Apatite-structure crystal, Yb(3+):SrY(4)(SiO(4))(3)O, for the development of diode-pumped femtosecond lasers

We report what is believed to be the first diode-pumped Yb(3+): SrY(4)(SiO(4)) (3)O laser. We investigate both the cw and the mode-locked regimes. In the cw regime an average output power of 1.05 W is demonstrated for 3.6 W of incident pump power. In the femtosecond regime a pulse duration of 94 fs for an average power of 110 mW is obtained at a central wavelength of 1068 nm. This is, to our knowledge, the first femtosecond mode-locked oscillator made with an Yb-doped apatitelike crystal. These properties are related to the unique spectroscopic properties of Yb(3+) ions in this atypical apatite-family crystal.     

Directly diode-pumped Yb3+:SrY4(SiO4)3O regenerative amplifier

We report a regenerative amplifier based on an Yb-doped apatite crystal: Yb3+:SrY4(SiO4)3O (Yb:SYS). We obtained 420-fs pulses at a central wavelength of 1066 nm with an energy of 100 microJ at 300 Hz after compression. To the best of our knowledge, this system is the first regenerative amplifier based on an Yb:SYS crystal and provides duration among the shortest ones generated by a directly diode-pumped regenerative amplifier.     

Highly efficient mode-locked Yb:Sc2O3 laser

Passive mode locking of the Yb:Sc2O3 laser is demonstrated. We investigate the laser performance with Ti:sapphire and diode-laser pumping. The laser is mode locked by use of a semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror and emits as much as 0.8 W of power in the picosecond range with a pump efficiency as high as 47%. With dispersion compensation, pulses as short as 230 fs for an average power of 0.54 W are obtained at 1044 nm. This is, to our knowledge, the first femtosecond oscillator based on an Yb-doped sesquioxide crystal.     

Spectroscopy and femtosecond laser performance of Yb3+:YAlO3 crystal

We report what we believe to be the first demonstration of cw and passively mode-locked Yb(3+):YAlO(3) (Yb:YAP) laser operation under diode pumping. Spectroscopic properties of a 0.6 at.%Yb(3+)-doped YAP single crystal were investigated. Output power up to 1.2 W with slope efficiency of 64.5% in the cw regime and 225 fs pulse duration with average power of 0.8 W from a mode-locked Yb:YAP laser were demonstrated.     

Tunable second harmonic generation from a Kerr-lens mode-locked Yb:YCa_4O(BO_3)_3 femtosecond laser

We experimentally demonstrated a diode-pumped Kerr-lens mode-locked femtosecond(fs) laser with a self-frequency doubling Yb:YCa_4O(BO_3)_3 crystal.Sub-40 fs laser pulses were directly generated from the oscillator without extracavity compression.The central wavelength was tunable from 1039 nm to 1049 nm with a typical bandwidth of 35 nm and an average output power of 53 mW.For the first time,a self-frequency doubled second harmonic green laser with tunable range from 519 nm to 525 nm was observed.     

Passively Q-switched microchip Er, Yb:YAl3(BO3)4 diode-pumped laser

We report, for the first time to our knowledge, a diode-pumped cw and passively Q-switched microchip Er, Yb:YAl(3)(BO(3))(4) laser. A maximal output power of 800 mW at 1602 nm in the cw regime was obtained at an absorbed pump power of 7.7 W. By using Co(2+):MgAl(2)O(4) as a saturable absorber, a TEM(00)-mode Q-switched average output power of 315 mW was demonstrated at 1522 nm, with pulse duration of 5 ns and pulse energy of 5.25 μJ at a repetition rate of 60 kHz.     

High-power tunable diode-pumped Yb3+:CaF2 laser

Results of diode-pumped cw laser operation of an Yb3+:CaF2 single crystal are reported for what is to our knowledge the first time. With a 5-at.% Yb3+ -doped sample we obtained 5.8-W output power at 1053 nm for 15 W of incident power at 980 nm. The laser wavelength could be tuned from 1018 to 1072 nm, and a small-signal gain as high as 1.8 was achieved, showing the great potential of Yb3+:CaF2 as an amplifier medium for femtosecond pulses.     

Femtosecond and continuous-wave laser performance of a diode-pumped Yb3+:CaYAlO4 laser

The cw and femtosecond laser operations of Yb(3+):CaYAlO(4) (Yb:CYA) are demonstrated. The laser emitted a maximum cw power of 1.94 W with a slope efficiency (η(slope)) of 71% and an optical-to-optical efficiency (η(opt)) of 51%. Under mode-locking operation, the laser emitted near transform-limited pulses with 156 fs pulse width, 8.1 nJ pulse energy and 0.74 W average power. The η(slope) and η(opt) of the mode-locked laser were 37% and 20%, respectively.     

