Lasing performance of Tm:YAG minirod grown by laser-heated pedestal growth technique

A 2- mu m Tm:YAG laser using a 1-mm diameter laser rod fabricated from material grown by the laser-heated pedestal growth technique has been characterized. Laser performance was found to be essentially identical to that obtained with bulk grown crystals. This demonstrates the usefulness of this technique for solid-state laser material evaluation and for the growth of laser-quality crystals in sizes suitable for laser diode pumping.>