Compact and efficient Cr:LiSAF lasers pumped by one single-spatial-mode diode: a minimal cost approach

Umit Demirbas; Stefan Eggert; Alfred Leitenstorfer

doi:10.1364/JOSAB.29.001894

Journal of the Optical Society of America B
Vol. 29,
Issue 8,
pp. 1894-1903
(2012)
•https://doi.org/10.1364/JOSAB.29.001894

Compact and efficient Cr:LiSAF lasers pumped by one single-spatial-mode diode: a minimal cost approach

Umit Demirbas, Stefan Eggert, and Alfred Leitenstorfer

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Umit Demirbas, Stefan Eggert, and Alfred Leitenstorfer, "Compact and efficient Cr:LiSAF lasers pumped by one single-spatial-mode diode: a minimal cost approach," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 29, 1894-1903 (2012)

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Abstract

In this study, we report a minimal-cost and minimal-complexity Cr:LiSAF laser that is pumped only by one inexpensive single-spatial-mode diode. The pump diode, which was originally developed for DVD-writers, provides 130 mW of output power at 660 nm with an efficiency of 30%. This simple pump source enables the construction of a Cr:LiSAF laser that (i) has an estimated total material cost below US$ 5k, (ii) has a footprint of about $20 \times 30 cm$ , (iii) does not require active cooling, and (iv) can be driven by batteries. All of these make this system ideal for applications that require portability. In continuous-wave (cw) laser experiments, we have demonstrated lasing thresholds as low as 2 mW, slope efficiencies as high as 52%, and output powers up to 58 mW. A record cw tuning range extending from 780 to 1110 nm has also been obtained. In cw mode-locking experiments using a saturable Bragg reflector at 850 nm, the Cr:LiSAF laser produced 100 fs pulses with an average power of 38 mW at a repetition rate of 235 MHz. Using a more compact laser cavity, we have also obtained 130 fs pulses with an average power of 33 mW at a repetition rate of 757 MHz. The corresponding electrical-to-optical conversion efficiencies in cw and cw mode-locked regimes were 12.8% and 8.4%, respectively. These results show that, with the progress in laser-diode and optical mirror technology in the last decade, reasonable output powers can now be obtained from Cr:LiSAF lasers that are pumped only by one single-spatial-mode diode. We believe that this compact, low-cost, and simplistic Cr:LiSAF laser system may be an attractive source for several applications including amplifier seeding.

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Pump source	Pulse width (fs)	Pulse energy (pJ)	Peak power (W)	Average power (mW)	Reprate (MHz)	Year	Ref.
$1 \times 30 mW$	200	1.3	6	0.23	180	97	[4]
$2 \times 50 mW$	60	9	137	1.57	180	97	[4]
$2 \times 50 mW$	90	60	588	9	150	98	[27]
$2 \times 50 mW$	57	43	670	6.5	150	98	[27]
$2 \times 55 mW$	136	43	276	20	470	02	[28]
$4 \times 55 mW$	122	75	$1.2 \times 10^{3}$	35	$\sim 210$	02	[28]
$2 \times 55 mW$	151	50	292	20	$\sim 400$	02	[29]
$2 \times 55 mW$	113	38	293	15	$\sim 400$	02	[29]
$4 \times 55 mW$	146	3	18	3	1002	02	[28, 35]
$4 \times 55 mW$	200	140	680	45	330	02	[36]
$3 \times 50 mW$	39	756	$17 \times 10^{3}$	6.5	8.6	03	[37]
$4 \times 150 mW$	46	$1.8 \times 10^{3}$	$33.8 \times 10^{3}$	150	85	09	[8]
$6 \times 150 mW$	55	110	$1.8 \times 10^{3}$	110	1000	10	[38]
$4 \times 200 mW$	26	$1 \times 10^{3}$	$38.5 \times 10^{3}$	85	85	11	[30]
$1 \times 130 mW$	103	162	$1.4 \times 10^{3}$	38	235	12	this work
	95	87	770	32	366
	110	58	462	29	503
	70	39	510	20	509
	130	44	295	33	757

