Short pulse passively Q-switched Nd:GdYVO4 laser using a GaAs mirror

Abstract We report on a diode pumped passively Q-switched Nd:Gd 0.64 Y 0.36 VO 4 laser with a Cr 4+ :YAG saturable absorber. We show experimentally that by using an appropriately coated GaAs wafer as output coupler, the Q-switched pulse width can be significantly suppressed. Stable Q-switched pulse train with pulse width of 2.2 ns, peak power of 26.3 kW, repetition rate of 15.38 kHz have been obtained under an absorbed pump power of 8.54 W. The physical mechanism of pulse width narrowing by the GaAs wafer was also experimentally investigated.