Femtosecond Cr(4+):YAG laser with an L-fold cavity operating at a 1.2-GHz repetition rate

Pulses of 55-fs width and 1.2-GHz repetition rate at 1.52 mum are generated from an L-fold cavity Cr(4+):YAG laser by optimization of the lasing-beam mode inside the gain medium. The pulse width is comparable with that obtained from a standard Z-fold cavity. The pulses are characterized by a second-harmonic-generation frequency-resolved optical gating method. The pulse shape deviates from a sech(2) function because of its broad shoulders. With further miniaturization it should be possible to extend the Cr(4+):YAG mode-locked operation to multigigahertz rates.     

Passive Q switching and self-frequency Raman conversion in a diode-pumped Yb:KGd(WO(4))(2) laser

We report on the laser performance of a diode-pumped Yb:KGd(WO(4))(2) laser that is passively Q switched with a Cr(4+):YAG saturable absorber. Raman conversion of fundamental laser emission in the laser crystal was demonstrated. Q-switched 3.4-mu;J pulses with a pulse width of 85 ns were obtained at the 1033-nm fundamental wavelength and 0.4-mu;J pulses with a pulse width of 20 ns were produced in a first Stokes at 1139 nm.     

Two-element-cavity femtosecond Cr(4+):YAG laser operating at a 2.6-GHz repetition rate

A femtosecond Cr(4+):YAG laser with a simple two-element cavity was built. This laser typically attained a repetition rate of 2.64 GHz with a pulse width of 115 fs at a center wavelength of 1540 nm. Output pulses were characterized by second-harmonic generation frequency-resolved optical gating. Alignment of the two-element cavity for mode-locked operation was easy; moreover, the cavity structure has the potential to produce an even higher repetition rate because one can miniaturize it simply by shortening a gain medium length.     

Demonstration of room-temperature laser action at 2.5 mum from Cr(2+):Cd(0.85)Mn(0.15)Te

Room-temperature laser action from Cr(2+)-doped Cd(0.85)Mn(0.15)Te has been demonstrated for what is believed to be the first time. We achieved pulsed laser operation centered at ~2.5mu m by pumping into the mid-infrared absorption band of Cr(2+) ions by use of the 1.907- mum output of a H(2) Raman-shifted Nd:YAG laser. The output of the free-running Cr(2+):Cd(0.85)Mn(0.15)Te laser had a width of ~50 nm (FWHM), and the slope efficiency was calculated to be 5.5% under nonoptimum conditions.     

YAG晶体中Cr4+和Yb3+的光谱和荧光特性研究

报道了（Ｃｒ＾４＋,Ｙｂ＾３＋）：ＹＡＧ晶体的吸收光谱和荧光光谱特性。在室温下,（Ｃｒ＾４＋,Ｙｂ＾３＋）：ＹＡＧ晶体在９３７ｎｍ和９６８ｎｍ处存在两个吸收带,能与ＩｎＧａＡｓ激光二级管有效耦合：而且在１０３０ｎｍ处有一Ｃｒ＾４＋吸收峰,可以实现对Ｙｂ＾３＋的自调Ｑ激光输出。（Ｃｒ＾＋,Ｙｂ＾３＋）：ＹＡＧ 荧光光谱与Ｙｂ＾３＋：ＹＡＧ晶体一样,发光中心也是位于１０２９ｎｍ,但其强度比Ｙｂ＾３＋：     

True fundamental solitons in a passively mode-locked short-cavity Cr(4+):YAG laser

We demonstrate a self-starting, passively mode-locked short-cavity Cr(4+):YAG laser that supports fundamental intracavity solitons over wide ranges of cavity group-velocity dispersion and pulse energies. The total dispersion and nonlinear effects are small enough that stable, N=1 soliton pulses are generated. Equally spaced multiple pulsing is also observed, with fundamental soliton behavior preserved. Regions of bistability exist where, at a constant cavity dispersion, the laser can produce transform-limited pulses of a different width and energy. The laser produces 200-fs pulses at approximately 0.9-, 1.8-, and 2.7-GHz repetition rates with a total of 82 mW of average output power.     

