SESAM mode-locked Yb:Sr₃Y₂(BO₃)₄ laser

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics and Photonics
• Ultrafast Optics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Ultrafast lasers are critical tools in various scientific disciplines.
• Developing compact and efficient femtosecond lasers remains a key research objective.
• Yb-doped crystalline materials offer promising gain media for laser development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate sub-40 femtosecond (fs) soliton pulse generation.
• To utilize a diode-pumped Ytterbium-doped strontium calcium borate (Yb:SCB) laser.
• To achieve passive mode-locking using a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM).

Main Methods:

• A diode-pumped Yb:Sr3Y2(BO3)4 laser system was designed and constructed.
• Passive mode-locking was implemented utilizing a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM).
• Laser performance was characterized in terms of pulse duration, central wavelength, output power, and optical efficiency.

Main Results:

• The first sub-40 fs soliton pulses were generated from the Yb:SCB laser.
• Achieved a shortest pulse duration of 38 fs at a central wavelength of 1051.7 nm.
• Reached a maximum average output power of 303 mW (52 fs pulse duration) with 25.3% optical efficiency and 76.9 kW peak power.

Conclusions:

• The Yb:Sr3Y2(BO3)4 laser is a viable platform for generating ultrashort femtosecond pulses.
• The demonstrated performance highlights the potential of SESAM mode-locked Yb:SCB lasers for ultrafast applications.
• This work contributes to the advancement of compact and high-performance ultrafast laser sources.