NONLINEAR MIRROR OPERATION OF A DIODE-PUMPED QUASI-CW PICOSECOND ND-YAG LASER

We apply the technique of nonlinear mirror (NLM) mode-locking to a pul sed diode-pumped, actively mode-locked Nd:YAG laser. Either effective pulse compression or pulse amplitude control regimes are achieved, dep ending on the NLM configuration. Operating the NLM as a fast saturable absorber, 34 ps-long pulses are emitted in a 450 ns-long train, with 0.5 mJ energy, at a maximum repetition rate of 100 Hz. Alternatively, in the pulse amplitude control regime, 100 mu s-long flat trains of ac tive mode-locking pulses are generated. In both cases, amplitude fluct uations lower than 2% (rms) were routinely obtained.