Abstract

Typical frequency combs from modelocked lasers are either based on complex green-pumped Ti:sapphire oscillators or amplified fiber lasers. Ti:sapphire lasers deliver very short pulses and exhibit low noise levels, but they rely on multi-watt green pump lasers and complex Kerr lens modelocking (KLM). More convenient and robust diode-pumped fiber laser systems suffer from higher quantum noise and limited repetition rates. Excellent compact sources for frequency combs are ultrafast diode-pumped solid-state lasers (DPSSLs). They combine the favorable properties of cost-efficient diode-pumping, robust SESAM modelocking and an intrinsic low quantum noise level [1]. Furthermore, DPSSLs can achieve watt-level average powers without any amplification, even in combination with high gigahertz repetition rates.

© 2013 IEEE