Intracavity frequency-doubled femtosecond cr(4+):forsterite laser

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• Nonlinear Optics
• Solid-State Lasers

Background:

• Femtosecond optical pulses are crucial for various scientific and technological applications.
• Generating ultrashort pulses directly from solid-state lasers offers advantages in compactness and stability.
• Intracavity frequency conversion is a key technique for generating light at new wavelengths and with shorter pulse durations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the direct generation of femtosecond optical pulses centered at ~620 nm from an all-solid-state laser oscillator.
• To achieve red femtosecond pulses with high average power and short pulse widths.
• To investigate the modification of laser mode-locking by surface coating the doubling crystal.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an all-solid-state mode-locked Cr(4+):forsterite laser.
• Employed intracavity frequency doubling using a 1-mm-thick beta-BaB(2)O(4) crystal.
• Modified the laser mode-locking process by surface coating the nonlinear crystal.

Main Results:

• Successfully generated femtosecond optical pulses centered at ~620 nm.
• Obtained red pulses with pulse widths of approximately 170 fs.
• Achieved an average output power of 24 mW at an 81-MHz repetition rate.

Conclusions:

• Direct generation of 170 fs red femtosecond pulses from a Cr(4+):forsterite laser is feasible.
• Intracavity frequency doubling with a coated beta-BaB(2)O(4) crystal is an effective method for generating ultrashort pulses.
• The results contribute to the development of compact and efficient sources for ultrafast optics.