16.4 W laser output at 1.34 μm with twin Nd:YVO4 crystals and double-end-pumping structure

High-power high-beam-quality 1.34 μm continuous-wave laser with twin Nd:YVO4 crystals pumped by four fiber-coupled laser diodes, which constructed a double-end-pumping structure, is reported. With total 60 W pumping power incident, the highest 16.4 W output laser power was generated, the slope efficiency and optical efficiency were measured as better than 30.0% and 27.3%, respectively. With 12 W laser output, the beam quality was measured to be better than two times diffraction-limit and the instability of laser output was determined to be better than 1% over an hour time.