High-power diode-pumped Kerr-lens mode-locked bulk Yb:KGW laser

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Ytterbium-doped crystals are crucial for high-power ultrafast lasers.
• Diode pumping offers efficient and compact laser solutions.
• Achieving high output power and short pulse durations simultaneously is a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a high-power, mode-locked Yb:KGW bulk laser.
• To investigate the performance of multimode fiber-coupled diode pumping for Yb:KGW lasers.
• To compare the output power with previously reported Yb-ion-doped lasers.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Kerr-lens mode-locking in a bulk Yb:KGW laser.
• Employed multimode fiber-coupled diode pumping.
• Characterized pulse duration, average output power, peak power, and pulse energy.

Main Results:

• Achieved >1 W average output power, with a maximum of 2.3 W.
• Generated pulses as short as 120 fs with 1.2 W output power.
• Delivered 240 fs pulses at 2.3 W average power (97 kW peak power, 26 nJ pulse energy).
• Observed self-starting mode-locking with a continuous-wave component.
• Exceeded previous Yb-ion-doped laser output powers by over an order of magnitude.

Conclusions:

• Demonstrated a high-power Yb:KGW laser exceeding 2 W average output power.
• Multimode fiber-coupled diode pumping is effective for high-power Yb:KGW laser operation.
• This laser design offers a significant advancement in output power for Yb-ion-doped lasers.