A diode-pumped high power Q-switched and self-mode-locked Nd:YVO4 laser with a LiF:F2- saturable absorber

Abstract.Simultaneous mode-locking and Q-switching has been accomplished in a diode-pumped Nd:YVO4/LiF:F2- laser. At an absorbed pump power of 23.6 W, the average output power was 6.0 W and the repetition rate of the Q-switched pulse was 260 kHz. A depth of mode-locking of 100% was obtained and there was no satellite pulse between mode-locked pulse trains. The mode-locked pulse inside the Q-switched pulse had a repetition rate of approximately 148 MHz and its average duration was estimated to be around 75 ps.