1-mJ Q-switched diode-pumped Nd:BaY2F8 laser

We report what is to our knowledge the first high repetition rate Q-switched Nd:BaY2F8 (Nd:BaYF) laser pumped with a multiwatt fibercoupled diode array tuned at 806 nm. As much as 2.42 W of average power and up to 1.05 mJ of pulse energy were obtained with 6.1 W of absorbed pump power, with excellent beam quality (M2<1.2) and linear polarization.