Edge pumped passively Q switched thin Nd:YAG slab lasers

We report a high-power thin Nd:YAG slab laser with slab dimension of 1 mm \time 10 mm \time 60 mm partially edge-pumped by diode laser arrays. Passive Q-switching is achieved with a Cr4+:YAG microchip adopted as the saturable absorber mirror. The pulse duration is around 10 ns while the pulse repeti