Hidden instabilities in the Ti:sapphire Kerr lens mode-locked laser.
It is experimentally shown that pulse-to-pulse instabilities in the output of Kerr lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire lasers are usual and that they can affect some of the pulse variables (e.g., the spot size) and not others (e.g., pulse duration and energy). These instabilities are not detectable in the averaged signals (such as the autocorrelation of the pulse) that are customarily used for controlling the laser. But, if they are present but are disregarded, these instabilities have undesirable consequences in almost any application. A simple way to detect and eliminate the instabilities is described.
Kovalsky
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MG
Centro de Investigaciones en Laseres y Aplicaciones, Zufriategui 4380, (1603) Villa Martelli, Argentina, and Laboratorio de Electrónica Cuántica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón I, Ciudad Universitaria, (1429) Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Hnilo
A A
AA
González Inchauspe
C M
CM