1064 mm 1.5 watt PL-E Pro DPSS safety and availability

[paul1598419]

That Nd:YVO4 has 5.5 times the gain of a Nd:YAG. I would end pump it with a fiber bundled 808nm stack. In fact, you could derate the stack to get many more usable hours out of it........up to 100,000 hours.

 

[Alaskan]

I am fairly certain that is how it was pumped before, something to consider if I can find a form factor smaller than a FAP laser, something closer to the size of this module at under 20 watts.

 

[paul1598419]

The other nice thing about Nd:YVO4 is it is naturally birefrigent and thus polarizes your laser. Using Nd:YAG you would have to use a polarizing optic to get the same result.

 

[Alaskan]

Yep, another handy characteristic of YVO crystals, such a nice way things line up for that as well as for use with a SHG crystal which for our pointers, needs polarized 1064 nm.

 

[RedCowboy]

Here's some more info I found interesting

Nd:YAG vs. Nd:YVO4?

I know that most green DPSS lasers use either an Nd:YAG or Nd:YVO4 crystal to convert the 808 nm light to 1,064 nm. It seems that most "hobbyist" lasers use Nd:YVO4. If my research is correct, Nd:YAG is better at handling high output powers. However, does anyone know what other differences...

laserpointerforums.com

 

[Alaskan]

You can side pump a ND:YAG with 808 nm bars or end pump via FAP fiber lasers to produce 1064 nm, I have a side pump one.

 

[RedCowboy]

You may want to go with a smaller scale build, maybe something you can operate at room temp, such as a 12w hand held ??
15w 808 @ 80% through NdYV04 to get 12w of 1064 ??

If you can match an end pumped NdYV04 crystal and mirrors to this diode > https://www.ebay.com/itm/808nm-15W-...ash=item3a72b38e0e:g:xN0AAOxy7rdRERBL:rk:1🇵🇫0

Have you seen this Planters video ? Looks like a sizeable undertaking.

 

[Alaskan]

I said my diode was 16 watts, wrong, 16 amps.... it's the same 15 watt C-Mount diode you linked to, except the ones I bought from that same seller has FAC lenses on them. I bought four about five years ago, they are in Alaska, so I can't really do anything with them right now. I watched planters video about the DPSS he made, he didn't recommend using one of these diodes due to the rectangle shape causing uneven heating and focus distortion into the SHG crystal making efficient focusing into the crystal difficult, as well as changes when heating up. He recommended a fiber output laser diode driver with a more uniform output.

He does things to perfection, for a pointer, I don't believe perfection is an easy task or really even possible, so I won't shoot for that. But, for my project of just using a YVO4, I don't have the challenges he had with a SHG crystal, so mine shouldn't be so problematic and should allow the use of that C-mount diode, or one like it.

 

[RedCowboy]

Exactly, if all you want is a good 1064nm beam then make the strongest beam without attaching a water cooler as you can, if you are not concerned with second harmonic generation of green or yellow after your conversion to 1064 then I agree, also you get to convert a poor divergence 808nm pump into a good quality 1064nm beam and at 80% IINM, sounds good to me too.