Multi-wavelength Nd:GAGG picosecond laser

Laser operation near 1.06 μm by a diode-pumped Nd:Gd3Alx Ga(5−x) O12 (x = 0.94) (Nd:GAGG) disordered crystal has been investigated. Free-running oscillation, with a slope efficiency as high as 55% and 256 mW output power, was achieved with 500 mW absorbed power using a 1-W laser diode for pumping. Stable passive mode-locking with dual-wavelength operation was obtained with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SAM) and a single-prism, dispersion-compensated cavity.The two-color mode-locking regime is well described by Fourier-limited synchronized pulses with duration ≈3.7 and 5.9 ps and output power ≈65 mW, with wavelength separation of 1.3 nm around 1062 nm.