Diode-pumped Nd:BaY2F8 picosecond laser

Picosecond pulse generation at 1050 nm by a diode-pumped Nd:BaY2F8 (Nd:BaYF) active crystal has been investigated under low-power pumping (440 mW absorbed). The sample was oriented along the optical axes and cut at Brewster angle for y-axis laser polarization to minimize birefringence effects. Stable passive mode-locking operation has been achieved by inverse saturable absorption with 80-mW output power and 3.7-ps pulses. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.