title: High-power Kerr-lens mode-locked Yb:YAG thin-disk oscillator in the positive dispersion regime.
abstract: We demonstrate a self-starting Kerr-lens mode-locked (KLM) Yb:YAG thin-disk oscillator operating in the regime of positive intracavity group-delay dispersion (GDD). It delivers 1.7 ps pulses at an average power of 17 W and a repetition rate of 40 MHz. Dispersive mirrors compress the pulses to a duration of 190 fs (assuming sech2 shape; Fourier limit: 150 fs) at an average power level of 11 W. To our knowledge, this is the first KLM thin-disk oscillator with positive GDD. Output powers of up to 30 W were achieved with an increased output coupler transmission and intracavity GDD. We demonstrate increase of the pulse energy with increasing positive intracavity GDD, limited by difficulties in initiating mode-locking.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Garching, Germany. oleg.pronin@mpq.mpg.de
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pronin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brons
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grasse
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pervak
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boehm
authors.forename: M-C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Amann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Apolonski
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Kalashnikov
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Krausz