Efficient diode-pumped actively Q-switched Nd:YAG/SrWO4 Raman laser operating at 1252.4 nm

A diode-pumped actively Q-switched Raman laser employing SrWO4 as Raman active medium and Nd:YAG as laser gain medium is demonstrated. The first-Stokes Raman generation at 1252.4 nm based on the fundamental wavelength of 1123 nm is achieved for the first time. With a pump power of 20.3 W and pulse repetition frequency rate of 5 kHz, a maximum output power of 1.1 W is obtained, corresponding to an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 5.4%, and a corresponding pulse energy and peak power was 220 µJ and 3.3 kW, respectively.