RESUMEN
Direct diode-laser pumping of a mode-locked Ti:Al(2)O(3) laser is reported. A single 1 W GaN-based diode laser operating at 452 nm is used as the pump laser. Pulse durations as short as 114 fs and average output powers of up to 13 mW are obtained.
RESUMEN
A directly diode-laser-pumped Ti:Al(2)O(3) laser is demonstrated. Using a 1 W, 452 nm GaN diode laser, 19 mW of cw output power is achieved in a potentially portable format. Pumping at this short wavelength induces a loss at the laser wavelength that is not seen for the more typical green pump wavelengths. This effect is characterized and discussed.
RESUMEN
The birefringence of a number of commercially-available diamond platelets is assessed in the context of their use for intracavity thermal management in lasers. Although diamond is normally thought of as isotropic, significant birefringence is found to be present in some samples, with considerable variation from batch to batch, and in some cases across an individual sample. Nonetheless, low-loss operation is achieved in a laser cavity containing a Brewster element, either by rotating the sample or by using a diamond platelet with low birefringence.