Work

Ultrafast middle-IR lasers and amplifiers based on polycrystalline Cr:ZnS and Cr:ZnSe

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: Transition-metal-doped II-VI semiconductors possess a unique blend of physical, spectroscopic, optical, and technological parameters. These materials enable high power lasers in important middle-infrared range. Furthermore, they combine superb ultra-fast laser capabilities with high nonlinearity and polycrystalline microstructure, which provides random quasi-phase matching. We developed flexible design of femtosecond polycrystalline Cr:ZnS and Cr:ZnSe lasers and amplifiers in the spectral range 2–3 µm. We obtained few-optical-cycle pulses with a multi-Watt average power in a very broad range of repetition rates 0.07–1.2 GHz. We also report on efficient nonlinear frequency conversion directly in the polycrystalline gain elements of ultra-fast lasers and amplifiers including second harmonic generation with sub-Watt power and generation of an octave-spanning middle-infrared supercontinuum.

Source: Optical Materials Express

DOI: 10.1364/ome.7.002636

Authors: Sergey Vasilyev, Igor Moskalev, Mike Mirov, Viktor Smolski, Sergey Mirov, Valentin Gapontsev

Institution: IPG Photonics (United States)

Language: English

Topic: Solid State Laser Technologies

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,843

Funders: University of Alabama, Air Force Office of Scientific Research