Sub-nanosecond diode-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:GdVO4 laser with peak power >1 MW

The authors report on a passively Q-switched diode-pumped Nd:GdVO4 miniature laser generating 0.5 mJ pulses at 1063 nm, with 420 ps time duration and 1.2 MW peak power, at a repetition rate up to 200 Hz and with a nearly diffraction-limited beam quality M2 1.1 .