Graphene oxide absorber for 2 mu m passive mode-locking Tm:YAlO3 laser

For the first time of our knowledge, we demonstrate the graphene oxide as a saturable absorber (SA) in the passive mode-locking of a diode pumped Tm3+-doped laser. Broadly spectral region sub-10 ps mode-locking in a Tm:YAlO3 (Tm:YAP) laser near 2 mu m were obtained. With a pump power of 8.64 W, the average output power of 268 mW with the maximum pulse energy of 3.7 nJ at the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 71.8 MHz was obtained. (C) 2012 by Astro Ltd., Published exclusively by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA)