Semiconductor saturable absorber mirror mode-locked Yb:YAP laser

Area of Science:

• Ultrafast Optics
• Laser Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAMs) are crucial for mode-locking lasers.
• Yb-doped solid-state lasers offer advantages in the near-infrared spectrum.

Purpose of the Study:

• To generate ultrashort pulses from a Yb:YAP laser using SESAM mode-locking.
• To investigate the performance limits of SESAM mode-locked Yb:YAP lasers.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) for mode-locking.
• Employed a spatially single-mode Yb fiber laser for pumping the Yb:YAP crystal.
• Operated the laser in a soliton mode-locking regime.

Main Results:

• Generated soliton pulses as short as 29 femtoseconds (fs).
• Achieved an average output power of 156 mW at 1091 nm.
• Obtained a maximum output power of 320 mW with 32 fs pulses and 20.5% optical efficiency.

Conclusions:

• Demonstrated sub-30 fs pulse generation from a SESAM mode-locked Yb:YAP laser.
• Achieved the shortest pulses to date from a solid-state Yb laser mode-locked by a physical saturable absorber.
• The results highlight the potential of SESAMs for generating ultrashort pulses in Yb-based solid-state lasers.