Dispersion compensation for ultrashort pulse generation in tuneable lasers

A laser system for producing nearly transform-limited pulses, said pulses having a duration less than about 10 picoseconds, including:

• a laser gain medium having a thickness greater than about 1 mm;
• means for exciting said gain medium;
• means for defining a linear laser cavity, said means including one curved end mirror;
• means, located in said cavity, for initiating and sustaining mode locking of said laser system;
• means for tuning said laser;
• and
• first and second prism pairs aligned in said cavity so as to produce temporal dispersion of a laser beam in said cavity with substantially no spatial dispersion of said laser beam.

A laser system for producing nearly transform-limited pulses, said pulses having a duration less than about 100 picoseconds, including:

• a Ti:Sapphire laser gain medium;
• means for exciting said gain medium;
• means for defining a laser cavity;
• means for mode locking said laser system;
• means for tuning said laser;
• and
• a GTI etalon located in said cavity, said GTI etalon comprising a highly reflective surface and a partially reflective surface, said highly reflective surface and said partially reflective surface having a spacing of between about 200-1,500 microns.

A laser system for producing nearly transform-limited pulses, said pulses having a duration less than about 10 picoseconds, including:

• a Ti:Sapphire laser gain medium;
• means for exciting said gain medium;
• means for defining a linear laser cavity, said means including one curved end mirror;
• means, located in said cavity, for initiating and sustaining mode locking of said laser system;
• means for tuning said laser;
• and
• first and second prism pairs aligned in said cavity so as to produce temporal dispersion of a laser beam in said cavity with substantially no spatial dispersion of said laser beam.