Microchip laser Q‐switched with GaInNAs/GaAs SESAM emitting 204 ps pulses at 1342 nm

A 1342 nm Nd:YVO 4 microchip laser is reported, Q‐switched with a dilute nitride GaInNAs/GaAs saturable absorber mirror. The laser produced optical pulses as short as 204 ps with 2.3 MHz repetition rate and 24 mW average output power. In comparison to conventional InP‐based saturable absorber mirrors, the advantage of the proposed approach is the availability of excellent Bragg mirror materials that enable high reflectivity and more flexibility in designing the non‐linear parameters owing to the use of lattice matched GaInNAs/GaAs quantum wells.