High-average-power nonlinear mirror mode-locking with diode-pumped neodymium lasers

Summary form only given. Among the available passive mode-locking techniques for generating ultrashort pulses in neodymium lasers, the so-called nonlinear mirror (NLM) seems to be particularly interesting for application in high-power picosecond lasers, due to its high gain modulation coefficient, the high damage threshold and the capability to mode-lock virtually any laser transition. In our setup the NLM consists in the combination of a second-harmonic crystal and a dichroic mirror, totally reflecting the second harmonic and partially transmitting the fundamental, thus acting as a fast saturable absorber. Nd:YVO/sub 4/ is very interesting for generation of powerful picosecond pulses, due to its large emission cross section, a wide fluorescence bandwidth, and polarized emission.