Performance scaling of a 10-GHz solid-state laser enabling self-referenced CEO frequency detection without...

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• Nonlinear Optics
• Quantum Electronics

Background:

• High-repetition-rate femtosecond lasers are crucial for applications like nonlinear microscopy and frequency comb generation.
• Achieving stable femtosecond modelocking at repetition rates exceeding 10 GHz presents significant design challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the key factors influencing femtosecond modelocking at high repetition rates (>10 GHz).
• To demonstrate a compact, high-repetition-rate femtosecond laser oscillator.
• To showcase the application of the laser output for supercontinuum generation and carrier-envelope offset detection.

Main Methods:

• Experimental investigation of intracavity dispersion, pump brightness, and cavity design in a straight-cavity laser.
• Utilizing a cascaded quadratic nonlinear crystal and a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) for modelocking.
• Generating octave-spanning supercontinuum in a silicon nitride waveguide and performing f-to-2f interferometry.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a 10.4-GHz straight-cavity SESAM-modelocked Yb:CALGO laser.
• Achieved 108-fs pulses with 812 mW average output power, a record for diode-pumped femtosecond oscillators >10 GHz.
• Successfully generated coherent octave-spanning supercontinuum and detected a strong carrier-envelope offset (CEO) beat note.

Conclusions:

• The developed laser design enables stable femtosecond modelocking at unprecedented repetition rates.
• The high-performance oscillator is suitable for advanced nonlinear optical applications, including supercontinuum generation.
• The results pave the way for compact and robust frequency metrology systems.