Intracavity pumped sum-frequency mixing for an emission at 491.5 nm

We present an Nd:LuVO4 laser emitting at 1066 nm intracavity pumped by a 912 nm diode-pumped Nd:GdVO4 laser. A 880 nm diode laser is used to pump the Nd:GdVO4 crystal emitting at 912 nm, and the Nd:LuVO4 laser emitting at 1066 nm intracavity pumped at 912 nm. Intracavity sum-frequency mixing at 912 and 1066 nm was realized in a lithium triborate crystal to reach the blue range. We obtained a continuous-wave output power of 2.35 W at 491.5 nm with a pump laser diode emitting 26.2 W at 880 nm. The power stability is better than 3.5% and the laser beam quality M2 factors are 1.31 and 1.23 in the horizontal and vertical dimensions respectively. (paper)