High-power diode-side-pumped Nd:YAG solid laser mode-locked by CVD graphene

A simple and effective graphene based saturable absorber is successfully fabricated for high power mode-locking. Utilizing it, graphene-mode-locking operation is achieved in a diode-side-pumped solid laser for the first time. A maximum average output power up to 2.1 W is produced at ~1064 nm center wavelength with a pulse duration of ~13 ps. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the highest operation power for a graphene-mode-locked laser. The corresponding pulse energy and peak power are 18.4 nJ and 1.33 kW respectively.