We report on a high-repetition-rate, high-power continuously pumped Nd:GdVO4 regenerative amplifier. Numerical simulations successfully pinpoint the optimum working point free of bifurcation instability with simultaneous efficient energy extraction. At a repetition rate of 100 kHz, a maximum output power of 23 W was obtained with a pulse duration of 27 ps, corresponding to a pulse energy of
$230~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{J}$
. The system displayed an outstanding stability with a root mean square power noise as low as 0.3%. The geometry of the optical resonator and the pumping scheme enhanced output power in the
$\text{TEM}_{00}$
mode with a single bulk crystal. Accordingly, nearly diffraction-limited beam quality was produced with
$M^{2}\approx 1.2$
at full pump power.
High-repetition-rate and high-power picosecond regenerative amplifier based on a single bulk Nd:GdVO4 crystal