Continuous-wave second-Stokes self-Raman Nd:GdVO4 laser

Stimulated-Raman-scattering (SRS) is a cascading nonlinear optical process, enabling the generation of traditional hard-to-reach wavelengths in the near-infrared, visible and UV spectral range [1]. To generate high order Stokes emission in the CW regime, at reasonable threshold and efficiency, high circulating power densities are required (typically 10-100 MW/cm²), and so the resonator is usually designed with high-Q for both fundamental and lower order Stokes wavelengths. The first CW crystalline second-Stokes Raman laser was reported by Grabtchikov et al. in 2009 [2]. They used a Raman resonator externally pumped at 514 nm by an Ar⁺ laser, for which second-Stokes emission occurred with a threshold of 3.67 W, and a maximum output power of 21 mW at 576 nm was achieved.