880 nm laser-diode end-pumped Nd:YVO 4 slab laser at 1342 nm

43.6 W near-diffraction-limited continuous-wave laser beam at 1342 nm in 880 nm laser-diode partially end-pumped Nd:YVO4 slab laser is presented. The slope efficiency and optical-to-optical efficiency with respect to absorbed pumping power were 45.4% and 35.9%, respectively. At output power of 34.5 W, the M 2 factors in unstable and stable directions were 1.3 and 1.2, respectively.