Highly efficient mode-locked Yb:Sc2O3 laser

P. Klopp, V. Petrov, and U. Griebner

Max-Born-Institut, Max-Born-Strasse 2a, D-12489 Berlin, Germany

K. Petermann and V. Peters

Institut für Laserphysik, Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, D-22761 Hamburg, Germany

G. Erbert

Ferdinand-Braun-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik, Albert-Einstein-Straße 11, D-12489 Berlin, Germany

Published in:
Optics Letters, vol. 29, pp. 391-393, 2004.
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Abstract:
Passive mode locking of the Yb:Sc2O3 laser is demonstrated. We investigate the laser performance with Ti:sapphire and diode-laser pumping. The laser is mode locked by use of a semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror and emits as much as 0.8 W of power in the picosecond range with a pump efficiency as high as 47%. With dispersion compensation, pulses as short as 230 fs for an average power of 0.54 W are obtained at 1044 nm. This is, to our knowledge, the first femtosecond oscillator based on an Yb-doped sesquioxide crystal.

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