Kerr-lens mode-locked Yb:KLuW thin-disk laser.

Area of Science:

• Laser physics
• Materials science
• Optoelectronics

Background:

• Ytterbium-doped potassium-based tungstate (Yb:KREW) crystals are promising for ultrashort pulse lasers due to broad bandwidth and high gain.
• The anisotropic and biaxial nature of Yb:KREW crystals presents challenges for thin-disk laser applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the first Kerr-lens mode-locked thin-disk laser utilizing Ytterbium-doped Potassium Lithium Tungstate (Yb:KLuW).
• To overcome the challenges associated with anisotropic laser media in a thin-disk configuration.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a thin Yb:KLuW gain medium.
• Implemented low thermal resistance bonding.
• Employed Kerr-lens mode-locking technique.
• Configured a thin-disk laser setup.

Main Results:

• Achieved a pulse duration of 48.0 fs with a spectral width of 24.1 nm at 1026.0 nm.
• Obtained an average output power of 0.425 W in mode-locked operation.
• Reached 3.3 W output power with 59.8 fs pulses by adjusting output coupling.
• Demonstrated multimode continuous-wave (CW) operation yielding 138 W output power with 62% slope efficiency.

Conclusions:

• Successfully demonstrated a novel Kerr-lens mode-locked thin-disk laser based on Yb:KLuW.
• The thin-disk configuration with optimized parameters enables efficient generation of ultrashort pulses and high CW output power.
• This work paves the way for advanced laser applications requiring high-power, ultrashort pulse generation from anisotropic gain media.