Nd-doped phosphate glass cane laser: from materials fabrication to power scaling tests

We report on the fabrication and characterization of two Nd-doped active glasses and two compatible cladding compositions. The materials were synthesized to be compatible in terms of thermal expansion and characteristic temperatures. The glass system with higher refractive index and absorption cross-section was selected for the fabrication of a core/cladding cane with a diameter of 800 μm. Laser experiments, performed on a 60 mm-long cane, show laser emission at 1054 nm with output power higher than 2 W and efficiency above 40%. These values, obtained on a very simple geometry, are promising for the development of short-length cane lasers and amplifiers for emission in the 1 μm region. [Display omitted] •Thermo-mechanically compatible core and cladding glasses were manufactured.•A full characterization of the materials is reported.•A cane laser was constructed and tested in continuous-wave regime.•A slope efficiency of 44% and an output power of 2.5 W were achieved.