59 fs mode-locked Yb:KGW oscillator pumped by a single-mode laser diode. (17th February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kowalczyk, M; Sotor, J; Abramski, K M
• Is Part Of: Laser physics letters. Volume 13:Number 3(2016:Mar.)
• Publication Date: 2016-02-17
• Subjects: diode-pumped lasers -- doped-insulator lasers and other solid state lasers -- modulation -- tuning -- and mode locking -- optical pulse generation and pulse compression; Lasers -- Periodicals; Physics -- Periodicals; 621.366
• DOI: 10.1088/1612-2011/13/3/035801
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1612-2011

Abstract

Abstract: In this letter we present a passively mode-locked Yb:KGW oscillator pumped by a low power single-mode laser diode. Contrary to high power operation, single-mode pumping enabled us to suppress parasitic thermal effects, while keeping the setup compact and its alignment straightforward. Undisturbed mode-locking (ML) stability was achieved without active cooling of the gain medium and the laser was entirely self-starting. Pulses 59 fs in duration were obtained in a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM)-assisted Kerr-lens mode-locked regime. The corresponding spectrum was 20.2 nm broad at a central wavelength of 1036 nm approaching the performance limit of the crystal. To the best of our knowledge, these are the shortest pulses generated from a Yb:KGW laser.