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Published on: November 22, 2019
Kerr-lens mode-locked Cr:ZnS laser
Nikolai Tolstik1, Evgeni Sorokin, Irina T Sorokina
1Department of Physics, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. nikolai.tolstik@ntnu.no
Optics Letters
|February 6, 2013
Summary
A new chromium-doped zinc sulfide (Cr:ZnS) laser generates the shortest femtosecond pulses and highest energy directly in the mid-infrared. This compact, stable laser operates at room temperature, paving the way for advanced mid-infrared applications.
Area of Science:
- Laser physics
- Quantum optics
- Materials science
Background:
- Mid-infrared (MIR) femtosecond lasers are crucial for various scientific and technological applications.
- Developing compact, stable, and high-performance MIR femtosecond sources remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel, high-performance femtosecond laser source in the mid-infrared region.
- To investigate the potential of chromium-doped zinc sulfide (Cr:ZnS) as a gain medium for femtosecond lasers.
Main Methods:
- Utilized soft-aperture Kerr-lens mode-locking technique.
- Employed a single chirped mirror and a thin sapphire plate for dispersion compensation.
- Operated the Cr:ZnS laser at ambient air and room temperature.
Main Results:
- Generated 550 mW of output power with 69 fs nearly transform-limited pulses at 2.39 μm wavelength.
- Achieved a pulse energy of 3.8 nJ at a 145 MHz repetition rate.
- Demonstrated the shortest-pulse and highest-energy direct femtosecond laser source in the mid-infrared.
Conclusions:
- The Cr:ZnS laser represents a significant advancement in MIR femtosecond laser technology.
- The simple, compact, and stable design, along with the material properties of Cr:ZnS, allows for potential power scaling.
- This laser source opens new avenues for research and applications requiring ultrashort pulses in the mid-infrared spectrum.
