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Chen H, Zhang P, Song J, Yin H, Hang Y, Yang Q, Li Z, Chen Z. Spectral broadening of a mixed Nd: CYGA crystal with tunable laser operation beyond 1100 nm. OPTICS EXPRESS 2022; 30:21943-21951. [PMID: 36224904 DOI: 10.1364/oe.461795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
A broader emission band of the novel Nd: CaY0.9Gd0.1AlO4 (Nd: CYGA) mixed crystal was proved by the introduction of Gd3+ ions in Nd: CaYAlO4 (Nd: CYA) crystal, and a diode-pump tunable Nd: CYGA laser operation was achieved successfully. Due to the broad emission spectrum with the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 23 nm, a tuning range of 32 nm from 1075 nm to 1107 nm was achieved, and the results were considered to be the first time for Nd-doped crystals to be tuned to such a long wavelength at 1107 nm, which promotes the further development of near-infrared tunable lasers. The maximum output power was 1.05 W at the center wavelength of 1081.4 nm, corresponding to the slope efficiency of 26.6%. Furthermore, we also demonstrated a continuous-wave 1105 nm laser with the output power of 53 mW. Our work indicates that Nd: CYGA crystal is a potential Nd-doped gain medium for generating all-solid-state near-infrared lasers.
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Wu G, Bai L, Yu P, Fan M, Sun L, Li Y, Yu F, Wang Z, Zhao X. Growth, Optical, and Spectroscopic Properties of Pure and Nd 3+-Doped GdSr 3(PO 4) 3 Crystals with Disordered Structure. Inorg Chem 2021; 61:170-177. [PMID: 34847322 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c02561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Disordered crystals have attracted immense attention for the generation of ultrashort laser pulses due to their good thermomechanical characteristics and wide emission bandwidths. In this work, a Gd-based orthophosphate crystal, GdSr3(PO4)3, (GSP), and a Nd3+-doped GdSr3(PO4)3 crystal, (Nd:GSP), were obtained by the Czochralski method. The crystal structure, optical properties, electronic band structure, laser damage threshold, and hardness of the GSP crystal were comprehensively investigated. It exhibited a disordered structure due to the random distribution of Sr and Gd atoms in the same Wyckoff site, which caused inhomogeneous spectral broadening. Additionally, it exhibited a short UV absorption cutoff edge (<200 nm), a large band gap (5.81 eV), and a high laser damage threshold (∼1850 MW/cm2). The spectral properties and Judd-Ofelt calculations of the Nd:GSP crystals were analyzed. A wide absorption band at 803 nm, with a full width at half-maximum value of 20 nm, makes the Nd:GSP crystal suitable for the efficient pumping of AlGaAs laser diodes. Sub-100-fs pulses could be supported by its 25 nm emission bandwidth. Hence, the GSP crystal could be a promising disordered crystal laser matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangda Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Center for Optics Research and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, P. R. China
| | - Linyu Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Center for Optics Research and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, P. R. China
| | - Pingzhang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Center for Optics Research and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, P. R. China
| | - Mengdi Fan
- Key Laboratory of Laser & Infrared System, Shandong University, Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Li Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Center for Optics Research and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, P. R. China.,Key Laboratory of Laser & Infrared System, Shandong University, Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yanlu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Center for Optics Research and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, P. R. China
| | - Fapeng Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Center for Optics Research and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, P. R. China.,Key Laboratory of Laser & Infrared System, Shandong University, Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Zhengping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Center for Optics Research and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, P. R. China
| | - Xian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Center for Optics Research and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, P. R. China.,Key Laboratory of Laser & Infrared System, Shandong University, Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266237, China
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Suzuki M, Boyraz O, Asghari H, Jalali B. Spectral dynamics on saturable absorber in mode-locking with time stretch spectroscopy. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14460. [PMID: 32879406 PMCID: PMC7467930 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71342-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A mode-locked laser that can produce a broadband spectrum and ultrashort pulse has been applied for many applications in an extensive range of scientific fields. To obtain stable mode-locking during a long time alignment-free, a semiconductor saturable absorber is one of the most suitable devices. Dynamics from noise to a stable mode-locking state in the spectral-domain are known as complex and a non-repetitive phenomenon with the time scale from nanoseconds to milliseconds. Thus, a conventional spectrometer, which is composed of a grating and line sensor, cannot capture the spectral behavior from noise to stable mode-locking. As a powerful spectral measurement technique, a time-stretch dispersive Fourier transformation (TS-DFT) has been recently used to enable a successive single-shot spectral measurement over a couple of milliseconds time span. Here, we experimentally demonstrate real-time spectral evolution of femtosecond pulse build-up in a homemade passive mode-locked Yb fiber laser with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror using TS-DFT. Capturing 700 consecutive spectra (~ 17 µs time window) in real-time using the time-stretch technique, we are able to resolve the transient dynamics that lead to stable mode-locking. Before setting stable mode-locking, an oscillating or shifting fringe pattern in the consecutive spectra was detected. This signature proves the existence of multiple pulses (including a soliton molecule) which is temporally separated with a different relative phase. The dynamics on multiple pulses is originated from a fast relaxation time of the saturable absorption effect. This study provides novel insights into understanding the pulse behavior during the birth of an ultrafast mode-locked laser pulse and the stable single-pulse operation which is highly stabilized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masayuki Suzuki
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, 3 Tatara-Miyakodani, Kyotanabe, Kyoto, 610-0394, Japan.
