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Direct diode-pumped Kerr Lens 13 fs Ti:sapphire ultrafast oscillator using a single blue laser diode
Optics Express
|August 9, 2017
Summary
We developed a diode-pumped Ti:sapphire laser generating ultrashort 13 fs pulses. Further development with spectrally combined diodes achieved higher output power and bandwidth for advanced laser applications.
Area of Science:
- Laser Physics
- Ultrafast Optics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Ti:sapphire lasers are workhorses for ultrafast science.
- Diode-pumping offers efficiency and compactness.
- Kerr lens modelocking (KLM) is crucial for ultrashort pulse generation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a direct diode-pumped Ti:sapphire laser for ultrashort pulse generation.
- To investigate the impact of pump source characteristics on KLM.
- To achieve higher output power and bandwidth through spectral combining.
Main Methods:
- Direct diode-pumping of a Ti:sapphire crystal.
- Kerr lens modelocking (KLM) technique.
- Spectral combining of multiple laser diodes.
- Analysis of pump laser beam quality (TEM00) effects.
Main Results:
- Generation of 13 fs pulses with 1.85 nJ energy at 145 mW output power using a single diode pump.
- Achieved >300 mW output power and >50 nm bandwidth using three spectrally combined diodes.
- Investigated the influence of non-ideal pump beam profiles on the KLM process.
Conclusions:
- Direct diode-pumping is a viable and efficient method for ultrashort pulse Ti:sapphire lasers.
- Spectral combining of diodes enables scalable power and bandwidth.
- Understanding pump beam quality is important for optimizing KLM performance.