波长可调谐超短光脉冲的简便高质的生成技术

提出了一种以处于增益开关调制状态下的法布里珀罗(Fabry-Pérot)半导体激光器作为光源,采用简单的自激注入锁定方式,以生成波长可调谐的超短光脉冲的实验系统。该实验装置中,激光器的外腔包括两个串联在一起的布拉格光纤光栅,一个掺铒光纤放大器(EDFA),一个光耦合器和两个环行器,其作用是选模,以及增强并控制反馈回激光器内腔的光强。该实验系统简单而高效,在24nm的波长调谐范围内获得了边模抑制比高于40dB的单模光脉冲输出;而在1521.8nm和1550.0nm之间28.2nm的波长调谐范围内,边模抑制比高于35dB。所得到的各个单波长激光脉冲的时域半峰全宽为140~260ps,各个脉冲的光谱半峰全宽皆为0.1nm。     

A passively Q-switched diode pumped Yb:YAG microchip laser

A passively Q-switched diode pumped Yb:YAG microchip laser with Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber mirror is reported. The TEMoo laser pulses are obtained with 1,7-uJ pulse energy, 15-ns pulse width, 0.11-kW peak power, and a repetition rate of 2.2 kHz at 1049 nm. The doped concentration and dimension of Yb:YAG microchip crystal are 10 at.-% and 5×0.6 mm2, respectively.     

Self-starting mode-locked Cr(4+):YAG laser with a low-loss broadband semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror

We report a self-starting mode-locked Cr(4+):YAG laser with a low-loss broadband metal reflector-based semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror. The minimum pulse width was 44 fs at a wavelength of 1520 nm.     

Pulsed blue-light generation by the frequency doubling of the 4F3/2 to 4I9/2 transition in Nd:YAG and Nd:YAlO3

We report on the frequency doubling of Q-switchedNd:YAG and Nd:YAlO₃ lasers emitting at 946 and 930 nm, respectively (⁴F_3/2 to ⁴I_9/2 transition). The neodymium-doped laser host crystals were excited with a flashlamp-pumped Cr:LiSAF laser operating in a free-running mode. Blue-light pulses were obtained at both 473 nm (9 mJ, 25 ns FWHM) and 465 nm (4.4 mJ, 35 ns FWHM) by using a potassium niobate crystal as an extra-cavity frequency doubler. The second-harmonic generation conversion efficiencies reached 53% and 31%, respectively. Received: 23 June 1999 / Revised version: 8 August 1999 / Published online: 3 November 1999     

The first-stokes pulse generation in Nd:KGW intracavity driven by a diode-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:YAG/Cr<Superscript>4+</Superscript>:YAG laser

The operation of an all solid-state pulsed Nd:KGW Raman laser pumped by compact passively Q-switched Nd:YAG/Cr:YAG laser is demonstrated. The first-Stokes radiation of stimulated Nd:KGW Raman scattering at the 1178 nm is generated. The average output power of 336 mW at Stokes wavelength was obtained under the laser diode pump power of 5.74 W. The corresponding optical efficiency from the diode light to the Raman output is 9.85%. The pulse width of 1.65 ns and a pulse repetition rate of 10 kHz were also obtained.     

Diode-pumped short pulse passively Q-switched 912 nm Nd:GdVO<Subscript>4</Subscript>/Cr:YAG laser at high repetition rate operation

A diode-end-pumped passively Q-switched 912 nm Nd:GdVO₄/Cr:YAG laser is demonstrated for the first time. In a concave-piano cavity, pulsed 912 nm laser performance is investigated using two kinds of Cr:YAG crystal with different unsaturated transmission (T _U) of 95% and 90% at 912 nm as the saturable absorbers. When the T _U = 90% Cr:YAG is used, as much as 2.6 W average output power for short pulsed 912 nm laser is achieved at an absorbed pump power of 34.0 W, corresponding to an optical efficiency of 7.6% and a slope efficiency of 20.3%. Moreover, 10.5 ns duration pulses and up to 2.3 kW peak power is obtained at the repetition rate around 81.6 kHz.     

1444-nm Q-switched pulse generator based on Nd:YAG/V:YAG microchip laser

Q-switched microchip laser emitting radiation at eye-safe wavelength 1444 nm was designed and realized. This laser was based on composite crystal which consists of 4 mm long Nd:YAG active medium diffusion bonded with 1 mm long V:YAG saturable absorber. The diameter of the composite crystal was 5 mm. The initial transmission of the V:YAG part was T ₀ = 94% @ 1440 nm. The microchip resonator consists of dielectric mirrors, directly deposited onto the composite crystal surfaces. These mirrors were specially designed to ensure desired emission at 1444 nm and to prevent parasitic lasing at other Nd³⁺ transmissions. The output coupler with reflectivity 94% for the generated wavelength 1444 nm was placed on the V³⁺-doped part. The laser was operating under pulsed pumping for the duty-cycle up to 50%. With increasing value of mean pumping power a strong decrease of generated pulse length was observed. The shortest generated pulses were 4.2 ns long (FWHM). Stable pulses with energy 34 μJ were generated with repetition rate up to 1.5 kHz. Corresponding pulse peak power was 8.2 kW. The wavelength of linearly polarized TEM₀₀ laser mode was fixed to 1444 nm.     

