A 1.7-ps pulse mode-locked Yb³⁺:Sc₂SiO₅ laser with a reflective graphene oxide saturable absorber

By using a reflective graphene oxide as saturable absorber, a diode-pumped passively mode-locked Yb³⁺:Sc₂SiO₅ (Yb:SSO) laser has been demonstrated for the first time. Without extra negative dispersion compensation, the minimum pulse duration of 1.7 ps with a repetition rate of 94 MHz was obtained at the central wavelength of 1062.6 nm. The average output power amounts to 355 mW under the absorbed pump power of 15 W. The maximum peak power of the mode-locking laser is up to 2.2 kW, and the single pulse energy is 3.8 nJ.