Abstract

We use a nonlinear quantum-well reflective sample in a coupled-cavity configuration for resonant passive mode locking of a Ti:sapphire laser, producing tunable pulses as short as 2 psec. Pulses of less than 10-psec duration are observed over a 50-nm wavelength tuning range using a single-quantum-well reflector, over approximately 2 mm of external cavity length detuning. Stable mode-locked pulse trains are obtained without active cavity length control; however, the optical spectrum depends on the phase. We generate up to the sixth harmonic of the fundamental repetition rate, at 1.2 GHz, by simply decreasing the external cavity length.

© 1990 Optical Society of America

Coupled-cavity resonant passive mode-locked Nd:yttrium lithium fluoride laser

U. Keller, T. K. Woodward, D. L. Sivco, and A. Y. Cho
Opt. Lett. 16(6) 390-392 (1991)

Femtosecond pulses from a continuously self-starting passively mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser

U. Keller, G. W. ’tHooft, W. H. Knox, and J. E. Cunningham
Opt. Lett. 16(13) 1022-1024 (1991)

Mode locking of a continuous-wave titanium-doped sapphire laser using a linear external cavity

P. M. W. French, S. M. J. Kelly, and J. R. Taylor
Opt. Lett. 15(7) 378-380 (1990)

Passive mode locking of a cw Nd:YLF laser with a nonlinear external coupled cavity

J. M. Liu and J. K. Chee
Opt. Lett. 15(12) 685-687 (1990)

Theory of coupled-cavity mode locking with a resonant nonlinearity

H. A. Haus, U. Keller, and W. H. Knox
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 8(6) 1252-1258 (1991)