing given the dn/dT for Nd:YVO4, but the end caps are supposed to greatly help reduce lensing. I haven't found any paper that gives an estimate for an effective dn/dT for an end-cap bonded crystal. Does anyone have experience here?

I also tried simulating using Nd:GdVO4 and the difference in thermal performance is huge. I estimate getting about 3x the performance out of the laser just by being able to ratchet up the pump power more. But, Nd:GdVO4 isn't something I've seen second hand on eBay. If I go there I'm looking at having crystals custom manufactured, which is going to be pretty spendy. Anyone used this crystal before?

I haven't been able to design a cavity using off-the-shelf mirrors and components that can do what I want and tolerate the tight lensing Nd:YVO4 gives once I start getting into higher pump powers, so I'm looking at other options. I realize lasers like the Verde can do what I want but I just don't know how to design something that works like that, so I'm looking toward other options.

Thx for any ideas!

[kecked]

found this place.

https://www.hgoptronics.com/nd-gdvo4-crystal-neodymium-doped-gadolinium-orthovanadate_p12.html

[brianpe]

found this place.

https://www.hgoptronics.com/nd-gdvo4-crystal-neodymium-doped-gadolinium-orthovanadate_p12.html

Thanks, bookmarked. I talked to someone at CASIX who was willing to fabricate two Nd:GdVO4 crystals for me for less money than I expected. Threshold with these looks a lot higher but it also seems like I should be able to put a lot more 808 into them before they lens too badly. I have a cavity design that, at least in MATLAB, has a great efficiency slope except that it becomes unstable past 60cm of thermal lensing. I couldn't prove much when I built it because the vanadate would cause lensing and destabilize the cavity before I could really get it going.