Compact portable 20 MHz solid-state femtosecond whitelight-laser

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics and Photonics
• Nonlinear Optics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Femtosecond lasers are crucial for advanced applications like supercontinuum generation.
• Existing femtosecond laser sources can be bulky and expensive, limiting accessibility.
• Compact and cost-effective laser designs are needed to broaden the use of femtosecond technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a novel, extremely compact design for a directly diode-pumped Ytterbium (Yb):glass laser oscillator.
• To utilize this laser as a femtosecond light source for efficient supercontinuum generation.
• To create a stable, affordable, and compact supercontinuum source.

Main Methods:

• Employed a directly diode-pumped Yb:glass laser oscillator.
• Incorporated a Herriott-type multi-pass cell to significantly reduce resonator length.
• Integrated the laser with a tapered fiber for supercontinuum generation.

Main Results:

• Achieved femtosecond pulses with 150 fs duration and up to 39 nJ pulse energy at a 20 MHz repetition rate.
• Reduced the effective resonator length to 30 cm using the multi-pass cell.
• Developed a compact setup with a footprint of 62x23 cm², capable of further size reduction.
• Generated up to 400 mW of average white light power from the supercontinuum source.

Conclusions:

• The demonstrated Yb:glass laser oscillator design is exceptionally compact and efficient.
• The combined laser and tapered fiber system offers a cost-effective, stable, and compact femtosecond supercontinuum source.
• This compact design facilitates wider adoption of femtosecond laser technology and supercontinuum applications.