Diode-laser pumped high-power and actively mode-locked Nd:YLF laser with fast switching

In an actively mode-locked laser, self-phase modulation can make pulse shorter at the expanse of causing instability at high pumping power. Using fast switching on the acousto-optic modulator, we can generate an actively mode-locked pulse train with shorter pulse width and higher average power than that driven by a sinusoidal signal. A 9-ps pulse train was generated in a mode-locked laser with an average power of 600 mW whose power level, to our knowledge, is the highest for diode-pumped and mode-locked Nd:YLF lasers.