Efficient intracavity frequency doubling of a passively mode-locked diode-pumped neodymium lanthanum scandium borate laser

We passively mode locked a diode-pumped neodymium lanthanum scandium borate laser with an antiresonant Fabry-Perot saturable absorber and achieved 2.8-ps pulses at an average output power of 400 mW and a pump power of 1.2 W. With Ti:sapphire laser pumping we obtained pulses as short as 1.6 ps. Intracavity doubling produced 190 mW of 531-nm light for a diode-pump power of 1.2 W, resulting in a conversion efficiency of 48% with respect to the fundamental and 16% with respect to the diode-pump power. Noise characterization of the laser demonstrates a trade-off between high conversion efficiency and low intensity noise.