| | - Ozdal Boyraz
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Hossein Asghari
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA
| | - Bahram Jalali
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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Gong L, Wang Y, Yang Y, Li X, Chen P. Mode-locked femtosecond laser with a rotary Nd:glass disk. APPLIED OPTICS 2019; 58:6618-6621. [PMID: 31503593 DOI: 10.1364/ao.58.006618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate here femtosecond pulses output from a rotary Nd:glass disk laser, mode-locked with semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors. We obtained an average output power of 0.66 W in cw operation and an average output power of 0.49 W with a duration of 324 fs in mode-locked operation in the case of an absorbed pump power of 7.3 W. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that sub-picosecond pulses have been obtained from rotary Nd:glass disk lasers. It shows a new concept for all-solid-state mode-locked glass lasers with high power.
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Hao Q, Pang S, Liu J, Su L. Tunable and passively Q-switched laser operation of Nd,Lu:CaF 2 disordered crystal. APPLIED OPTICS 2018; 57:6491-6495. [PMID: 30117887 DOI: 10.1364/ao.57.006491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We report the first demonstration, to the best of our knowledge, of tunable and Q-switched lasers based on diode-pumped Nd,Lu:CaF2 disordered crystal. A continuous tuning range of approximately 32 nm (1047-1079 nm) was obtained for tunable operations. A passively Q-switched laser was successfully achieved using a Cr4+:YAG as a saturable absorber. The shortest pulse width of 275 ns was obtained with a repetition rate of 1.85 kHz and corresponding peak power and single pulse energy of 189 W and 51.9 μJ, respectively.
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Alfieri CGE, Diebold A, Emaury F, Gini E, Saraceno CJ, Keller U. Improved SESAMs for femtosecond pulse generation approaching the kW average power regime. OPTICS EXPRESS 2016; 24:27587-27599. [PMID: 27906330 DOI: 10.1364/oe.24.027587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We present semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAMs) that can potentially support femtosecond pulses from ultrafast thin disk lasers (TDLs) with high average power approaching the kW-power level and high pulse energy in the range of 100 µJ to 1 mJ at megahertz pulse repetition rates. For high-power operation, the SESAM parameters will ultimately limit the shortest pulse duration from a soliton mode-locked laser before mode locking instabilities such as multiple pulsing instabilities and continuous wave (cw) breakthrough start to occur. Currently shorter pulses are prevented due to the inverse saturable absorption that becomes stronger with shorter pulses and results in a shift of the "rollover" of the nonlinear SESAM reflectivity towards lower fluences. Here we discuss a novel SESAM design that addresses these issues and can be grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE), an attractive epitaxial growth technology for manufacturing.
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Liu SD, Dong LL, Xu Y, Zhang X, Ren TQ, Xu XD, Peng YD, Zhang YP, Zhang HY, Li DH, Zhang BT, He JL. Femtosecond pulse generation with an a-cut Nd:CaYAlO 4 disordered crystal. APPLIED OPTICS 2016; 55:7659-7662. [PMID: 27661595 DOI: 10.1364/ao.55.007659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We experimentally demonstrated a diode-pumped 587 fs ultrafast laser by using an a-cut Nd:CaYAlO4 crystal. Pumped by an 808 nm fiber-coupled laser diode, a stable continuous-wave mode-locked ultrafast laser was achieved with a semiconductor saturable absorber. The ultrafast pulses had a repetition rate of 75 MHz at the center wavelength of 1080.8 nm. A maximum average output power of the mode-locked laser reached 375 mW delivering a slope efficiency of 9%.
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Stuart N, Robinson T, Hillier D, Hopps N, Parry B, Musgrave I, Nersisyan G, Sharba A, Zepf M, Smith RA. Comparative study on the temporal contrast of femtosecond mode-locked laser oscillators. OPTICS LETTERS 2016; 41:3221-3224. [PMID: 27420500 DOI: 10.1364/ol.41.003221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We have investigated the temporal intensity contrast characteristics from a broad range of mode-locked short-pulse oscillators used for seeding high-power terawatt and petawatt-class laser systems. Saturable absorber (SESAM), Kerr lens (KLM), nonlinear polarization evolution (NPE) in optical fibers and synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator (OPO) mode-locked sources have been measured using a third-order autocorrelator with up to 1010 dynamic range. We restricted the temporal characterization to features <30 ps about the laser pulse that reflect fundamental mode-locking processes. We find additional nonlinear terms and residual higher-order dispersion limits the performance of KLM and NPE sources up to the 105 contrast level, while >108 contrast was observed from the SESAM and OPO laser pulse trains.
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Diebold A, Zengerle T, Alfieri CGE, Schriber C, Emaury F, Mangold M, Hoffmann M, Saraceno CJ, Golling M, Follman D, Cole GD, Aspelmeyer M, Südmeyer T, Keller U. Optimized SESAMs for kilowatt-level ultrafast lasers. OPTICS EXPRESS 2016; 24:10512-10526. [PMID: 27409874 DOI: 10.1364/oe.24.010512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We present a thorough investigation of surface deformation and thermal properties of high-damage threshold large-area semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAMs) designed for kilowatt average power laser oscillators. We compare temperature rise, thermal lensing, and surface deformation of standard SESAM samples and substrate-removed SESAMs contacted using different techniques. We demonstrate that for all cases the thermal effects scale linearly with the absorbed power, but the contacting technique critically affects the strength of the temperature rise and the thermal lens of the SESAMs (i.e. the slope of the linear change). Our best SESAMs are fabricated using a novel substrate-transfer direct bonding technique and show excellent surface flatness (with non-measureable radii of curvature (ROC), compared to astigmatic ROCs of up to 10 m for standard SESAMs), order-of-magnitude improved heat removal, and negligible deformation with absorbed power. This is achieved without altering the saturation behavior or the recovery parameters of the samples. These SESAMs will be a key enabling component for the next generation of kilowatt-level ultrafast oscillators.
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Ma J, Pan Z, Cai H, Yu H, Zhang H, Shen D, Tang D. Sub-80 femtosecond pulses generation from a diode-pumped mode-locked Nd:Ca 3La 2(BO 3) 4 disordered crystal laser. OPTICS LETTERS 2016; 41:1384-1387. [PMID: 27192242 DOI: 10.1364/ol.41.001384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We experimentally demonstrated a diode-pumped sub-80 fs Nd:Ca3La2(BO3)4 disordered crystal laser. Pumping by an 808 nm fiber coupled laser diode, stable continuous-wave mode-locked pulses as short as 79 fs were achieved with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). The ultrashort pulses had a repetition rate of ∼98.9 MHz at the central wavelength of about 1068 nm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of sub-100 fs pulses and the shortest mode-locked pulses generated from the Nd3+-doped crystal lasers.
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11
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Keppler S, Sävert A, Körner J, Hornung M, Liebetrau H, Hein J, Kaluza MC. The generation of amplified spontaneous emission in high-power CPA laser systems. LASER & PHOTONICS REVIEWS 2016; 10:264-277. [PMID: 27134684 PMCID: PMC4845653 DOI: 10.1002/lpor.201500186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Revised: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
An analytical model is presented describing the temporal intensity contrast determined by amplified spontaneous emission in high-intensity laser systems which are based on the principle of chirped pulse amplification. The model describes both the generation and the amplification of the amplified spontaneous emission for each type of laser amplifier. This model is applied to different solid state laser materials which can support the amplification of pulse durations ≤350 fs . The results are compared to intensity and fluence thresholds, e.g. determined by damage thresholds of a certain target material to be used in high-intensity applications. This allows determining if additional means for contrast improvement, e.g. plasma mirrors, are required for a certain type of laser system and application. Using this model, the requirements for an optimized high-contrast front-end design are derived regarding the necessary contrast improvement and the amplified "clean" output energy for a desired focussed peak intensity. Finally, the model is compared to measurements at three different high-intensity laser systems based on Ti:Sapphire and Yb:glass. These measurements show an excellent agreement with the model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Keppler
- Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena Germany
| | - Alexander Sävert
- Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena Germany
| | - Jörg Körner
- Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena Germany
| | - Marco Hornung
- Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena Germany; Helmholtz-Institute Jena Germany
| | - Hartmut Liebetrau
- Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena Germany
| | - Joachim Hein
- Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena Germany; Helmholtz-Institute Jena Germany
| | - Malte Christoph Kaluza
- Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena Germany; Helmholtz-Institute Jena Germany
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Higashi Y, Nakao H, Shirakawa A, Ueda K, Kaminskii AA, Kuretake S, Kintaka Y, Murayama K, Tanaka N. Femtosecond mode-locked Nd(3+)-doped Ba(Zr,Mg,Ta)O(3) ceramic laser. OPTICS LETTERS 2015; 40:3818-3821. [PMID: 26274668 DOI: 10.1364/ol.40.003818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We have demonstrated continuous wave (CW) laser operation and the first, to the best of our knowledge, sub-200 fs mode-locked laser operation of Nd(3+)-doped Ba(Zr,Mg,Ta)O(3) ceramic. Its disordered crystalline nature exhibits a broad gain bandwidth of 30 nm with a high-emission cross section. It also has higher thermal and mechanical properties than Nd:glass. In CW operation, a maximum output power of 1.5 W under 6.2 W of absorbed pump power was obtained. In mode-locked operation, a pulse duration of 196 fs with an average power of 60 mW was successfully achieved. The laser spectrum straddled both fluorescence peaks of A-site and B-site Nd(3+) ions.
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Zhang Y, Wang X, Yang Y, Liu B, Lv X, Wei L, Yu H, Zhang H. Thermal and spectroscopic characteristics of disordered melilite Nd:BaLaGa3O7 crystal. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra11015g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
1 at% Nd:BaLaGa3O7 disordered crystal has a large emission bandwidth of 32 nm at 1060 nm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Zhang
- New Materials Institute
- Shandong Academy of Sciences
- Ji'nan 250014
- China
| | - Xuping Wang
- New Materials Institute
- Shandong Academy of Sciences
- Ji'nan 250014
- China
| | - Yuguo Yang
- New Materials Institute
- Shandong Academy of Sciences
- Ji'nan 250014
- China
| | - Bing Liu
- New Materials Institute
- Shandong Academy of Sciences
- Ji'nan 250014
- China
| | - Xianshun Lv
- New Materials Institute
- Shandong Academy of Sciences
- Ji'nan 250014
- China
| | - Lei Wei
- New Materials Institute
- Shandong Academy of Sciences
- Ji'nan 250014
- China
| | - Haohai Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials and Institute of Crystal Materials
- Shandong University
- Ji'nan 250100
- China
| | - Huaijin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials and Institute of Crystal Materials
- Shandong University
- Ji'nan 250100
- China
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Pan Z, Ma J, Xu H, Tang D, Cai H, Yu H, Zhang H, Wang J. 251 fs pulse generation with a Nd3+-doped Ca3Gd2(BO3)4 disordered crystal. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra04720j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Autocorrelation trace and spectrum of the mode-locked pulses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongben Pan
- Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on High Energy Laser
- Institute of Chemical Materials and Advanced Materials Center
- China Academy of Engineering Physics
- Mianyang 621900
- China
| | - Jie Ma
- Department of Chemistry and Graphene Research Centre
- National University of Singapore
- Singapore 117543
- Singapore
| | - Honghao Xu
- College of Physics
- Qingdao University
- Qingdao 266071
- China
| | - Dingyuan Tang
- School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Nanyang Technological University
- Singapore
| | - Huaqiang Cai
- Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on High Energy Laser
- Institute of Chemical Materials and Advanced Materials Center
- China Academy of Engineering Physics
- Mianyang 621900
- China
| | - Haohai Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials and Institute of Crystal Materials
- Shandong University
- Jinan 250100
- China
| | - Huaijin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials and Institute of Crystal Materials
- Shandong University
- Jinan 250100
- China
| | - Jiyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials and Institute of Crystal Materials
- Shandong University
- Jinan 250100
- China
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Klenner A, Golling M, Keller U. High peak power gigahertz Yb:CALGO laser. OPTICS EXPRESS 2014; 22:11884-11891. [PMID: 24921309 DOI: 10.1364/oe.22.011884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We present a high-power gigahertz SESAM modelocked Yb:CALGO laser with sub-60-fs pulses. The laser delivers an average output power of 2.95 W at a pulse repetition rate of 1.8 GHz in fundamental modelocking without additional pulse compression or amplification. Stable modelocking with a single pulse per cavity round-trip is confirmed and results in an output peak power of 24.3 kW and a pulse energy of 1.64 nJ. The laser is pumped by a commercial multimode diode laser, which improves the reliability and robustness. This high-power gigahertz laser is expected to enable numerous applications in frequency metrology.
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Ishibashi S, Naganuma K. Mode-locked operation of Cr⁴⁺:YAG single-crystal fiber laser with external cavity. OPTICS EXPRESS 2014; 22:6764-6771. [PMID: 24664024 DOI: 10.1364/oe.22.006764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We report what is to our knowledge the first mode-locked Cr⁴⁺:YAG single-crystal fiber laser, which generates pulses of 120-fs duration with an output power of 23 mW at a center wavelength of 1520 nm for a single pulse in a cavity-round-trip. The laser contains a single-crystal fiber multi-mode waveguide about 120 μm in diameter and 40-mm long. The fundamental transverse mode is selected with an external cavity. This design strategy turned out to be well suited for direct high-power-laser-diode pumping.
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Saraceno CJ, Emaury F, Schriber C, Hoffmann M, Golling M, Südmeyer T, Keller U. Ultrafast thin-disk laser with 80 μJ pulse energy and 242 W of average power. OPTICS LETTERS 2014; 39:9-12. [PMID: 24365808 DOI: 10.1364/ol.39.000009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We present a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) mode-locked thin-disk laser generating 80 μJ of pulse energy without additional amplification. This laser oscillator operates at a repetition rate of 3.03 MHz and delivers up to 242 W of average output power with a pulse duration of 1.07 ps, resulting in an output peak power of 66 MW. In order to minimize the parasitic nonlinearity of the air inside the laser cavity, the oscillator was operated in a vacuum environment. To start and stabilize soliton mode locking, we used an optimized high-damage threshold, low-loss SESAM. With this new milestone result, we have successfully scaled the pulse energy of ultrafast laser oscillators to a new performance regime and can predict that pulse energies of several hundreds of microjoules will become possible in the near future. Such lasers are interesting for both industrial and scientific applications, for example for precise micromachining and attosecond science.
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Xu C, Wise FW. Recent Advances in Fiber Lasers for Nonlinear Microscopy. NATURE PHOTONICS 2013; 7:10.1038/nphoton.2013.284. [PMID: 24416074 PMCID: PMC3887125 DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2013.284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2013] [Accepted: 09/24/2013] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Nonlinear microscopy techniques developed over the past two decades have provided dramatic new capabilities for biological imaging. The initial demonstrations of nonlinear microscopies coincided with the development of solid-state femtosecond lasers, which continue to dominate applications of nonlinear microscopy. Fiber lasers offer attractive features for biological and biomedical imaging, and recent advances are leading to high-performance sources with the potential for robust, inexpensive, integrated instruments. This article discusses recent advances, and identifies challenges and opportunities for fiber lasers in nonlinear bioimaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Xu
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - F W Wise
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
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Abstract
Various versions of nonlinear microscopy are revolutionizing the life sciences, almost all of which are made possible because of the development of ultrafast lasers. In this article, the main properties and technical features of short-pulse lasers used in nonlinear microscopy are summarized. Recent research results on fiber lasers that will impact future instruments are also discussed.
