Abstract

The Kerr nonlinearity has been used extensively for sell-mode-locking or Kerr lens mode locking (KLM) of Ti:sapphire lasers¹ but only recently has it been exploited for mode locking of diode-pumped solid-state lasers.^2,3 Common diode-pumped media such as Nd:YAG have narrower gain bandwidths and lower gain saturation levels than Ti:sapphire, restricting the available peak intensities and precluding the use of effective gain apertures. In addition, the characteristics of high power diode lasers make efficient, tightly focused pump geometries difficult to attain, limiting self-focusing within the gain medium.

© 1993 Optical Society of America