We report, for the first time to our knowledge, a diode-pumped cw and passively $Q$-switched microchip Er, $\mathrm{Yb}\text{:}{\mathrm{YAl}}_3{({\mathrm{BO}}_3)}_4$ laser. A maximal output power of 800 mW at 1602 nm in the cw regime was obtained at an absorbed pump power of 7.7 W. By using ${\mathrm{Co}}^{2+}\text{:}\mathrm{Mg}{\mathrm{Al}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_4$ as a saturable absorber, a ${\mathrm{TEM}}_{00}$-mode $Q$-switched average output power of 315 mW was demonstrated at 1522 nm, with pulse duration of 5 ns and pulse energy of 5.25 μJ at a repetition rate of 60 kHz.

A high-power, diode-pumped, semiconductor saturable absorber mode-locked Yb(5%):KGW bulk laser was demonstrated with high optical-to-optical efficiency. Average output power as high as 8.8 W with optical-to-optical efficiency of 37.5% was obtained for Nm-polarized laser output with 162 fs pulse duration and 142 nJ pulse energy at a pulse repetition frequency of 62 MHz. For Np polarization, 143 fs pulses with pulse energy of 139 nJ and average output power of up to 8.6 W with optical-to-optical efficiency of 31% were generated.

Crystal growth, polarized spectroscopic properties, lifetime measurements, and CW laser performance under diode pumping of a new ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{3+}$-doped ${\mathrm{LuAlO}}_3$ crystal (Yb:LuAP) are reported for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The maximum absorption cross section of $6.6·{10}^{-20}{\mathrm{cm}}^2$ at 978.5 nm was determined for E//c polarization. The radiative lifetime of ${}^2{\mathrm{F}}_{5/2}$ manifold of ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{3+}$ ions in LuAP was measured to be 475 μs. CW laser action was demonstrated with output powers up to 9.6 W and slope efficiencies up to 84.5%. 82 nm tunability range was demonstrated for E//c polarization.

A chirped-pulse regenerative amplifier based on a $\mathrm{Yb}\text{:}{\mathrm{YVO}}_4$ (Yb:YVO) crystal was demonstrated for the first time, to our knowledge. A novel wavelength-independent off-axis technique was used to deliver 26.6 W of pump power with a low quantum defect. It was seeded by means of a 120 fs $\mathrm{Yb}\text{:}{\mathrm{YVO}}_4$ oscillator. It generates as much as 5.5 W of average output power with chirped pulses and 4.2 W with 200 fs compressed pulses at a 200 kHz repetition rate. A maximum pulse energy of 140 μJ was obtained at pulse repetition frequencies up to 25 kHz at the central wavelength of 1018 nm.

The experimental study results of a chirped pulse amplification regime are reported for the $\mathrm{Yb}\text{:}{\mathrm{LuAlO}}_3$ crystal with different polarization states in the gain media for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. Maximum output power of 5 W with 565 fs pulse duration was obtained for E//b-polarization at a 200 kHz repetition rate seeded by a 98 fs Yb:KYW oscillator. 165 fs pulses with output power of 4.5 W were demonstrated for E//c-polarized light in the crystal.

A compact diode-pumped actively $Q$-switched Yb:KGW laser is demonstrated with an optical-to-optical efficiency of 50%. In a 3-mirror laser cavity configuration output power of 12.2 W with repetition rate up to 50 kHz and pulse duration of 10–24 ns was obtained. The maximum pulse peak power of 70 kW was achieved. The laser output beam profile was Gaussian up to maximum pump powers with $M^2$ factor less than 1.2.