Graphene mode-locked femtosecond Yb:KLuW laser
Abstract
Large-area monolayer graphene, synthesized by chemical vapor deposition, was transferred to a 1-in. quartz substrate. The high-quality monolayer graphene has been subject to characterization of the nonlinear properties near 1 μm and was successfully applied as saturable absorber for passive mode-locking of a femtosecond Yb:KLuW laser. The diode-pumped mode-locked Yb:KLuW laser was tunable around 1.04 μm and delivered pulses as short as 160 fs. The maximum output power of 160 mW was demonstrated for 203 fs pulse duration. The mode-locked laser results are comparable to those demonstrated with the same laser gain medium using single-walled carbon nanotubes as saturable absorbers.
- Publication:
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Applied Physics Letters
- Pub Date:
- October 2012
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 2012ApPhL.101p1112U
- Keywords:
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- carbon nanotubes;
- chemical vapour deposition;
- graphene;
- high-speed optical techniques;
- laser mode locking;
- nonlinear optics;
- optical saturable absorption;
- potassium compounds;
- solid lasers;
- ytterbium;
- 42.55.Rz;
- 42.60.By;
- 81.15.Gh;
- 42.60.Fc;
- 42.65.Re;
- Doped-insulator lasers and other solid state lasers;
- Design of specific laser systems;
- Chemical vapor deposition;
- Modulation tuning and mode locking;
- Ultrafast processes;
- optical pulse generation and pulse compression