Single output LD end-pumped passively mode-locked Nd:YVO₄ laser with semiconductor saturable absorber mirror

A quarter-wave plate and the thin film polarizer (TFP) are used for the LD end-pumped passively mode-locked Nd:YVO_4 laser with semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) to obtain a single beam output with a total power of 4.8 W. An optical--optical efficiency is achieved to be 24% for a stable CW mode-locking operation at 1064 nm, with a pulse repetition rate of 70~MHz and pulse width of 16 ps. The multipulse in the pulse sequence is eliminated for reaching a peak power as high as 4~kW.