FEMTOSECOND CR-FORSTERITE LASER-DIODE-PUMPED BY A DOUBLE-CLAD FIBER

We present a compact, all-solid-state femtosecond Cr:forsterite laser. The laser is pumped by diodes through a double-clad fiber. Kerr-lens mode locking is initiated and stabilized by a semiconductor saturable- absorber mirror with a single InGaAs quantum well. This system generat es transform-limited 80-fs pulses near 1.3 mu m. An average power of 6 8 mW with fluctuation of much less than 1% is obtained with 3.8 W of a bsorbed pump power. The stability, efficiency, compactness, and potent ial for scaling to higher power of this system make it an attractive s hort-pulse source for applications. (C) 1998 Optical Society of Americ a.