Generation of 25 ps pulses by self induced mode locking of a single broad area diode laser with 300 mW average output power

Detailed investigations of the spatiotemporal and spectral emission properties of a high power diode laser are presented. The AR coated laser diode with design wavelength of 940 nm is driven in an external resonator. The laser generates up to 340 mW average output power in a train of picosecond pulses with durations of 25 ps and repetition rates of 2.6 GHz. The mechanism of mode locking is discussed as self pulsation because of the strong correlation between round trip time and repetition rate. The double-sided exponential pulses suggest saturable absorber action.