Two-gigahertz repetition-rate, diode-pumped, mode-locked Nd:YLF laser

A diode-pumped Nd:YLF laser has been acousto-optically mode locked at a 2-GHz repetition rate, giving pulse widths of 7 psec with an average power of 135 mW at a wavelength of 1.047 microm. The 2-GHz pulse rate corresponds to a free-space cavity length of 7.5 cm, while the laser's actual cavity length is approximately 6.6 cm. The mode locker consists of a sapphire substrate with a lithium niobate transducer, giving 0.5% loss modulation per watt. Stable mode-locked pulses were achieved for loss modulations of 1% or greater.