Diode-pumped high-peak-power femtosecond Yb⁺³:(Gd_0.1Y_0.9)₂SiO₅laser at 1058.5 nm

Abstract

A diode-pumped continuous-wave mode-locked (CWML) femtosecond Yb+3:(Gd0.1Y0.9)2SiO5 (Yb:GYSO) laser at 1058.5 nm with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) was successfully realized and demonstrated. Pulses with a duration of 186 fs were obtained at a pulse repetition rate of 80.1 MHz with a maximum average output power of 564 mW, corresponding to a maximum single pulse energy of 7.04 nJ and peak power of 37.9 kW. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest peak power ever obtained from a mode-locked femtosecond Yb:GYSO laser.