Enhanced mode locking of color-center lasers

Abstract

A significant enhancement in the mode locking of a KCl:Tl color-center laser has been observed when a length of optical fiber having positive group-velocity dispersion was incorporated within an external control cavity. Pulse durations of ~260 fsec were obtained by this method, representing a compression factor ~60x that with the colorcenter laser alone. Similar results have also been observed with an InGaAsP semiconductor diode amplifier as the nonlinear element within the control cavity.