Intracavity optical parametric oscillator pumped by passively Q-switched Nd:YLF laser

We report on a passively Q-switched end pumped Nd:YLF laser including a noncritically phase-matched KTP singly resonant intracavity optical parametric oscillator (IOPO-KTP). For the Q-switching operation we have used Cr:YAG saturable absorber. The optimized passively Q-switched Nd:YLF laser without IOPO generated linearly polarized pulses of 11.5 ns and 1.07 mJ at 1047 nm. The conversion efficiency of the optimized Q-switched pulse energy at 1047 nm to 1547 nm of a signal approached about 47%. For optimizing both Nd:YLF laser and IOPO we have numerically solved a theoretical model. We have achieved 1.6-ns duration pulses at 1547 nm with energy of 0.5 mJ and peak power of above 300 kW. The beam quality was excellent (M² ≈1).     

增益开关型Ti~(3+):Al_2O_3对激光器的时间特性研究

本文报道增益开关型Ti~(3+) :Al_2O_3激光器输出脉冲的时间特性;给出激光器在宽带输出及调谐工作状态下,输出脉冲的时间特性曲线.实验中获得最小的脉宽为1.2ns.在一定的实验条件下,脉冲宽度可在5～27.5ns范围内连续变化.在调谐状态下,用一输出耦合镜得到波长可调谐范围为730～850nm.用三块棱镜作调谐器,在中心波长780nm处,最大输出能量为4.7mJ,谱线宽度为0.13nm(FWHM).     

High performance Cr4+:YAG Q-switched CW diode pumped Nd:YAG laser

This paper reports the operation of a Cr4+:YAG Q-switched CW diode laser pumped Nd:YAG at 1064nm. The laser performances resulted in 167 μ J, 21ns pulses at 10kHz, and 1.67W power output. When intracavity polarized, stable amplitude (fluctuations <±1%), TEM00, 153 μ J pulses were generated allowing 50% SHG in KTP. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

End-pumped, passively Q-switched Yb:YAG double-clad waveguide laser

We present a diode-pumped, double-clad Yb:YAG waveguide laser that contains an integrated section of a Cr(4+): YAG saturable absorber for passive Q switching. Using two 4-W polarization-coupled, broad-striped diode-pumped lasers, we obtained 30-microJ pulses of 1.6-ns duration at repetition rates of as much as 77 kHz. The slope efficiency was ~50% with respect to absorbed pump power, with a maximum output average power of 2.3 W and a peak power of ~18 kW . The output beam was single lobed, with M(2) values as great as 1.5x1.3 . We also demonstrate a passively Q -switched Nd:YAG waveguide laser of similar design, operating at 1.064 microm and 946 nm.     

Direct generation of 81 nJ pulses and external compression to a subpicosecond regime with a 4.9 MHz chirped-pulse multipass-cavity Cr⁴⁺:forsterite oscillator

We report direct generation of 81 nJ chirped pulses from a room-temperature, Kerr lens mode-locked Cr??:forsterite oscillator operating at 1258 nm. To increase the pulse energy, the pulse repetition rate of the short x-type resonator was lowered from 143 to 4.9 MHz by the addition of a q-preserving multipass cavity, which provided an additional effective optical path length of 59.4 m. The duration of the chirped pulses was around 5.5 ps with a spectral width of 21 nm. The pulses were externally compressed to 607 fs by using a diffraction grating pair. To our knowledge, this is the highest reported pulse energy directly generated from a room-temperature mode-locked Cr??:forsterite laser.     

Generation of Broadband Near-Infrared (2–2.5 μm) Radiation from an Optical Parametric Amplifier Driven by a Cr:Forsterite Laser Near Dispersion Anomalies of Tuning Curves

Pulses with a spectral width of 450 nm at a wavelength of 2.2 μm are generated in a parametric amplifier based on a type-I BBO crystal pumped by the second harmonic (620 nm) of a Cr:forsterite laser. Such a broadband radiation is obtained in a specific regime of the group velocity matching near the vertical region of the tuning curve. The generated pulses can be compressed to a duration of about 2.5 optical cycles (34 fs) in a medium with positive group-velocity dispersion.     

Saturable Excited State Absorption of Cr~(4 ) : YAG for Q-switching Nd : YAG Laser

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