Tunable and mode-locked laser operation near 2 µm based on different Tm-doped YAG ceramics, 4 at.% and 10 at.%, is demonstrated. Several designs of GaSb-based surface-quantum-well SESAMs are characterized and studied as saturable absorbers for mode-locking. Best mode-locking performance was achieved using an antireflection-coated near-surface quantum-well SESAM, resulting in a pulse duration of ~3 ps and ~150 mW average output power at 89 MHz. All mode-locked Tm:YAG ceramic lasers operated at 2012 nm, with over 133 nm demonstrated tuning for continuous-wave operation.

We demonstrate passive mode-locking of a Tm,Ho-codoped crystalline laser operating on the Ho³⁺-ion transition ⁵I₇→⁵I₈ near 2 µm using a single-walled carbon nanotube saturable absorber. The Tm,Ho:KLu(WO₄)₂ laser emits nearly transform-limited pulses with duration of 2.8 ps at a repetition rate of 91 MHz. The output power amounts to 97 mW.

Passive mode-locking of a Tm,Ho:KLu(WO(4))(2) laser operating at 2060 nm using different designs of InGaAsSb quantum-well based semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAMs) is demonstrated. The self-starting mode-locked laser delivers pulse durations between 4 and 8 ps at a repetition rate of 93 MHz with maximum average output power of 155 mW. Mode-locking performance of a Tm,Ho:KLu(WO(4))(2) laser is compared for usage of a SESAM to a single-walled carbon nanotube saturable absorber.

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Different designs of near-surface InGaSb quantum-well based SESAMs were studied in the scope of a mode-locked Tm,Ho:KLuW laser operating at 2060 nm. The laser delivered stable few picosecond pulses at 93 MHz with 150 mW average output power.