Ruby laser pumped ultrashort pulse laser

A method, comprising:

• producing one or more optically pumped preamplifiers by directing a 694 nm preamplifier pump beam from one or more GaN semiconductor laser diode pumped, Q-switched ruby lasers into its own preamplifier of one or more preamplifiers comprising a first broadband gain element doped with trivalent chromium ions (Cr3+);
• directing a spectrally linearly chirped low-intensity seed pulse from a master oscillator through each optically pumped preamplifier of said one or more optically pumped preamplifiers to produce an amplified linear chirped pulsed output beam;
• directing a last pump beam into a power amplifier comprising a second broadband gain element doped with trivalent chromium ions (Cr3+) to produce an optically pumped power amplifier, wherein said last pump beam is produced by a last GaN semiconductor laser diode pumped, Q-switched ruby laser configured to provide a 694 nm last pump beam;
• directing said amplified linear chirped pulsed output beam into said optically pumped power amplifier to produce a last linear chirped pulsed output beam;
• and
• directing said last linear chirped pulsed output beam into a pulse compressor to produce a time compressed ultrashort pulsed output beam.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a master oscillator configured to provide a spectrally linearly chirped low-intensity seed pulse;
• a preamplifier comprising a first broadband gain element doped with trivalent chromium ions (Cr3+);
• a GaN semiconductor laser diode pumped, Q-switched ruby laser configured to provide a 694 nm preamplifier pump beam;
• means for directing said 694 nm preamplifier pump beam into said preamplifier to produce an optically pumped preamplifier;
• means for directing said seed pulse through said preamplifier to produce an amplified linear chirped pulsed output beam;
• a power amplifier comprising a second broadband gain element doped with trivalent chromium ions (Cr3+);
• a last GaN semiconductor laser diode pumped, Q-switched ruby laser configured to provide a 694 nm last pump beam;
• means for directing said last pump beam into said power amplifier to produce an optically pumped power amplifier;
• a pulse compressor;
• and
• means for directing said amplified linear chirped pulsed output beam into said pulse compressor to produce a time compressed ultrashort pulsed output beam.

A method, comprising:

• directing a 694 nm preamplifier pump beam from a GaN semiconductor laser diode pumped, Q-switched ruby lasers into a preamplifier comprising a first broadband gain element doped with trivalent chromium ions (Cr3+) to produce an optically pumped preamplifier,
• directing a spectrally linearly chirped low-intensity seed pulse from a master oscillator through said optically pumped preamplifier to produce an amplified linear chirped pulsed output beam;
• directing a last pump beam into a power amplifier comprising a second broadband gain element doped with trivalent chromium ions (Cr3+) to produce an optically pumped power amplifier, wherein said last pump beam is produced by a last GaN semiconductor laser diode pumped, Q-switched ruby laser configured to provide a 694 nm last pump beam;
• directing said amplified linear chirped pulsed output beam into said optically pumped power amplifier to produce a last linear chirped pulsed output beam;
• and
• directing said last linear chirped pulsed output beam into a pulse compressor to produce a time compressed ultrashort pulsed output beam.