Abstract
In this paper, we present the mode-locked operation of an ultra-robustly stabilised Nd:GdVO(4) laser with low repetition rate by combining quadratic polarisation switching and a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). In addition, similar experiment was also done with Nd:YVO(4). For Nd:GdVO(4), 16-ps pulses at 1063 nm with a repetition rate of 3.95 MHz have been obtained for a laser average output power of 1.4 W. For Nd:YVO(4), the performance was 2.5 W of average power for 15-ps pulses at 1064 nm. Moreover, we demonstrate experimentally the advantage of combining these two passive mode locking techniques in terms of stability ranges. We show how the dual mode-locking technique is crucial to obtain a stable and long-term mode-locked regime in our case of a diode-pumped Nd:GdVO(4) laser operating at low repetition rate and more generally how this dual mode-locking technique improves the stability range of the mode-locked operation giving more flexibility on different parameters.
Highlights
Nowadays, mode-locked (ML) picosecond lasers, producing large peak power are key instruments for a lot of biological applications such as in fluorescence measurements, ultrafast spectroscopy and microscopy [1]
We present the mode-locked operation of an ultrarobustly stabilised Neodymium-doped Gadolinium Orthovanadate crystal (Nd):GdVO4 laser with low repetition rate by combining quadratic polarisation switching and a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM)
Similar experiment was done with Nd:YVO4
Summary
Mode-locked (ML) picosecond lasers, producing large peak power are key instruments for a lot of biological applications such as in fluorescence measurements, ultrafast spectroscopy and microscopy [1] These lasers have been demonstrated to be suitable for micromachining, in particular for the treatment of temperature-sensitive materials with an ablation process based on multi-photon-ionisation [2]. Even though they have a reduced emission cross section, it was already demonstrated that Nd:GdVO4 crystals have similar performances in terms of power compared to Nd:YVO4 crystals It has extra advantages such as a broader absorption bandwidth at 808nm (which allows the pumping by high-power laser diodes as possible with Nd:YVO4), a higher thermal conductivity and a higher damage limit value [3,6,7]. Due to these properties it has been interesting to explore the performances of such crystals for the development of high power Nd:GdVO4 picosecond lasers operating at a low repetition rate
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