Passively mode-locked diode-pumped Tm$^{3+}$ :YLF laser emitting at 1.91 $\mu$m using a GaAs-based SESAM

Aleksey Tyazhev (1) , R. Soulard (2) , T. Godin (1) , Marlène Paris (1) , G Brasse (2) , J-L Doualan (2) , A. Braud (2) , M Moncorgé (2) , M. Laroche (2) , P. Camy (2) , Ammar Hideur (1)

1 CORIA - Complexe de recherche interprofessionnel en aérothermochimie
2 CIMAP - UMR 6252 - Centre de recherche sur les Ions, les MAtériaux et la Photonique

We report on a diode-pumped Tm:YLF laser passively mode-locked with an InGaAs saturable absorber. The laser emits a train of 31 ps pulses at a wavelength of 1.91 $\mu$m with a repetition rate of 94 MHz and a maximum average power of 95 mW. A sustained and robust mode-locking with a signal-to-noise ratio of ~70 dB is obtained even at high relative air humidity, making this system attractive for applications requiring ultra-short pulses in the spectral window just below 2 $\mu$m.

Keywords: crystalline laser; Tm-doped; passively mode-locked; diode-pumped; eye-safe region; fluoride crystals

Domains: Engineering Sciences [physics]; Optics / Photonic; Physics [physics]; Physics [physics]; Optics [physics.optics]

Aleksey Tyazhev, R. Soulard, T. Godin, Marlène Paris, G Brasse, et al.. Passively mode-locked diode-pumped Tm$^{3+}$ :YLF laser emitting at 1.91 $\mu$m using a GaAs-based SESAM. Laser Physics Letters, 2018, 15, pp.045807. ⟨10.1088/1612-202X/aaa9aa⟩. ⟨hal-01746042⟩