title: Efficient, high repetition-rate femtosecond blue source using a compact Cr:LiSAF laser.
abstract: We present a practical route to designing a portable femtosecond blue light source that is rugged, compact and battery-powered. An opticaloptical second-harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency of 30% is reported using a diode-pumped, femtosecond Cr:LiSAF laser requiring only ~1.2W of electrical drive. 12mW of blue average power is generated using a 3mm KNbO3 crystal in a simple, single-pass extracavity geometry. The corresponding electrical-blue efficiency of 1% is, to our knowledge, the highest reported efficiency of any femtosecond blue source. Despite conditions of large group velocity mismatch, we show that the temporally-broadened blue pulses remain well within the femtosecond regime, at ~540fs.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Agate
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sibbett