TY - JOUR
T1 - Simplified cavity designs for efficient and compact femtosecond Cr: LiSAF lasers
AU - Agate, B.
AU - Kemp, A.
AU - Brown, C.T.A.
AU - Sibbett, W.
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - We describe efficient, compact femtosecond Cr:LiSAF lasers with a reduced component count that combine greater simplicity with improved performance. We observe transform-limited pulses as short as 136 fs centered on 859 nm at a 470 MHz repetition rate. 20 mW of average output power has been achieved for less than 100 mW of incident diode-laser pump power - an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of over 20%. We have demonstrated an entirely portable, self-contained, battery-powered version of this laser on a 22x28cm2 breadboard, with an electrical-to-optical efficiency of almost 4%. Using four pump laser diodes, we have also achieved operational regimes providing either gigahertz repetition rates or kilowatt peak powers.
AB - We describe efficient, compact femtosecond Cr:LiSAF lasers with a reduced component count that combine greater simplicity with improved performance. We observe transform-limited pulses as short as 136 fs centered on 859 nm at a 470 MHz repetition rate. 20 mW of average output power has been achieved for less than 100 mW of incident diode-laser pump power - an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of over 20%. We have demonstrated an entirely portable, self-contained, battery-powered version of this laser on a 22x28cm2 breadboard, with an electrical-to-optical efficiency of almost 4%. Using four pump laser diodes, we have also achieved operational regimes providing either gigahertz repetition rates or kilowatt peak powers.
KW - lasers
KW - optics
KW - optical conversion
UR - http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/%7Ewsquad/pubs/Bens%20op%20comm%202002%20simplified.pdf
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0030-4018(02)01370-6
U2 - 10.1016/S0030-4018(02)01370-6
DO - 10.1016/S0030-4018(02)01370-6
M3 - Article
SN - 0030-4018
VL - 205
SP - 207
EP - 213
JO - Optics Communications
JF - Optics Communications
IS - 1-3
ER -