Hybrid diode-laser fiber-amplifier source of high-energy ultrashort pulses

We demonstrate what we believe is the first compact laser system for generating ultrashort microjoule-energy optical pulses. Linearly chirped pulses from monolithic tunable Bragg-reflection laser diodes were amplified in a diode-pumped two-stage erbium-doped fiber amplifier and compressed with a grating-pair compressor. The laser diodes had their emission wavelengths at 1.538 and 1.562 microm. The highest pulse energies obtained were 2 microJ at the repetition frequencies of 1-10 kHz and were at the saturation energy level of the fiber amplifier. The shortest duration of compressed pulses is 1.8 ps.