A directly diode laser Pumped Ti:sapphire laser: Design, demonstration and power-scaling challenges

Titanium sapphire is a scientific laser of unsurpassed utility. However, the pumping requirements - typically a bulky multiwatt frequency-doubled neodymium laser - do not lend themselves to applications beyond the laser laboratory. In this paper, the design and demonstration of a compact directly diode-laser pumped Ti:sapphire laser is described. In addition, the challenges associated with this approach is also discussed: the wavelength and power of suitable pump diodes; the compromise between doping density and loss in Ti:sapphire; and pump-induced parasitic absorption effects at the laser wavelength.