Conical refraction output from a Nd:YVO₄ laser with an intracavity conerefringent element

A conical refraction (CR) laser based on an a-cut $\mathrm{Nd}\text{:}{\mathrm{YVO}}_4$ laser was demonstrated. By using a KGW crystal as a CR element, a typical laser with a Gaussian intensity output profile was transformed into a laser with conically refracted output. The CR laser delivered 220 mW of output power for 500 mW of pump power. The separation of the laser gain medium and the CR element reduced the complexity of the pumping scheme, and resulted in the generation of well-behaved CR laser beams with outstanding quality. The presented approach is power scalable and offers a unique possibility of studying the transformation of a Gaussian laser mode into a conically refracted one in a laser cavity.