Mode-locked laser operation of epitaxially grown Yb:Klu(WO4)2 composites

Mode locking based on an epitaxial composite of the monoclinic double tungstate crystal Yb:KLu(WO4)2 is realized. A 100 microm thin Yb:KLu(WO4)2 layer grown on a KLu(WO4)2 substrate is used as an active medium in a laser passively mode locked by a semiconductor saturable absorber. Pulse durations of 114 fs have been achieved for an average power of 31 mW at 1030 nm. Results in the femtosecond and picosecond regimes of the Yb:KLu(WO4)2/KLu(WO4)2 laser are presented. The great potential of Yb-doped tungstate composite structures as active elements for mode-locked laser systems is demonstrated.     

Spectroscopy and femtosecond laser performance of Yb3+ :Gd0.64Y0.36VO4 crystal

We report for the first time on the efficient continuous-wave and mode-locked laser operation of a diode-pumped Yb:Gd_0.64Y_0.36VO₄ laser. cw output power of 855 mW with a slope efficiency of 45% with respect to the absorbed pump power was demonstrated for the 2.1%-doped crystal. In mode-locked regime with SESAM as passive shutter pulses as short as 100 fs were obtained. PACS 42.55.Xi; 42.65.Re; 42.70.Hj     

Yb3+-doped YVO4 crystal for efficient Kerr-lens mode locking in solid-state lasers

We report the first demonstration, to our knowledge, of soft-aperture Kerr-lens mode locking in a diode-pumped femtosecond Yb3+:YVO4 laser. Near-transform-limited pulses as short as 61 fs are generated around a center wavelength of 1050 nm with an output power of 54 mW and a pulse repetition frequency of 104.5 MHz. This is, to our knowledge, the shortest pulse generated directly from an Yb laser having a crystalline host material. The femtosecond operation has a mode-locking threshold at an absorbed pump power of 190 mW. The nonlinear refractive indexes of the Yb3+:YVO4 crystal have been measured to be 19 x 10(-16) cm2/W and 15 x 10(-16) cm2/W for the sigma and pi polarizations, respectively, at 1080 nm.     

Efficient continuous-wave self-frequency-doubling green diode-pumped Yb:YAl(3)(BO(3))(4) lasers

Efficient cw self-frequency-doubled green laser output of 160 mW has been obtained from Yb:YAl(3)(BO(3))(4) crystal pumped by 1.4-W incident power from a fiber-coupled 976-nm laser diode. The incident-pump-power-green-output-power conversion efficiency is greater than 11.3%, and the electrical-input-green conversion efficiency is 3.9%. Tunable green output from 513.0 to 545.8 nm is also demonstrated with a quartz birefringent filter.     

Yb:CaF2 — a new old laser crystal

Here is presented and discussed the history, the spectroscopic, the thermo-mechanical and the laser properties of the new old laser crystal Yb:CaF₂, of its Sr and Ba isotypes as well as of an Yb and Na codoped compound. It will be shown that Yb:CaF₂ is a very particular luminescent material, in which the laser-active center probably consists of a complex hexameric cluster, that it is the most promising Yb-doped fluoride material for large-scale, high-power and high-energy laser systems and that it can compete in several aspects with the currently used Yb-doped oxide crystals and glasses. The opportunity of operating the crystals at cryogenic temperatures and the recently achieved improvements in the field of femtosecond pulsed laser operation and high peak power laser amplification is highlighted and evaluated.     

High-power diode-pumped Yb3+:CaF2 femtosecond laser

We report what is believed to be the first demonstration of a high-power passively mode-locked diode-pumped femtosecond laser based on an Yb3+:CaF2 single crystal, directly pumped by a 15-W fiber-coupled laser diode. With a 5-at. % Yb3+ -doped sample and prisms for dispersion compensation we obtained pulses as short as 150 fs, with 880 mW of average power and up to 1.4-W average output power, with a pulse duration of 220 fs, centered at 1049 nm. The laser wavelength could be tuned from 1040 to 1053 nm in the femtosecond regime. Using chirped mirrors for dispersion compensation, the oscillator provided up to 1.74 W of average power, with a pulse duration of 230 fs, corresponding to a pulse energy of 20 nJ and a peak power of 85 kW.     

