Diode-Pumped Passively Q-Switched Nd:Lu $_{0.5}$Y $_{0.5}$VO $_{4}$ Laser at 1.34 $\mu$m With Co $^{2+}$:LaMgAl $_{11}$O $_{19}$ as the Saturable Absorber

The performance of a diode-pumped passively Q-switched Nd: Lu
_0.5
Y
_0.5
VO
₄
laser at 1.34 μm with Co
²⁺
:LaMgAl
₁₁
O
₁₉
(Co
²⁺
:LMA) crystal as the saturable absorber was demonstrated for the first time to the best of our knowledge. Under the incident pump power of 8.18 W, the maximum average output power of 260 mW was achieved with a
T
= 15% output coupler. The minimum pulsewidth was 154.8 ns, corresponding to the pulse repetition frequency of 163.7 kHz.