Pulse Width Reduction in Diode-Pumped Nd:GdVO4 Laser with AO and GaAs Double Q-Switches

Abstract

By considering the Gaussian spatial distribution of the intracavity photon density, we introduce the rate equations of a diode-pumped Nd:GdVO4 laser doubly Q-switched by acoustic-optic (AO) modulator and GaAs saturable absorber. These rate equations are solved numerically, and the dependence of pulse width on incident pump power is obtained. Meanwhile, a diode-pumped doubly Q-switched Nd:GdVO4 laser with AO and GaAs is realized. This laser can generate a shorter and more symmetric pulse when compared with purely AO and passive Q-switching. The experimental results are in agreement with the theoretical calculations.