Harmonic mode locking of a Nd:BEL laser using a 20-GHz dielectric resonator/optical modulator
Abstract
A 20-GHz dielectric resonator/optical modulator is developed and used as an FM mode locker at the 84th harmonic of a conventional 238-MHz diode-pumped Nd:BEL laser cavity. Depending on the mode-locker drive frequency, two distinct regimes of mode locking were observed: 2.9-ps pulses at a repetition rate of 238 MGz and 3.9-ps pulses at a repetition rate of 20 GHz. These are the shortest pulses as yet reported for active mode locking of a Nd laser.
- Publication:
-
Optics Letters
- Pub Date:
- November 1991
- DOI:
- 10.1364/OL.16.001765
- Bibcode:
- 1991OptL...16.1765G
- Keywords:
-
- Cavity Resonators;
- Harmonic Oscillation;
- Laser Cavities;
- Laser Mode Locking;
- Light Modulation;
- Neodymium Lasers;
- Picosecond Pulses;
- Pulse Repetition Rate;
- Semiconductor Lasers;
- Lasers and Masers