Femtosecond Yb:CaGdAlO4 thin-disk oscillator

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Mode-locked lasers are crucial for scientific research and industrial applications.
• Thin-disk laser technology offers advantages in power scaling and thermal management.
• Yb:CALGO is a promising gain medium for ultrashort pulse generation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the first mode-locked thin-disk laser utilizing the Yb:CALGO crystal.
• To characterize the laser's performance in terms of pulse duration, energy, and tunability.
• To explore the potential of Yb:CALGO for generating ultrashort laser pulses.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Yb:CALGO crystal in a thin-disk laser configuration.
• Implemented a mode-locking technique to generate ultrashort pulses.
• Measured output power, pulse duration, pulse energy, and spectral characteristics.

Main Results:

• Achieved 135 fs pulse durations with a spectrum centered at 1043 nm.
• Obtained 300 fs pulses at 28 W average output power with 1.3 μJ pulse energy.
• Demonstrated 197 fs pulses at 20 W average output power with 0.9 μJ pulse energy.
• Showcased broad tunability from 1032 to 1046 nm with sub-200 fs pulses.

Conclusions:

• The Yb:CALGO thin-disk laser is a viable platform for generating high-energy, ultrashort femtosecond pulses.
• The demonstrated laser exhibits excellent performance and broad tunability, suitable for various applications.
• This work paves the way for further development of Yb:CALGO based ultrashort pulse lasers.