title: 87  fs pulse generation in a diode-pumped semiconductor saturable absorber mirror mode-locked Yb:YLF laser.
abstract: A Yb:YLF crystal has been investigated in a femtosecond oscillator pumped by two 400 mW single-mode fiber-coupled diodes emitting at 976 nm and mode locked with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror. Almost Fourier transform-limited pulses with durations of 87 and 107 fs were demonstrated for extraordinary and ordinary polarizations, respectively. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first demonstration of sub-100 fs pulses with Yb:YLF, and it proves the potential for ultrashort pulse generation and amplification with this material.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pirzio
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fregnani
authors.forename: Azzurra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volpi
authors.forename: Alberto Di
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Lieto
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tonelli
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agnesi