Passive mode locked diode-pumped Nd:GdYVO4 laser with a GaAs absorber

A passively Q-switched mode-locked Nd:GdYVO₄ laser is successfully demonstrated by using a piece of GaAs crystal grown at low temperature as the passively saturated absorber and the output coupler. Fundamental properties of the Nd: GdYVO₄ laser are investigated. The maximum average output power of 3.5 W is obtained by using plainsphere when the incident pumping power is 10 W, which corresponds to an optical-optical coversion efficiency of 35%. The threshold power for the Q-switching mode-locked is 1.2 W. The maximum average output power of 1.72 W is obtained by using GaAs when the incident pumping power is 10 W, mode-locked pulse train with a repetition rate of ∼113 MHz is achieved. At the incident laser pumping power of 7 W, the modulation depth is 100%.