Self-starting soliton modelocked Ti-sapphire laser using a thin semiconductor saturable absorber

Brovelli, L. R.; Jung, I. D.; Kopf, D.; Kamp, M.; Moser, M.; Kärtner, Franz X.; Keller, U.

doi:10.1049/el:19950184

Cited by 66 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Thus, this design allowed for a large variation of absorber parameters by simply changing absorber thickness and top reflectors [19,20]. This resulted in an even simpler SESAM design with a single quantum well absorber layer integrated into a Bragg mirror [21] (Fig. 1d), this was also later referred to as saturable Bragg reflectors (SBRs) [22].…”

Section: S E S a MD E S I G N Smentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a general sense we then can reduce the design problem of a SESAM to the analysis of multilayered interference filters for a given desired nonlinear reflectivity response for both the amplitude and phase. The A-FPSA [3,18], the saturable Bragg reflector (SBR) [21,22], and the dispersive saturable absorber mirror (D-SAM) [28] are then special examples of SESAM designs. In this more general class of design we do not restrict ourselves to Bragg mirror structures, which are defined by a stack of quarter-wave layers with alternating high and low refractive indices (e.g.…”

Section: S E S a MD E S I G N Smentioning

confidence: 99%

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Optical characterization of semiconductor saturable absorbers

2004

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Semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) devices have become a key component of ultrafast passive mode-locked laser sources. Here we describe in more detail how the key SESAM parameters such as saturation fluence, modulation depth, and nonsaturable losses are measured with a high accuracy. These parameters need to be known and controlled to obtain stable pulse generation for a given laser. A highprecision, wide dynamic range setup is required to measure this nonlinear reflectivity of saturable absorbers. The challenge to measure a low modulation depth and key measures necessary to obtain an accurate calibration are described in detail. The model function for the nonlinear reflectivity is based on a simple twolevel travelling wave system. We include spatial beam profiles, nonsaturable losses and higher-order absorption, such as twophoton absorption and other induced absorption. Guidelines to extract the key parameters from the measured data are given.PACS 07.60.Hv; 42.65.Re; 42.70.Nq

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Section: S E S a MD E S I G N Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: S E S a MD E S I G N Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Optical characterization of semiconductor saturable absorbers

2004

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“…In the beginning the new monolithic construction representing a nonlinear mirror was called antiresonant Fabry Perot saturable absorber (A-FPSA) [81]. Since then the SESAM has become a widespread mode-locker in many oscillators, mainly those operated in the NIR spectral range: Nd:YLF [81], Yb:YAG [82], Cr:YAG [83], Ti:Sa [84] etc. Here, the SESAMs for 1 µm wavelength and > µJ pulse energies are emphasized.…”

Section: Sesammentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards a Compact Thin-Disk-Based Femtosecond XUV Source

Pronin

2014

Springer Theses

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“…4) which reduced the number of quantum-well saturable absorbers to only one which was embedded inside the lower high-reflecting Bragg reflector (Fig. 4) [89]. In comparison to all early attempts to passively modelock solid-state lasers, the modulation depth was only a percentage or even sub-percentage level, and therefore the thick 50-quantum-well absorber embedded inside the high-finesse A-FPSA, without the high top reflector, would have generated far too large a modulation depth, driving the laser into Q-switching instabilities [52].…”

Section: Innovation and Evolution Of The Sesam Conceptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultrafast solid-state laser oscillators: a success story for the last 20 years with no end in sight

Keller

2010

Appl. Phys. B

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Ultrashort lasers provide an important tool to probe the dynamics of physical systems at very short timescales, allowing for improved understanding of the performance of many devices and phenomena used in science, technology, and medicine. In addition ultrashort pulses also provide a high peak intensity and a broad optical spectrum, which opens even more applications such as material processing, nonlinear optics, attosecond science, and metrology. There has been a long-standing, ongoing effort in the field to reduce the pulse duration and increase the power of these lasers to continue to empower existing and new applications. After 1990, new techniques such as semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAMs) and Kerrlens mode locking (KLM) allowed for the generation of stable pulse trains from diode-pumped solid-state lasers for the first time, and enabled the performance of such lasers to improve by several orders of magnitude with regards to pulse duration, pulse energy and pulse repetition rates. This invited review article gives a broad overview and includes some personal accounts of the key events during the last 20 years, which made ultrafast solid-state lasers a success story. Ultrafast Ti:sapphire, diode-pumped solid-state, and novel semiconductor laser oscillators will be reviewed. The perspective for the near future indicates continued significant progress in the field. Current status and introductionAs we look back from today in 2010 for the last 20 years, we see that ultrafast solid-state lasers have become the key U. Keller ( ) Institute of Quantum Electronics, Physics Department, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland e-mail: keller@phys.ethz.ch enabling technology for many new applications, and have established themselves successfully in at least several industrial areas. The situation was substantially different 20 years ago, when ultrafast lasers were predominantly based on dye laser technology or active modelocked solid-state lasers, and it was assumed that passive modelocking of diode-pumped solid-state lasers was very difficult, if not impossible. Key breakthroughs came with the invention of the semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) [1,2] and Kerr-lens modelocking (KLM) [3]. Previously, Q-switching instabilities prevented stable passive modelocking of diode-pumped solid-state lasers for more than 25 years. This breakthrough was enabled through the major progress in solid-state laser technology: first with the discovery of the Ti:sapphire laser material [4] and second with the rapid progress in highpower semiconductor diode-laser arrays to efficiently pump solid-state lasers.For this invited review paper for the special celebration of Volume 100 in Applied Physics B, I will provide some more details describing the events that led to the rapid progress in ultrafast solid-state lasers. I have been actively involved at the frontier of this field for more than 20 years and can provide some more personal insight into how the field evolved. Furthermore, many important results have been ...

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Self-starting soliton modelocked Ti-sapphire laser using a thin semiconductor saturable absorber

Cited by 66 publications

References 7 publications

Optical characterization of semiconductor saturable absorbers

Optical characterization of semiconductor saturable absorbers

Towards a Compact Thin-Disk-Based Femtosecond XUV Source

Ultrafast solid-state laser oscillators: a success story for the last 20 years with no end in sight

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