High-power diode-pumped passively mode-locked Yb:YAG lasers

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics and Photonics
• Materials Science (Laser Crystals)
• Optical Engineering

Background:

• Diode-pumped solid-state lasers offer efficiency and compactness.
• Ytterbium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Yb:YAG) is a promising gain medium for high-power lasers.
• Passively mode-locked lasers generate ultrashort pulses with high peak powers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate high peak and average output power from diode-pumped Yb:YAG lasers.
• To achieve picosecond pulse durations using semiconductor saturable-absorber mirrors.
• To establish new performance benchmarks for mode-locked laser systems.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a diode-pumped Yb:YAG laser passively mode-locked with a semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror.
• Investigated laser performance at a wavelength of 1030 nm.
• Characterized output power (peak and average) and pulse duration.

Main Results:

• Achieved 74-kW peak power and 3.5-W average output power in 1-picosecond pulses.
• A second laser configuration yielded 57-kW peak power and 8.1-W average output power in 2.2-picosecond pulses.
• Demonstrated nearly diffraction-limited beam quality (M(2)<1.2) for the split beams.

Conclusions:

• These results represent the highest reported peak and average output powers for diode-pumped mode-locked lasers in the picosecond regime.
• The Yb:YAG gain medium and semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror are effective for high-power, ultrashort pulse generation.
• This work advances the capabilities of compact, high-performance laser systems.