Pump source	Pulse width (fs)	Pulse energy (pJ)	Peak power (W)	Average power (mW)	Reprate (MHz)	Year	Ref.
$1 \times 500 mW$	$100 \times 10^{3}$	120	1.06	30	250	93	[66]
$2 \times 500 mW$	$70 \times 10^{3}$	8	0.07	2	250	93	[31]
$2 \times 400 mW$	98	625	$5.6 \times 10^{3}$	50	80	94	[67]
$1 \times 250 mW$	97	35	300	2.7	80	94	[68]
$2 \times 400 mW$	70	—	—	50	—	95	[69]
$4 \times 500 mW$	40	935	$20.6 \times 10^{3}$	70	75	95	[70]
$4 \times 500 mW$	27	135	$4 \times 10^{3}$	10	75	95	[70]
$2 \times 400 mW$	34	525	$13.6 \times 10^{3}$	42	80	95	[71]
$1 \times 500 mW$	100	60	550	11	178	95	[72]
$2 \times 500 mW$	45	600	$11.7 \times 10^{3}$	105	176	97	[73]
$1 \times 15 W$	50	$2.27 \times 10^{3}$	$40 \times 10^{3}$	340	150	97	[34]
$1 \times 15 W$	110	$3.34 \times 10^{3}$	$26.7 \times 10^{3}$	500	150	97	[34]
$1 \times 800 mW$	26	—	—	6.2	—	97	[74]
$2 \times 500 mW$	80	$1.25 \times 10^{3}$	$13.8 \times 10^{3}$	110	88	98	[75]
$1 \times 500 mW + 1 \times 350 mW$	12	32.5	$2.4 \times 10^{3}$	6.5	200	99	[76]
$1 \times 500 mW + 1 \times 350 mW$	10	11.5	$1 \times 10^{3}$	2.3	200	00	[25]
$1 \times 1.2 W$	105	$1.84 \times 10^{3}$	$16.5 \times 10^{3}$	232	126	11	[33]

Pump source	Pulse width (fs)	Pulse energy (pJ)	Peak power (W)	Average power (mW)	Reprate (MHz)	Year	Ref.
$1 \times 30 mW$	200	1.3	6	0.23	180	97	[4]
$2 \times 50 mW$	60	9	137	1.57	180	97	[4]
$2 \times 50 mW$	90	60	588	9	150	98	[27]
$2 \times 50 mW$	57	43	670	6.5	150	98	[27]
$2 \times 55 mW$	136	43	276	20	470	02	[28]
$4 \times 55 mW$	122	75	$1.2 \times 10^{3}$	35	$\sim 210$	02	[28]
$2 \times 55 mW$	151	50	292	20	$\sim 400$	02	[29]
$2 \times 55 mW$	113	38	293	15	$\sim 400$	02	[29]
$4 \times 55 mW$	146	3	18	3	1002	02	[28, 35]
$4 \times 55 mW$	200	140	680	45	330	02	[36]
$3 \times 50 mW$	39	756	$17 \times 10^{3}$	6.5	8.6	03	[37]
$4 \times 150 mW$	46	$1.8 \times 10^{3}$	$33.8 \times 10^{3}$	150	85	09	[8]
$6 \times 150 mW$	55	110	$1.8 \times 10^{3}$	110	1000	10	[38]
$4 \times 200 mW$	26	$1 \times 10^{3}$	$38.5 \times 10^{3}$	85	85	11	[30]
$1 \times 130 mW$	103	162	$1.4 \times 10^{3}$	38	235	12	this work
	95	87	770	32	366
	110	58	462	29	503
	70	39	510	20	509
	130	44	295	33	757

Pump source	Pulse width (fs)	Pulse energy (pJ)	Peak power (W)	Average power (mW)	Reprate (MHz)	Year	Ref.
$1 \times 500 mW$	$100 \times 10^{3}$	120	1.06	30	250	93	[66]
$2 \times 500 mW$	$70 \times 10^{3}$	8	0.07	2	250	93	[31]
$2 \times 400 mW$	98	625	$5.6 \times 10^{3}$	50	80	94	[67]
$1 \times 250 mW$	97	35	300	2.7	80	94	[68]
$2 \times 400 mW$	70	—	—	50	—	95	[69]
$4 \times 500 mW$	40	935	$20.6 \times 10^{3}$	70	75	95	[70]
$4 \times 500 mW$	27	135	$4 \times 10^{3}$	10	75	95	[70]
$2 \times 400 mW$	34	525	$13.6 \times 10^{3}$	42	80	95	[71]
$1 \times 500 mW$	100	60	550	11	178	95	[72]
$2 \times 500 mW$	45	600	$11.7 \times 10^{3}$	105	176	97	[73]
$1 \times 15 W$	50	$2.27 \times 10^{3}$	$40 \times 10^{3}$	340	150	97	[34]
$1 \times 15 W$	110	$3.34 \times 10^{3}$	$26.7 \times 10^{3}$	500	150	97	[34]
$1 \times 800 mW$	26	—	—	6.2	—	97	[74]
$2 \times 500 mW$	80	$1.25 \times 10^{3}$	$13.8 \times 10^{3}$	110	88	98	[75]
$1 \times 500 mW + 1 \times 350 mW$	12	32.5	$2.4 \times 10^{3}$	6.5	200	99	[76]
$1 \times 500 mW + 1 \times 350 mW$	10	11.5	$1 \times 10^{3}$	2.3	200	00	[25]
$1 \times 1.2 W$	105	$1.84 \times 10^{3}$	$16.5 \times 10^{3}$	232	126	11	[33]

Abstract

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Figures (8)

Tables (2)

Journal of the Optical Society of America B