两种国产新型掺Yb氟化物激光晶体的光谱特性研究

掺Yb氟化物激光材料是继掺Yb氧化物激光材料之后的另一类重要的掺Yb激光材料,已经成为可调谐激光和超快激光领域中研究的热点之一。针对两种国产新型掺Yb的氟化物激光材料：混晶材料Yb∶CaF₂-SrF₂和共掺离子型的单晶材料Yb, Y∶CaF₂,进行了详细的光谱特性比对实验研究。通过荧光比对实验,发现这两类激光材料的荧光光谱完全不同,并分析了不同荧光产生的物理机制。通过吸收率比对实验,讨论了两类材料中的激活离子Yb或共掺离子Y的掺杂浓度对晶体吸收特性的影响,得到了最佳掺Yb离子或共掺Y离子的浓度。利用激光二极管作为泵浦源,实现了这两类新型材料在折叠腔型下的连续激光输出运转,其中对于共掺离子型Yb, Y∶CaF₂晶体是首次实现连续激光运转。通过激光对比实验,获得了两类激光材料(四种样品)的激光输入—输出关系曲线,测量了各自的斜效率和激光光谱特征。通过系统地比较两类激光晶体的吸收率、荧光光谱特性、激光光谱特性以及连续激光运转的阈值功率和斜效率等参数得出以下结论：在四种实验样品中,共掺离子型单晶材料中的3at%Yb, 6at% Y∶CaF₂晶体具有最好的光谱和激光特性,具有良好的应用前景。这些实验结果为进一步提升此类激光材料的性能提供了有益的参考。     

47-fs diode-pumped Yb3+:CaGdAlO4 laser

The experimental demonstration of a diode-pumped passively mode-locked femtosecond laser based on an Yb3+:CaGdAlO4 single crystal is reported. The oscillator is directly diode pumped by a high-brightness 5 W fiber coupled laser diode, and pulses are produced by use of a semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror. It permits the production of pulses as short as 47 fs at 1050 nm, which are to our knowledge the shortest laser pulses obtained from an oscillator based on Yb3+-doped bulk materials. The average power is 38 mW, and the repetition rate is 109 MHz.     

High-power self-mode-locked Yb:Y(2)O(3) ceramic laser

We have experimentally demonstrated a high-power self-mode-locked Yb:Y(2)O(3) ceramic laser. Without any additional active or passive element in the cavity, self-started cw mode-locking was achieved. The maximum output power was as high as 2.7 W with a pulse duration of 1.1 ps. Numerical studies show that the diffraction loss induced by thermal lens aberration, in combination with the Kerr self-focusing effect in the gain medium, results in the mode locking of the laser. To our knowledge, this is the first self-mode-locked ceramic laser.     

Mode-locked and Q-switched laser operation of the Yb-doped Li<Subscript>6</Subscript>Y(BO<Subscript>3</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript> crystal

We report for the first time pulsed laser operation of the Yb-doped Li₆Y(BO₃)₃ (Yb-LYB) crystal in the nanosecond as well as in the femtosecond regime. Pulse durations as short as 355 fs have been obtained in passively mode-locked operation and pulse energies up to 140 μJ in Q-switched operation. PACS 42.70Hj; 42.55Xi; 42.60Gd; 42.65Re     

Passive Q-switching at 1.54 μm of an Er–Yb: GdCa4O(BO3)3 laser with a Co2+: MgAl2O4 saturable absorber

We report, for the first time to our knowledge, efficient passive Q-switching of the 1.54-μm laser transition in an Er–Yb-doped crystalline medium. The laser configuration is a compact microchip design that is suitable for a range of practical applications such as range finding and lidar. The slope efficiency of 11.6%, pulse duration of 5–6 ns and average output power of 88 mW are all comparable with standard Er–Yb:glass lasers.     

A new Yb-doped oxyorthosilicate laser crystal: Yb:Gd2SiO5

A new Yb-doped oxyorthosilicate laser crystal, Yb:Gd₂SiO₅ (Yb:GSO), has been grown by the Czochralski (Cz) method. The crystal structure was determined by means of X-ray diffraction analysis. Room temperature absorption and fluorescence spectra of Yb³⁺ ions in GSO crystal were measured. Then, spectroscopic parameters of Yb:GSO were calculated and compared with those of another Yb-doped oxyorthosilicate crystal Yb:YSO. Results indicated that Yb:GSO crystal seemed to be a very promising laser gain media in generating ultra-pulses and tunable solid state laser applications. As expected, the output power of 2.72 W at 1089 nm was achieved in Yb:GSO crystal with absorbed power of only 4.22 W at 976 nm, corresponding to the slope efficiency of 71.2% through the preliminary laser experiment.