Mid-IR Kerr-lens mode-locked polycrystalline Cr2+:ZnS lasers

Sergey Vasilyev; Igor Moskalev; Mike Mirov; Sergey Mirov; Valentin Gapontsev

doi:10.1117/12.2223828

13 May 2016 Mid-IR Kerr-lens mode-locked polycrystalline Cr2+:ZnS lasers

Sergey Vasilyev, Igor Moskalev, Mike Mirov, Sergey Mirov, Valentin Gapontsev

Proceedings Volume 9835, Ultrafast Bandgap Photonics; 98350W (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2223828
Event: SPIE Defense + Security, 2016, Baltimore, MD, United States

Abstract

This paper summarizes recent improvements of output characteristics of polycrystalline Cr:ZnS/Se master oscillators in Kerr-Lens-Mode-Locked regime: 1.9 W average power at 41 fs pulse duration, 24 nJ pulse energy and 515 kW peak power with efficiency of 19% with regards to 1567 nm pump power from linearly polarized Er-fiber laser. A simple design of mid-IR fs Cr:ZnS MOPA enabled power scaling to 6.8 W at 79 MHz repetition rate. This was accompanied by a 2 fold spectral broadening to 600 nm at -10 dB level, pulse compression from 44 to <30 fs, and overall 25 % optical to optical efficiency. Improved dispersion management of the resonator enabled pulse duration of Cr:ZnS master oscillator approaching 2 optical cycles (<26 fs) and 500 nm (27 THz) bandwidth of the spectrum at half-maximum. Further improvements of the optical coatings will result in octave-spanning polycrystalline Cr²⁺:ZnS/ZnSe lasers. In this work we also report on recent progress in spinning ring gain element technology and show new unprecedented output power levels for Cr:ZnSe laser gain media: ~140 W at 2400-2500 nm spectral range and ~32 W at 2940-2950 nm in CW regime of operation. High gain of the spinning ring Cr:ZnSe power amplifier demonstrated in this work may potentially enable scaling up the femtosecond mid-IR Cr:ZnS MOPA up to 70-100W.

Citation Download Citation

Sergey Vasilyev, Igor Moskalev, Mike Mirov, Sergey Mirov, and Valentin Gapontsev "Mid-IR Kerr-lens mode-locked polycrystalline Cr2+:ZnS lasers", Proc. SPIE 9835, Ultrafast Bandgap Photonics, 98350W (13 May 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2223828

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KEYWORDS

Mid-IR

Oscillators

Mode locking

Laser systems engineering

Optical amplifiers

Fiber lasers

Mirrors

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