Abstract

Ytterbium-doped gain media are excellent materials for high power ultrashort pulse lasers. Especially Yb:YAG is very well established in picosecond lasers systems with kW power level due to its excellent optomechanical properties. However, limiting factor for amplification of high energy sub-picosecond and femtosecond pulses in Yb:YAG laser amplifiers is limited bandwidth of spectral gain and, as a consequence, gain narrowing in power amplifiers. Majority of existing Yb:YAG systems cannot generate pulses shorter than approx. 0.9 ps. One approach how to overcome the limitation is to introduce nonlinear effect (self-phase modulation) to increase spectral bandwidth [1]. Other approach is to use gain medium with broader spectral bandwidth. One of the best candidates to exchange the Yb:YAG is Yb:YGAG (Y₃Ga₂Al₃O₁₂).

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