Electronically controlled pulse duration passively mode-locked Cr:Forsterite laser

A passive mode-locked Cr:forsterite laser with electronically controlled pulse duration is demonstrated. A DC voltage controlled p-n junction quantum-dot semiconductor saturable absorber mirror is presented. Output pulse durations varying from 17.4 to 6.4 ps were obtained by applying a DC voltage between 0 and -4.5 V. No dispersion compensation was used

P-i-n junction quantum dot saturable absorber mirror:Electrical control of ultrafast dynamics

We report on nonlinear optical properties of a p-i-n junction quantum dot saturable absorber based on InGaAs/GaAs. Absorption recovery dynamics and nonlinear reflectivity are investigated for different reverse bias and pump power conditions. A decrease in absorption recovery time of nearly two orders of magnitude is demonstrated by applying a voltage between 0 and −20 V. The saturable absorber modulation depth and saturation fluence are found to be independent from the applied reverse bias

Absorption saturation properties and laser Q-switch performance of Cr5+-doped YVO4 crystal

The ground-state and excited-state absorption cross sections of a Cr5+:YVO4 single crystal were determined by the intensity-dependant transmission measurements to be(2.0±0.4)×10-18 cm2 and less than 0.1×10-18 cm2 at 1.08 μm, respectively. The bleaching relaxation time of the Cr5+:YVO4 crystal was estimated to be 3.5±1.5 ns. Passive Q-switching of a diode-pumped Yb3+:YVO4 laser with the Cr5+:YVO4 saturable absorber was realized

Multi-beam second-harmonic generation in beta barium borate with a spatial light modulator and application to internal structuring in poly(methyl methacrylate)

Parallel beam frequency doubling of 170 fs, NIR pulses is demonstrated by placing a thin beta barium borate (BBO) nonlinear crystal after a spatial light modulator. Computer-generated holograms applied to the spatial light modulator create 18 parallel diffracted beams at the fundamental wavelength λ=775 nm, then frequency doubled to λ=387 nm and focussed inside the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrate for refractive index structuring. This procedure, demonstrated for the first time in PMMA, requires careful attention to phase matching of multiple beams and opens up dynamic parallel processing at UV wavelengths where nematic liquid crystal devices are more sensitive to optical damage. By overlapping filamentary modifications, an efficient, stable volume phase grating with dimensions 5×5×2.0 mm3 and pitch Λ=15 μm was fabricated in 18 minutes and reached a first-order diffraction efficiency of 70 % at the Bragg angle. © 2012 Springer-Verlag