2.6 ps pulse from passively mode-locking Nd:Gd0.64Y0.36VO4 laser based on graphene oxide

A diode-pumped passively mode-locking Nd:Gd0.64Y0.36VO4 laser was accomplished by employing graphene oxide as saturable absorber and output coupler simultaneously, for which the graphene oxide was deposited onto the output mirror. Owing to the broadband gain spectrum of the Nd:Gd0.64Y0.36VO4 crystal, cw mode-locking pulses with duration of ∼2.6 ps centered at 1064.30 nm were obtained. The average output power was 1.3 W and the corresponded peak power was 8.8 kW.