Graphene mode-locked operation of Tm3+:YLiF4 and Tm3+:KY3F10 lasers near 2.3 µm

Abstract

We report experimental demonstration of graphene mode-locked operation of ${{\rm Tm}^{3 + }}\!:\!{{\rm YLiF}_4}$Tm³⁺:YLiF₄ (YLF) and ${{\rm Tm}^{3 + }}\!:\!{{\rm KY}_3}{{\rm F}_{10}}$Tm³⁺:KY₃F₁₀ (KYF) lasers near 2.3 µm. To scale up the intracavity pulse energy, the cavity was extended, and double-end pumping was employed with a continuous-wave, tunable ${{\rm Ti}^{3 + }}\!:\!{\rm sapphire}$Ti³⁺:sapphire laser delivering up to 1 W near 780 nm. The extended ${{\rm Tm}^{3 + }}\!:\!{\rm KYF}$Tm³⁺:KYF laser cavity was purged with dry nitrogen to eliminate pulsing instabilities due to atmospheric absorption lines, but this was not needed in the case of the ${{\rm Tm}^{3 + }}\!:\!{\rm YLF}$Tm³⁺:YLF laser. Once initiated by graphene, stable uninterrupted mode-locked operation could be maintained with both lasers. With the extended cavity ${{\rm Tm}^{3 + }}\!:\!{\rm YLF}$Tm³⁺:YLF laser, 921 fs pulses were generated at a repetition rate of 17.2 MHz at 2304 nm. 739 fs pulses were obtained at the repetition rate of 54 MHz from the ${{\rm Tm}^{3 + }}\!:\!{\rm KYF}$Tm³⁺:KYF laser at 2340 nm. The corresponding pulse energy and peak power were 2.4 nJ and 2.6 kW for the ${{\rm Tm}^{3 + }}\!:\!{\rm YLF}$Tm³⁺:YLF laser, and 1.2 nJ and 1.6 kW for the ${{\rm Tm}^{3 + }}\!:\!{\rm KYF}$Tm³⁺:KYF laser. We foresee that it should be possible to generate shorter pulses at higher pump levels.