High-power diode-directly-pumped tenth-order harmonic mode-locked TEM 00 Nd:YVO 4 laser with 1 GHz repetition rate

A high-efficiency high-power diode-directly-pumped tenth-order harmonic mode-locked TEM 00 Nd:YVO 4 laser with 1 GHz repetition rate was first demonstrated. The maximum output power was 10.4 W with optical-optical efficiency of 41.8% and slope efficiency of 78.1%, respectively, the pulse width was about 30 ps at the output power of 9.6 W. Based on the large third-order nonlinearity of Nd:YVO 4 , the tenth-order harmonic mode-locked pulses were induced by the intensity-dependent Kerr effect and the cooperative action of counter-propagating pulses colliding in the laser crystal for a colliding-pulse-modelocking-like cavity. The pulses were further modulated by a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror.