Gain-Matched Output Couplers for Efficient Kerr-Lens Mode-Locking of Low-Cost and High-Peak Power Cr:LiSAF Lasers
C. Cihan1, E. Beyatli1, F. Canbaz1, L.-J. Chen2,3, B. Sumpf4, G. Erbert4, A. Leitenstorfer6, F.X. Kärtner2,5, A. Sennaroglu1, and U. Demirbas7
Published in:
IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron., vol. 21, no. 1, 1100712 (2015).
Abstract:
We present a detailed investigation of Kerr-lens mode-locking in diode-pumped Cr:LiSAF lasers employing gainmatched output couplers (GMOCs). Single-mode diodes (660 nm, 130 mW) and tapered diodes (685 nm, 1 W) were investigated as diode pump sources. We have shown that, by reducing the gain-filtering effect, GMOC enhances the effective self-amplitude modulation depth and provides a significant improvement in both efficiency and robustness of KLM operation. From the singlemode diode pumped system, 13 fs pulses with an average power of 25 mW and a peak power 25 kW have been generated at an incident pump power of only 120 mW (21% opticalto- optical conversion efficiency). The tapered diode pumped Cr:LiSAF oscillator provided pulses as short as 14.5 fs with 106-mW average power and 60-kW peak power at an incident pump power of 940 mW (11% optical-to-optical conversion efficiency). A femtosecond tuning range extending from 807 to 919 nm was also realized with sub-50-fs long pulses. To our knowledge, demonstrated optical-to-optical conversion efficiencies, peak powers and fs tuning ranges are record results for Cr:LiSAF laser oscillators. The obtainable pulsewidth and fs tuning range are currently limited by the dispersion/reflectivity bandwidth of the available optics.
1 Laser Research Laboratory, Department of Physics and Electrical-Electronics Engineering, Koc University, Sariyer, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
2 Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
3 Idesta Quantum Electronics, Newton, NJ 07860 USA
4 Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik, Gustav-Kirchhoff-Straße 4, D-12489 Berlin, Germany
5 Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, DESY and Department of Physics, University of Hamburg, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany
6 Department of Physics and Center for Applied Photonics,University ofKonstanz, D-78464 Konstanz, Germany
7 Laser Technology Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Antalya International University, Dosemealti, Antalya 07190, Turkey
Index Terms:
Lasers, laser tuning, mode-locked lasers.
© Copyright 2014 IEEE - All Rights Reserved. Personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or to reuse any copyrighted component of this work in other works must be obtained from the IEEE.
Full version in pdf-format.