title: Duration-tunable picosecond source at 560  nm with watt-level average power.
abstract: A pulse source at 560 nm that is tunable in duration between 50 ps and 2.7 ns with >1  W of average power and near diffraction-limited beam quality is demonstrated. The source is based on efficient (up to 50%) second-harmonic generation in a periodically poled lithium tantalate crystal of a linearly polarized fiber-integrated Raman amplifier operating at 1120 nm. A duration-tunable ytterbium master-oscillator power-fiber amplifier is used to pulse-pump the Raman amplifier, which is seeded by a continuous-wave distributed-feedback laser diode at 1120 nm. The performance of the system using two different master oscillator schemes is compared. A pulse energy of up to 765 nJ is achieved with a conversion efficiency of 25% from the ytterbium fiber pump, demonstrating a compact and turn-key architecture for obtaining high peak-power radiation at 560 nm.
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Runcorn
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: E J R
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kelleher
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Popov
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D007834:Lasers; D055100:Optical Fibers; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors