Passive mode-locking of a Tm-doped bulk laser near 2 microm using a carbon nanotube saturable absorber

Opt Express. 2009 Jun 22;17(13):11007-12. doi: 10.1364/oe.17.011007.

Abstract

Stable and self-starting mode-locking of a Tm:KLu(WO(4))(2) crystal laser is demonstrated using a transmission-type single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) based saturable absorber (SA). These experiments in the 2 microm regime utilize the E11 transition of the SWCNTs for nonlinear saturable absorption. The recovery time of the SWCNT-SA is measured by pump-probe measurements as approximately 1.2 ps. The mode-locked laser delivers approximately 10 ps pulses near 1.95 microm with a maximum output power of up to 240 mW at 126 MHz repetition rate.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Absorption
  • Computer-Aided Design
  • Equipment Design
  • Fiber Optic Technology
  • Lasers*
  • Metals / chemistry
  • Nanostructures / chemistry
  • Nanotubes, Carbon / chemistry*
  • Optics and Photonics*
  • Oscillometry / methods
  • Radio Waves
  • Thulium / chemistry*
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Metals
  • Nanotubes, Carbon
  • Thulium