Passively mode-locked Yb^3+:Sc_2SiO_5 thin-disk laser

Abstract

Experimental investigations on a passively mode-locked Yb(3+):Sc(2)SiO(5) (Yb:SSO) thin-disk laser are presented. The mode-locking was performed with a commercially available semiconductor saturable absorber mirror. The laser was operated at a repetition rate of 27 MHz and generated a maximum average output power of 27.8 W with a pulse duration of 298 fs. The spectrum was centered at 1036 nm. The beam was measured to be close to diffraction limited (M(2)<1.1). The promising results confirm the suitability of Yb:SSO for mode-locked thin-disk laser oscillators and indicate that this comparably new material deserves further attention by optimizing the crystal quality (growth and polishing) and doping levels for further power scaling.