Subpicosecond and continuous-wave laser operation of (F_2^+)H and (F_2^+)AH color-center lasers in the 2-μm range
- Resource Type
- Authors
- K. Möllmann; Werner Gellermann; Bing Kun Yu; M. Schrempel
- Source
- Optics Letters. 19:960
- Subject
- Range (particle radiation)
Materials science
business.industry
Wavelength range
Laser
Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
law.invention
Pulse (physics)
Optics
Mode-locking
law
Yield (chemistry)
Optoelectronics
Continuous wave
business
Noise (radio)
- Language
- ISSN
- 1539-4794
0146-9592
We report synchronously mode-locked subpicosecond and continuous-wave color-center laser operation in the 1.8-2.4-microm wavelength range. For active materials we use (F(2)(+))(H) centers in KBr:O(2)(-) and (F(2)(+))(AH) centers in KBr:Na(+):O(2)(-) crystals. When the lasers are pumped with a continuous-wave or mode-locked NaCI (F(2)(+))(H)-center laser in a cascaded configuration, laser operation is obtained over the combined tuning range of 1.8-2.4 microm, with output powers as high as 150 mW. When synchronously mode locked with ~5-ps pump pulses, both KBr lasers yield typically ~1-ps pulse widths over the entire tuning range. Pulses as short as ~400 fs could be obtained at the expense of higher noise levels.