Passively mode-locked Yb:LuVO4 oscillator

S. Rivier, X. Mateos, J. Liu, V. Petrov, and U. Griebner
Max-Born-Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Ultrafast Spectroscopy, 2A Max-Born-Str. D-12489 Berlin, Germany

M. Zorn and M. Weyers
Ferdinand-Braun-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik, Gustav-Kirchhoff-Straße 4, D-12489 Berlin, Germany

H. Zhang, J. Wang, and M. Jiang
National Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China

Published in:
Optics Express, Vol. 14, Issue 24, pp. 11668-11671 (2006).
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Abstract:
Passive mode locking of the ytterbium doped orthovanadate crystal Yb:LuVO4 is reported for the first time. We demonstrate what we believe to be the shortest pulses directly generated with an Yb-doped crystalline laser using a semiconductor saturable absorber. The pulses at 1036 nm have a duration as short as 58 fs for an average power of 85 mW.

OCIS codes:
(140.5680) Rare earth and transition metal solid-state lasers; (140.4050) Mode-locked lasers.