High-power picosecond laser system with a slab neodymium glass amplifier operating at a repetition frequency up to 1 Hz

A picosecond neodymium glass laser system was developed using slab-shaped active elements ensuring a relatively high repetition frequency of the operating cycle. The parameters of the amplifying system were optimized; the energy of pulses of ~3 psec duration at the output of the amplifying stages was ~40 mJ and the efficiency of energy conversion to the second harmonic reached 40% at a repetition frequency of 1 Hz. The system could have applications in absorption spectroscopy with selective excitation and probing.