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NISHIMURA A, AKAOKA K, OHZU A, USAMI T. Temporal Change of Thermal Lens Effects on Highly Pumped Ytterbium Glass by Wavefront Measurement. J NUCL SCI TECHNOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1080/18811248.2001.9715134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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21
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Wise FW. Femtosecond Fiber Lasers Based on Dissipative Processes for Nonlinear Microscopy. IEEE JOURNAL OF SELECTED TOPICS IN QUANTUM ELECTRONICS : A PUBLICATION OF THE IEEE LASERS AND ELECTRO-OPTICS SOCIETY 2012; 18:1412-1421. [PMID: 23869163 PMCID: PMC3712536 DOI: 10.1109/jstqe.2011.2179919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Recent progress in the development of femtosecond-pulse fiber lasers with parameters appropriate for nonlinear microscopy is reviewed. Pulse-shaping in lasers with only normal-dispersion components is briefly described, and the performance of the resulting lasers is summarized. Fiber lasers based on the formation of dissipative solitons now offer performance competitive with that of solid-state lasers, but with the benefits of the fiber medium. Lasers based on self-similar pulse evolution in the gain section of a laser also offer a combination of short pulse duration and high pulse energy that will be attractive for applications in nonlinear bioimaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank W. Wise
- The School of Applied and Engineering Physics at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. (phone: 607-255-1184)
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Li SL, Han P, Shi M, Yao Y, Hu B, Wang M, Zhu X. Low-loss channel optical waveguide fabrication in Nd(3+)-doped silicate glasses by femtosecond laser direct writing. OPTICS EXPRESS 2011; 19:23958-23964. [PMID: 22109420 DOI: 10.1364/oe.19.023958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Optical waveguides were fabricated in neodymium-doped silicate glass by using a low-repetition-rate (1 kHz) femtosecond laser inscription. Two different types of waveguide structure are fabricated. In the first, guiding occurs in the focal spot. In the second, guiding occurs in the region between the two filaments. The near-field intensity distribution, propagation loss, index profile reconstruction, and calculation of the modal intensity distribution by the beam propagation method of these waveguides are presented. On the basis of near-field intensity distribution of the light guided through the waveguides and the propagation loss measurement, the optimum writing conditions such as the pulse energy and scan velocity were determined. The waveguide written with 2.2 µJ pulse energy and 50 µm/s scan velocity shows strong guidance at 632.8 nm, with an index contrast of 7 × 10(-4) and a propagation loss of ~0.8 dB/cm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Ling Li
- College of Physics and Engineering, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laser and Information Technology, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China.
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23
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Saraceno CJ, Heckl OH, Baer CRE, Golling M, Südmeyer T, Beil K, Kränkel C, Petermann K, Huber G, Keller U. SESAMs for high-power femtosecond modelocking: power scaling of an Yb:LuScO₃ thin disk laser to 23 W and 235 fs. OPTICS EXPRESS 2011; 19:20288-20300. [PMID: 21997040 DOI: 10.1364/oe.19.020288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
We report on power scaling of a modelocked thin disk laser based on the broadband mixed sesquioxide material Yb:LuScO₃. One of the key elements to achieve this result was an improved SESAM design with reduced two-photon-absorption (TPA) and high damage threshold. In a first experiment, using a standard antiresonant SESAM with no topcoating, we could demonstrate record short pulse durations of 195 fs at a moderate average power of 9.5 W. Furthermore, we were able to power scale our thin disk laser while keeping the pulses short reaching 23 W at a pulse duration of 235 fs. This was made possible by designing a new SESAM with multiple quantum wells (QW) and a suitable dielectric topcoating. We will present SESAM optimization guidelines for short pulse generation from high-power modelocked oscillators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara J Saraceno
- Department of Physics, Institute for Quantum Electronics, ETH Zürich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 16, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
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24
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Pekarek S, Fiebig C, Stumpf MC, Oehler AEH, Paschke K, Erbert G, Südmeyer T, Keller U. Diode-pumped gigahertz femtosecond Yb:KGW laser with a peak power of 3.9 kW. OPTICS EXPRESS 2010; 18:16320-16326. [PMID: 20721018 DOI: 10.1364/oe.18.016320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
We present a diode-pumped Yb:KGW laser with a repetition rate of 1 GHz and a pulse duration of 281 fs at a wavelength of 1041 nm. A high brightness distributed Bragg reflector tapered diode laser is used as a pump source. Stable soliton modelocking is achieved with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). The obtained average output power is 1.1 W and corresponds to a peak power of 3.9 kW and a pulse energy of 1.1 nJ. With harmonic modelocking we could increase the pulse repetition rate up to 4 GHz with an average power of 900 mW and a pulse duration of 290 fs. This Yb:KGW laser has a high potential for stable frequency comb generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selina Pekarek
