Theory of intracavity frequency doubling in passively mode-locked femtosecond lasers

Author

Zhang, Tian Rong ; Focht, Glenn ; Williams, Paul E. ; Downer, M.C.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Phys., Texas Univ., Austin, TX, USA

Volume

24

Issue

9

fYear

1988

fDate

9/1/1988 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1877

Lastpage

1883

Abstract

The authors construct a quantitative theoretical model of an intracavity frequency-doubled and passively mode-locked laser, supported by experimental observations with a colliding pulse mode-locked femtosecond dye laser. The major findings are that for second-harmonic conversion efficiencies consistent with continuing laser operation (<5%): (1) a stable mode-locking regime always exists, although it narrows somewhat with increasing conversion efficiency; and (2) the duration of the fundamental pulses can always be preserved, even in the femtosecond time domain, by readjusting saturable gain and saturable loss under the same conditions. Both the model and observations contrast with previous studies of actively mode-locked and synchronously mode-locked lasers containing intracavity frequency-doubling crystals

Keywords

dye lasers; laser mode locking; optical harmonic generation; optical saturable absorption; intracavity frequency doubling; intracavity frequency-doubling crystals; passively mode-locked femtosecond lasers; saturable gain; saturable loss; second-harmonic conversion efficiencies; Bandwidth; Crystals; Frequency synchronization; Laser mode locking; Laser stability; Laser theory; Optical pulses; Power lasers; Solid lasers; Ultrafast electronics;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/3.7130

Filename

7130