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Continuous-wave mode-locked Nd:glass laser pumped by a laser diode
Optics Letters
|September 12, 2009
Summary
We developed a diode-laser-pumped, continuous-wave, mode-locked Nd:glass laser. This laser achieved a low pump threshold of 22.9 mW and produced ultrashort pulses, demonstrating efficient laser technology.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Laser Physics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Diode-laser pumping offers an efficient and compact alternative to traditional lamp pumping for solid-state lasers.
- Mode-locking is a technique used to generate ultrashort laser pulses, crucial for various scientific and technological applications.
- Neodymium-doped glass (Nd:glass) and Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Nd:YAG) are established laser gain media.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a diode-laser-pumped, continuous-wave (cw), mode-locked Nd:glass laser oscillator.
- To characterize the performance of the Nd:glass laser, including pump threshold and pulse width.
- To investigate the applicability of diode-laser-pumped mode-locking to other laser materials, specifically Nd:YAG.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a diode laser as the pump source for a Nd:glass laser oscillator.
- Employed a continuous-wave (cw) pumping scheme.
- Implemented mode-locking techniques to generate ultrashort pulses.
- Used a 0.5% output coupler to optimize power extraction.
- Measured the pump threshold for mode-locked operation.
- Estimated the mode-locked pulse width using a fast photodiode and sampling oscilloscope.
Main Results:
- Achieved diode-laser-pumped, cw, mode-locked operation in a Nd:glass laser oscillator.
- Determined a low pump threshold of 22.9 mW for mode-locked operation with a 0.5% output coupler.
- Observed mode-locked pulse widths shorter than 36.5 picoseconds (psec), limited by the measurement instrumentation.
- Successfully extended diode-laser-pumped mode-locked operation to Nd:YAG.
Conclusions:
- Diode-laser pumping is an effective method for achieving mode-locked operation in Nd:glass lasers.
- The demonstrated Nd:glass laser exhibits efficient performance with a low threshold and ultrashort pulse generation.
- The success with Nd:glass suggests diode-laser-pumped mode-locking is a viable technique for other gain media like Nd:YAG, broadening its potential applications.