- Department of Physics, Institute of Quantum Electronics, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
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25
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Agnesi A, Greborio A, Pirzio F, Reali G. 80-fs Nd:silicate glass laser pumped by a single-mode 200-mW diode. OPTICS EXPRESS 2010; 18:10098-10103. [PMID: 20588863 DOI: 10.1364/oe.18.010098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
A Nd(3+)-doped Schott LG680 silicate glass laser was pumped with a single-mode 200-mW diode. Efficient cw operation was demonstrated with 37.5 mW output power and 36% slope efficiency. Passive mode-locking with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror yielded 80-fs pulses with a two-prism setup. Alternatively, pulses of approximately 200-fs, tunable over the range 1058-1076 nm, were obtained with either slit-tuning or a single-prism dispersive resonator. Output powers from 6 to 14 mW have been measured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Agnesi
- Dipartimento di Elettronica dell'Università di Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
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26
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Xie GQ, Tang DY, Tan WD, Luo H, Zhang HJ, Yu HH, Wang JY. Subpicosecond pulse generation from a Nd:CLNGG disordered crystal laser. OPTICS LETTERS 2009; 34:103-105. [PMID: 19241632 DOI: 10.1364/ol.34.000103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We report on a diode-pumped passively mode-locked subpicosecond Nd:CLNGG disordered crystal laser for the first time to our knowledge. Owing to the large inhomogeneous broadening and spectrum splitting of the disordered crystal, the Nd:CLNGG laser generated 900 fs mode-locked pulses with a repetition rate of approximately 88 MHz at 1061 nm wavelength. With a single-emitter laser diode pumping, a maximum average output power of 486 mW was achieved with a slope efficiency of 26%. Our experimental results show that the four-level Nd:CLNGG disordered crystal could be an excellent alternative for subpicosecond pulse generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Q Xie
- School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
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27
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28
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Liu TM, Kärtner FX, Fujimoto JG, Sun CK. Multiplying the repetition rate of passive mode-locked femtosecond lasers by an intracavity flat surface with low reflectivity. OPTICS LETTERS 2005; 30:439-441. [PMID: 15762454 DOI: 10.1364/ol.30.000439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
By inserting a low-reflectivity flat surface inside the oscillator cavity, we demonstrate a flexible and phase-insensitive method for multiplying the repetition rate of a femtosecond passive mode-locked solid-state laser. Without mode matching and feedback control, we successfully multiplied the repetition rate of a passively mode-locked Cr:forsterite laser from 124 MHz to 1.24 GHz. High-repetition-rate femtosecond optical pulses with average power of >100 mW can be obtained with the demonstrated method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Ming Liu
- Graduate Institute of Electro-Optical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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29
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Limpert J, Clausnitzer T, Liem A, Schreiber T, Fuchs HJ, Zellmer H, Kley EB, Tünnermann A. High-average-power femtosecond fiber chirped-pulse amplification system. OPTICS LETTERS 2003; 28:1984-1986. [PMID: 14587797 DOI: 10.1364/ol.28.001984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Efficient generation of 76-W average power of 400-fs pulses at 75-MHz repetition rate by use of a diode-pumped ytterbium-doped double-clad fiber-based chirped-pulse amplification system is demonstrated. The key element in the system is a diffraction grating compressor consisting of highly efficient transmission gratings in fused silica, allowing recompression at this high power level.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Limpert
- Institute of Applied Physics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Max-Wien-Platz 1, D-07743 Jena, Germany.
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30
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Liu H, Biswal S, Paye J, Nees J, Mourou G, Hönninger C, Keller U. Directly diode-pumped millijoule subpicosecond Yb:glass regenerative amplifier. OPTICS LETTERS 1999; 24:917-919. [PMID: 18073895 DOI: 10.1364/ol.24.000917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
An Yb:glass regenerative amplifier directly side pumped by four 20-W diodes is demonstrated. By use of a novel pumping scheme and introduction of cylindrical optics into the cavity, a free-running average output power as great as 4 W with a TEM(00) -like mode was achieved from the bare cavity, with a 0.56 pump duty cycle. When the regenerative amplifier injected, 1-mJ 200-fs FWHM pulses were obtained following compression by use of 2-ms pump pulses and up to a 150-Hz repetition rate.
