456-mW graphene Q-switched Yb:yttria waveguide laser by evanescent-field interaction

In this Letter, we present a passively Q-switched Yb: Y2O3 waveguide laser using evanescent-field interaction with an atmospheric-pressure-chemical-vapor-deposited graphene saturable absorber. The waveguide, pumped by a broad area diode laser, produced an average output power of 456 mW at an absorbed power of 4.1 W. The corresponding pulse energy and peak power were 330 nJ and 2W, respectively. No graphene damage was observed, demonstrating the suitability of top-deposited graphene for high-power operation. (C) 2015 Optical Society of America