Passively Q-switched lasers and short wave infrared (SWIR) electro-optical systems including such lasers. A passively Q-switched laser may include a gain medium (GM) having a stimulated emission cross section σ SE , a saturable absorber (SA) having an absorption cross section (σ a ) which is less than three times the σ SE of the GM, and an optical resonator within which the GM and the SA are positioned, the optical resonator comprising a high reflectivity mirror and an output coupler, wherein at least one of the high reflectivity mirror and the output coupler comprises a curved mirror, directing light within the optical resonator such that an effective cross-section of a laser mode within the SA (A SA ) is smaller than a cross-section of a laser mode within a Rayleigh length of the pump (A GM ).