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Stable Q-switch mode-locking of Nd:YVO4 lasers with a semiconductor saturable absorber

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Abstract

This paper reports on a passively mode-locked and Q-switched Nd:YVO4 laser generating picosecond pulses with an average output power exceeding 7 W. In a first step Q-switch mode-locking was obtained by self Q-switching of a mode-locked oscillator with appropriate cavity design, pump power and output coupling. In a second system the Q-switching was actively controlled and stabilized by modulating the resonator internal losses with an acousto-optic modulator. In the Q-switch mode-locking operation the laser provided 12.8 ps long mode-locked pulses with a repetition rate of 80 MHz. The repetition rate of the Q-switch envelope was 185 kHz. The maximum pulse energy of a single ps pulse was 0.55 μJ which is 5.5 times the pulse energy measured for cw mode locking. The total energy of the pulses within the Q-switch envelope was 42 μJ.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fachbereich Physik, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, Erwin-Schrödinger-Strasse 46, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany

    C. Theobald, M. Weitz, R. Wallenstein & J.A. L’huillier

  2. Lumera Laser GmbH, Opelstrasse 10, 67661, Kaiserslautern, Germany

    R. Knappe

Authors
  1. C. Theobald
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  2. M. Weitz
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  3. R. Knappe
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  4. R. Wallenstein
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  5. J.A. L’huillier
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. Theobald.

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PACS

42.55.Xi; 42.60.Fc; 42.60.Gd

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Theobald, C., Weitz, M., Knappe, R. et al. Stable Q-switch mode-locking of Nd:YVO4 lasers with a semiconductor saturable absorber. Appl. Phys. B 92, 1–3 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-008-3073-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-008-3073-8

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