Bulk semiconductor saturable absorber for a NaCl color center laser

Journal Article · Mon May 28 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Applied Physics Letters; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.102960· OSTI ID:7051431

Soccolich, C E; Islam, M N; Young, M G; Miller, B I ^[1]

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1. AT T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel, New Jersey 07733 (USA)

Using bulk InGaAsP as a saturable absorber we have passively mode locked a NaCl color center laser to produce transform-limited, pedestal-free pulses near 1.6 {mu}m as short as 197 fs with up to 4.2 kW peak power. Our results simplify the saturable absorber material requirements and prove that excitons are not required for generating subpicosecond pulses. By comparing a dozen samples we find that a minimum band-edge absorbance of 40% is required to generate subpicosecond pulses, although details of the band edge are not critical. In addition, we find stable mode locking always occurs on the long-wavelength side of the laser gain peak.

• OSTI ID: 7051431
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters; (USA), Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters; (USA) Vol. 56:22; ISSN APPLA; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
426002* -- Engineering-- Lasers & Masers-- (1990-)
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ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
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EXCITONS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
GALLIUM PHOSPHIDES
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
INDIUM ARSENIDES
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
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LASER MATERIALS
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MODE LOCKING
PHOSPHIDES
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PNICTIDES
QUASI PARTICLES
SODIUM CHLORIDES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SOLID STATE LASERS