Diode-pumped fs-laser at 772 nm

Summary form only given. Diode-pumped fs-lasers have been demonstrated in the wavelength region above 810 nm. The 700 nm-800 nm wavelength range is even more important since fs-oscillators operating at 744 nm and 772 nm can be frequency multiplied to seed ultrafast UV-systems. The most common source to provide fs-pulses at matching fundamental wavelengths is still the expensive and bulky Ti:sapphire laser. We demonstrate the first diode-pumped laser providing sub-100 fs pulses at 4/spl lambda/ of ArF. The laser comprises a Brewster-cut Cr/sup 3+/:LiCAF crystal, which is pumped through the curved mirrors of an x-fold cavity by two 680 nm Philips laser diodes of 50 /spl mu/m stripe width.