On the way towards the pulse-duration limits in prismless KLM Cr : LiSGaF and Cr : LiSAF lasers

摘要

We make an overview of our latest works on the mirror-dispersion-controlled (MDC) Kerr-lens mode-locked (KLM) Cr : LiSGaF and Cr : LiSAF lasers, aimed at obtaining sub-20-fs pulses. Such lasers, in comparison to their prism-controlled forerunners, are distinguished by the high reproducibility, stability, and quality of the pulses, as well as compactness of the cavity. The shortest nearly bandwidth-limited pulses of similar to 14 fs duration have been produced in Cr : LiSGaF laser, having an average output power of 100 mW. We discuss the possible pulse duration limiting mechanisms, such as an intracavity high-order dispersion and the Raman-induced self-frequency shift of the pulses. [References: 29]