title: Parametric Kerr lens mode-locked, 888 nm pumped Nd:YVO4 laser.
abstract: Self-starting cw mode locking of a 888 nm pumped high-power Nd:YVO(4) laser using the χ(2):χ(2) cascaded Kerr lens in lithium triborate without exploiting the "nonlinear mirror" technique is presented. The nonlinear loss modulations are mainly provided by a soft aperture mechanism in the gain medium. A high average output power up to 15.4 W at 10.8 ps pulse duration and short pulses down to 5.7 ps at 11.4 W have been achieved.
authors.affiliation: Photonik-Zentrum Kaiserslautern e.V., Kohlenhofstr.10, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany. christoph.schaefer@pzkl.de
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fries
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Theobald
authors.forename: Johannes A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: L'huillier