title: Low-cost, single-mode diode-pumped Cr:Colquiriite lasers.
abstract: We present three Cr3+:Colquiriite lasers as low-cost alternatives to Ti:Sapphire laser technology. Single-mode laser diodes, which cost only $150 each, were used as pump sources. In cw operation, with approximately 520 mW of absorbed pump power, up to 257, 269 and 266 mW of output power and slope efficiencies of 53%, 62% and 54% were demonstrated for Cr:LiSAF, Cr:LiSGaF and Cr:LiCAF, respectively. Record cw tuning ranges from 782 to 1042 nm for Cr:LiSAF, 777 to 977 nm for Cr:LiSGaF, and 754 to 871 nm for Cr:LiCAF were demonstrated. In cw mode-locking experiments using semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors at 800 and 850 nm, Cr:Colquiriite lasers produced approximately 50-100 fs pulses with approximately 1-2.5 nJ pulse energies at approximately 100 MHz repetition rate. Electrical-to-optical conversion efficiencies of 8% in mode-locked operation and 12% in cw operation were achieved.
authors: Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA. umit@mit.edu
authors: Umit
authors: U
authors: Demirbas
authors: Duo
authors: D
authors: Li
authors: Jonathan R
authors: JR
authors: Birge
authors: Alphan
authors: A
authors: Sennaroglu
authors: Gale S
authors: GS
authors: Petrich
authors: Leslie A
authors: LA
authors: Kolodziejski
authors: Franz X
authors: FX
authors: Kaertner
authors: James G
authors: JG
authors: Fujimoto
mesh_terms: D002857:Chromium / Q000737:chemistry; D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D053844:Lasers, Solid-State; D008027:Light; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012542:Scattering, Radiation
chemical_list: D002857:Chromium