Diode-end-pumped passively Q-switched 1.33 microm Nd:Gd3AlxGa(5-x)O12 laser with V3+: YAG saturable absorber

We demonstrated the 1.33 microm laser performance with Nd:Gd(3)Al(x)Ga(5-x)O(12) (x = 0.94) (Nd:GAGG) laser crystals for the first time. Continuous-wave (cw) output power of 2.45 W was obtained with the optical-optical conversion efficiency of 21.8% and slope efficiency of 23.3%. In the passive Q-switching regime, the highest output power, the shortest pulse width, largest pulse energy and highest peak power were achieved to be 326 mW 18.2 ns, 36.3 microJ and 2.0 kW, respectively, with V(3+):YAG crystal as the saturable absorber.