Femtosecond Yb:YAG laser using semiconductor saturable absorbers

Abstract

We demonstrate a passively mode-locked femtosecond Yb:YAG laser using different semiconductor saturable absorber devices, a high-finesse and a low-finesse antiresonant Fabry–Perot saturable absorber. We achieved pulses as short as 540 fs with dispersion compensation and 1.7-ps pulses without dispersion compensation. We also mode locked the laser at either 1.03 or 1.05 μm by adjusting the band gap and antiresonance wavelength design of the antiresonant Fabry–Perot saturable absorber.