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31
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Liu X, Qian L, Wise F, Zhang Z, Itatani T, Sugaya T, Nakagawa T, Torizuka K. Diode-Pumped Cr:forsterite Laser Mode Locked by a Semiconductor Saturable Absorber. APPLIED OPTICS 1998; 37:7080-7084. [PMID: 18301528 DOI: 10.1364/ao.37.007080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
We report the passive mode locking of a diode-pumped Cr:forsterite laser using a semiconductor saturable absorber. The laser generates 10-pJ pulses as short as 1.5 ps in duration with ~650 mW of absorbed pump power. We measured the transient reflectance of the saturable absorber mirror under different incident energy fluences by using a standard pump-probe method. The performance of this laser is also compared with a high-power fiber-laser-pumped femtosecond forsterite laser mode locked with the same absorber.
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32
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Aus der Au J, Loesel FH, Morier-Genoud F, Moser M, Keller U. Femtosecond diode-pumped Nd:glass laser with more than 1 W of average output power. OPTICS LETTERS 1998; 23:271-273. [PMID: 18084482 DOI: 10.1364/ol.23.000271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
We have demonstrated 175-fs pulses with 1 W and 300-fs pulses with 1.2 W of average output power at a pulse repetition rate of 117 MHz from a Nd:phosphate (Schott LG 760) glass laser pumped by a 1-cm-wide, 20-W diode laser bar. Stable soliton mode locking was achieved by use of an intracavity semiconductor saturable absorber mirror. We obtained more than 2 W of average power without mode locking. Using cylindrical cavity mirrors, we adapted the laser mode inside the Nd:glass to the highly elliptical pump beam in both dimensions (tangential and sagittal axes) while maintaining a nearly ideal circular TEM(00) output beam with M(2) approximately 1.2 . Overpumping the laser mode in the tangential plane and efficient unidirectional heat removal in the sagittal plane using a 0.8-mm thin Nd:glass also contributed to the good output-beam quality.
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33
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Kalosha VP, Müller M, Herrmann J. Coherent-absorber mode locking of solid-state lasers. OPTICS LETTERS 1998; 23:117-119. [PMID: 18084431 DOI: 10.1364/ol.23.000117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
We study solid-state laser mode locking in the self-induced transparency regime of an intracavity absorber. Depending on the absorber dephasing, pulse energy, and resonator dispersion, we find stable coherent 2pi -pulse operation, pulse splitting, oscillatory pulse shapes, and smooth transition to incoherent saturable-absorber mode locking.
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34
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Liu X, Qian L, Wise F, Zhang Z, Itatani T, Sugaya T, Nakagawa T, Torizuka K. Femtosecond Cr:forsterite laser diode pumped by a double-clad fiber. OPTICS LETTERS 1998; 23:129-131. [PMID: 18084435 DOI: 10.1364/ol.23.000129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
We present a compact, all-solid-state femtosecond Cr:forsterite laser. The laser is pumped by diodes through a double-clad fiber. Kerr-lens mode locking is initiated and stabilized by a semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror with a single InGaAs quantum well. This system generates transform-limited 80-fs pulses near 1.3microm . An average power of 68 mW with fluctuation of much less than 1% is obtained with 3.8 W of absorbed pump power. The stability, efficiency, compactness, and potential for scaling to higher power of this system make it an attractive short-pulse source for applications.
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35
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Horvath C, Braun A, Liu H, Juhasz T, Mourou G. Compact directly diode-pumped femtosecond Nd:glass chirped-pulse-amplification laser system. OPTICS LETTERS 1997; 22:1790-1792. [PMID: 18188367 DOI: 10.1364/ol.22.001790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
An all-solid-state longitudinally diode-pumped Nd:glass chirped-pulse-amplification laser system producing pulses of 50-MW peak power has been developed. The diode-pumped Nd:glass regenerative amplifier produces pulses with energies as great as 56microJ at a 1-kHz repetition rate and pulse durations as short as 450 fs after compression in a compact single holographic-transmission-grating stretcher-compressor arrangement. Further, spectral gain shaping was shown to extend the bandwidth that was supported in the low-gain amplifier. To the best of our knowledge, this system provides the highest peak and average power obtained from a directly diode-pumped femtosecond laser.
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