Sub-100 ns passively Q-switched Nd:LuAG laser with multi-walled carbon nanotube

Abstract We report the first demonstration of a diode-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:LuAG laser with a multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) as saturable absorber. A maximum average output power of 844 mW and pulses as short as 78 ns under a repetition rate of about 100 kHz were generated. A MWCNT Q-switched Nd:YAG laser was comparatively investigated, in comparison with which the Nd:LuAG laser showed lower threshold absorbed pump power and higher pulse energy, indicating a better energy storage ability of Nd:LuAG crystal than Nd:YAG.