High power diode-pumped passively mode-locked Nd:YVO4 laser at repetition rate of 3.2 GHz*

Abstract

Abstract A compact high power diode-pumped passively mode-locked Nd:YVO4 laser with high repetition rate is realized. Using an Nd:YVO4 crystal and a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) in the oscillator, the picosecond pulse output with an average power of 1.38 W, a repetition rate of 3.24 GHz, and a pulse duration of 11.4 ps is achieved. After one stage of amplification, the final output power reaches 11.34 W, corresponding to a total optical-to-optical efficiency of about 32%. The root mean square (RMS) value of power fluctuation is demonstrated to be less than 0.6% in 24 hours, showing a superior stability with the compact configuration.