Double Gires-Tournois interferometer negative-dispersion mirrors for use in tunable mode-locked lasers

We report the implementation and operation of novel superhigh-reflectivity negative-dispersion dielectric mirrors for use in tunable ultrafast laser systems. The mirror structure is divided into two distinct regions: an underlying superhigh-reflectivity dielectric quarter-wavelength stack and an overlying negative-dispersion section consisting of only a few layers and forming simple multiple Gires-Tournois interferometers. The example that we present was designed for operation from 800 to 900 nm and has a near-constant group-delay dispersion of -40 fs(2) and a peak reflectivity greater than 99.99%. We show a comparison of the predicted and the measured mirror performance and application of these mirrors in a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser tunable from 805 to 915 nm.