High-Repetition Rate, Narrow Linewidth, And Spatially Controlled Operation Of A Q-Switched Nd:Yvo4 Laser

We present a Nd:YVO4 Q-switched oscillator with spectrally controlled output operating at repetition rates up to 25 kHz and providing energy up to 1.5 mJ in 50 ns pulses. Spectral control is provided by an intra-cavity volume Bragg grating (VBG), which locks the output wavelength to 1064.24 nm and narrows the spectral linewidth to less than 10 pm. The side-pumped geometry of the gain medium allows for controlled spatial profile and compactness (30x60 cm2) of the total setup. © 2010 Copyright SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering