Chinese Physics Letters

Laser performance of 1064 nm domestic Nd:YAG ceramic lasers for 885 nm direct pumping and 808 nm traditional pumping are compared. Higher slope efficiency of 34 % and maximum output power of 16.5W are obtained for the 885 nm pump with a 6mm length 1 at. % Nd:YAG ceramic. The advantages for 885 nm direct pumping are discussed in detail. This pumping scheme for highly doping a Nd:YAG ceramic laser is considered as an available way to generate high power and good beam quality simultaneously. PACS: 42. 55.Xi, 42. 55.Rz Thermal management is an important issue for high-power solid-state lasers. The quantum defect is a key parameter determining the thermal load in laser materials. For example, traditional 1064 nm solid-state lasers based on Nd ions were usually pumped at 808 nm to the