FEMTOSECOND PULSES FROM THE NOVEL SOLID-STATE LASER SOURCE CR-LISGAF

Efficient high-power TEM(00) cw laser operation of Cr:LiSGaF laser at Kr+-laser pumping is demonstrated. Results of spectroscopic and laser performance analysis, taking into account upconversion and excited-sta te absorption, are presented and used for the optimization of this las er yielding more than 900 mW output power. Different setups for Ken-le ns mode locking, aiming at two goals simultaneously - high output powe r and short pulse duration - are analyzed and tested. The most simple KLM mode-locked Cr:LiSGaF laser could be realized, containing no intra cavity prisms. This laser produced stable, near-transform-limited 44-f s pulses with an output power of 200 mW, tunable between 833 and 857 n n. Low-loss Gires-Tournois (GT) structured dielectric mirrors were use d for dispersion control. The preference of such GT-type mirrors over chirped mirrors is discussed in detail. The shortest near-transform-li mited pulses achieved so far in a GT-mirror dispersion-controlled reso nator are 37 fs.