Compact Split Disk Laser With SiC Wafer and ${\rm Nd}{:}{\rm YVO}_{4}$ Bonding via Liquid Capillarity

The design of split disk laser is proposed and demonstrated with SiC wafer and uncoated Nd:YVO₄ disk bonding via liquid capillarity. Using the SiC wafer as an intracavity heat spreader, the thermal effects and thermal induced distortions are greatly relieved. Depending on the excellent thermal and optical properties of SiC, a high slope efficiency of 43.3% and 5.3 W CW output power is demonstrated at room temperature without active cooling. No delamination of split disks occurred under lasing conditions. The measured temperature difference agreed with the numerical simulations.