Diode-end-pumped passively mode-locked high-power Nd : YVO4 laser with a relaxed saturable Bragg reflector

Abstract

We demonstrate a high-power passively mode-locked Nd:YVO4 laser that uses a saturable Bragg reflector (SBR) with strain relaxation. 23.5 W of average power with similar to 21.5-ps cw mode-locked pulse trains was generated at a 50-W pump power. Experimental results show that appropriate strain relaxation in the SBR makes the mode-locking operation less sensitive to temperature variation. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 140.3530, 140.3580, 140.4050, 140.7090, 160.6000.