Abstract

Since the first realization of a semiconductor disk laser in 1997 [1], progress in increasing continuous-wave output power as well as accessing of many different wavelength regions have been made [2]. With such laser systems, bandgap engineering and power scalability come along with near-diffraction-limited beam quality in a TEM₀₀ beam profile obtained by the external cavity. Furthermore, with the integration of a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) into the disk laser cavity, passive mode locking of disk lasers is possible. Since the first presentation by Hoogland et al. in 2000 [3], there also has been substantial progress in terms of short pulse duration and large repetition rates with still increasing output power. But despite the numerous advantageous properties of these mode-locked disk lasers, most research has been limited to the infrared spectral range from 830nm to 1.5 µm.

© 2013 IEEE