Passively Q-Switched Nd:YVO_4 Laser Using a Gold Nanotriangle Saturable Absorber

A passively Q-switched Nd:YVO_4 laser at 1064 nm is demonstrated based on a gold nanotriangle saturable absorber (GNT SA). Under a pump power of 3.82 W, the maximum average output power of 218 mW is achieved, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 12.9%. The minimum pulse width is 165 ns and the maximum pulse repetition rate is 300 kHz at the pump power of 3.48 W. Our results prove that the GNT SA is a promising saturable absorber for near-infrared lasers.