210-$\mu$J Picosecond Pulses From a Quasi-CW Nd:YVO$_{4}$ Grazing-Incidence Two-Stage Slab Amplifier Package

A single-pass two-stage Nd:YVO ₄ amplifier was used to increase the energy of a 7.7-ps seed pulse from < 1 nJ to 210 muJ (11-ps time duration), maintaining the input spatial quality of the pulse. The laser-diode side-pumped grazing-incidence Nd:YVO ₄ slab amplifier was optimized for minimum amplified spontaneous emission noise and for maximum energy extraction, with single-pass small-signal gain of 59 dB. Diffraction-limited operation up to 1 kHz is possible. Conversion efficiency of 75 % at 532 nm and 40% at 266 nm was observed.