Low-threshold Diode-Pumped CW Passively Mode-Locked Nd:YVO4 Laser

A low-threshold passively continuous-wave (CW) mode-locked Nd:YVO4 solid-state laser was demonstrated by use of a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). The threshold for continuous-wave mode-locked is relatively low, about 2.15W. The maximum average output power was 2.12W and the optical to optical conversion efficiency was about 32%. The pulse width was about 15ps with the repetition rate of 105MHz.