Soliton mode-locked Yb:Ca₃Gd₂(BO₃)₄ laser

Area of Science:

• Lasers and Photonics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Ytterbium-doped materials are crucial for developing efficient solid-state lasers.
• Achieving ultrashort pulse generation requires precise control over laser dynamics, often utilizing mode-locking techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate soliton mode-locking in a Yb:Ca3Gd2(BO3)4 laser.
• To characterize the ultrashort pulse generation capabilities of this novel laser system.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror for passive mode-locking.
• Employed a 976 nm fiber-coupled laser diode for pumping the Yb:Ca3Gd2(BO3)4 gain medium.
• Characterized pulse duration, central wavelength, output power, and repetition rate.

Main Results:

• Achieved stable soliton mode-locking at approximately 1.06 µm.
• Generated ultrashort pulses with a minimum duration of 39 femtoseconds.
• Observed an average output power of 70 mW at a central wavelength of 1059.2 nm with a repetition rate of ~67.3 MHz.

Conclusions:

• The Yb:Ca3Gd2(BO3)4 laser is a viable platform for generating femtosecond soliton pulses.
• The demonstrated performance highlights the potential for applications requiring high peak power and ultrashort pulses.