Generation of pulses as short as 93 fs from self-starting femtosecond Cr:LiSrAlF(6) lasers by exploiting multiple-quantum-well absorbers

Two-photon-excitation scanning microscopy of living neurons with a saturable Bragg reflector mode-locked diode-pumped Cr:LiSrAlFl laser

A Cr:LiSrAlFl laser, pumped with a diffraction-limited laser diode and mode locked with a saturable Bragg reflector, produces 90-fs pulses at 860 nm with a cw power as high as 88 mW in two beams. It is shown that this recently developed, compact, solid-state laser can be used as an excitation source for two-photon laser scanning microscopy. Morphological and functional images of neocortical and cerebellar neurons were obtained with submicrometer three-dimensional resolution. Single dendritic spines could easily be resolved deep in scattering tissue.

Low-loss intracavity AlAs/AlGaAs saturable Bragg reflector for femtosecond mode locking in solid-state lasers

We introduce a new low-loss semiconductor structure for femtosecond intracavity mode locking in low-gain solidstate lasers. This monolithic device can be engineered to exhibit specif ic saturation characteristics desirable for mode locking solid-state lasers. Self-starting 90-fs pulses are obtained with Ti:sapphire and diode-pumped Cr:LiSAF lasers. We discuss mode-locking mechanisms in quantum-well passively mode-locked solid-state lasers.

Mode-locked all-solid-state diode-pumped Cr:LiSAF laser

A diode-pumped mode-locked Cr:LiSAF laser is demonstrated for what is to our knowledge the first time. Active mode locking, with an acousto-optic modulator, and resonant passive mode locking, with a multiple-quantum-well absorber in an external cavity, have both yielded cw trains of picosecond pulses.