Efficient High-Peak-Power Wavelength-Switchable Femtosecond Yb:LGGG Laser

Author

Fei Lou ; Zhi-Tai Jia ; Jing-Liang He ; Ru-Wei Zhao ; Jia Hou ; Zhao-Wei Wang ; Shan-De Liu ; Bai-Tao Zhang ; Chun-Ming Dong

Author_Institution

State Key Lab. of Crystal Mater., Shandong Univ., Jinan, China

Volume

27

Issue

4

fYear

2015

fDate

Feb.15, 15 2015

Firstpage

407

Lastpage

410

Abstract

A systematic study of the spectral properties and ultrafast lasing characteristics of Yb:(Lu_xGd_1-x)₃Ga₅O₁₂(x = 0.062) (Yb:LGGG) disordered crystal was reported for the first time. The broad fluorescence spectral lines indicate a great potential of Yb:LGGG for tunable and ultrafast laser application. In the lasing experiment, a passively mode-locked Yb:LGGG laser was realized, which generated a maximum average power of 1.3 W with pulse duration of 324 fs at the central wavelength of 1029.6 nm, corresponding to a slope efficiency as high as 41.6%. The pulse energy and peak power were calculated to be 22.4 nJ and 69.2 kW. By optimizing the cavity design, the shortest pulse duration of 188 fs was achieved at the central wavelength of 1026.8 nm. In this case, the maximum average output power of 0.77 W was generated with a slope efficiency of 27.1%. The experimental results show the excellent potential of Yb:LGGG crystal for high-efficiency and high-peak-power femtosecond laser.

Keywords

fluorescence; high-speed optical techniques; laser cavity resonators; laser mode locking; optical design techniques; optical switches; optimisation; solid lasers; spectral line broadening; ytterbium; (Lu_0.062Gd_1-0.062)₃Ga₅O₁₂:Yb; broad fluorescence spectral lines; cavity design optimization; central wavelength; disordered crystal; efficient high-peak-power wavelength-switchable femtosecond ytterbium:LGGG Laser; energy 22.4 nJ; passively mode-locked ytterbium:LGGG laser; power 0.77 W; power 1.3 W; power 69.2 kW; time 188 fs; time 324 fs; tunable laser application; ultrafast laser application; ultrafast lasing characteristics; wavelength 1026.8 nm; wavelength 1029.6 nm; Absorption; Crystals; Laser excitation; Laser mode locking; Mirrors; Optimized production technology; High-peak-power; Yb:LGGG; high-peak-power; passively mode-locked; wavelength-switchable;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LPT.2014.2375178

Filename

6967747