Abstract

We have passively modelocked a diode-pumped Nd:YLF laser at 1.047 µm using semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors and achieved 1.3 W of average output power at 3.3 W pump power, which results in an optical efficiency of 39%. The pulse repetition rate was 50 MHz and pulse widths as short as 3.8 ps were obtained. We cavity-dumped single pulses from the circulating cw modelocked pulse train using a BBO Pockels cell and achieved 270 nJ pulses. The repetition rate was limited to below 2 kHz due to the Pockels cell driver electronics.

© 1999 Optical Society of America