Anisotropic beam pumping of a Kerr lens modelocked laser
AssigneeKM Labs Inc.
InventorsSterling Backus, Charles G. Durfee, Matthew S. Kirchner
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for anisotropic pumping of a Kerr lens modelocked laser. Direct diode laser pumping of an ultrafast Kerr lens modelocked laser oscillator is accomplished. Diode lasers generate severely anisotropic beams, meaning the pump beam has a higher-beam-quality dimension and a lower-beam-quality dimension. By spatially overlap of the pump beam higher-beam-quality dimension and the KLM laser mode, KLM operation is accomplished. Multiple laser diode pump beams are combined in counterpropagating and same-side configurations.
Claims15
A direct laser diode pumped, Kerr lens modelocked, laser comprising:
- an oscillator cavity including a gain medium;
- a diode pump laser that generates an anisotropic pump beam, wherein the pump beam has a higher-beam-quality dimension and a lower-beam-quality dimension, and wherein the pump beam wavelength falls within the absorption band of the gain medium;
- and
- optics for directly coupling the pump beam into the gain medium;
- the elements constructed and arranged such that when the laser is modelocked, spatial overlap of the pump beam higher-beam-quality dimension and the KLM laser mode is improved, over spatial overlap of the pump beam higher-beam-quality dimension and the continuous wave mode.
A Kerr lens modelocked, ultrafast laser comprising:
- an oscillator cavity including a gain medium;
- and
- a pump beam generator for generating an anisotropic pump beam, the pump beam having a higher-beam-quality dimension and a lower-beam-quality dimension, the pump beam wavelength falling within the absorption band of the gain medium;
- optics for coupling the pump beam into the gain medium;
- the elements constructed and arranged such that when the laser is modelocked, spatial overlap of the pump beam higher-beam-quality dimension and the KLM laser mode is improved, over continuous wave mode.
The method of inducing stable Kerr lens modelocking in an ultrafast laser comprising the steps of:
- (a) generating an anisotropic pump beam, the pump beam having a higher-beam-quality dimension and a lower-beam-quality dimension, wherein the M2 quality of the lower-beam-quality dimension is at least about three times the M2 quality of the higher-beam-quality dimension, the pump beam wavelength falling within an absorption band of a gain medium;
- (b) coupling the pump beam into a gain medium of the laser;
- (c) constructing and arranging the laser elements such that when the laser is modelocked, spatial overlap of the pump beam higher-beam-quality dimension and the KLM laser mode is improved, over continuous wave mode;
- (d) Kerr lens modelocking the ultrafast laser;
- and
- (e) outputting ultrafast pulses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.