Series
in Quantum Electronics
edited by
Henry Baltes, Peter Günter, Ursula Keller,
Fritz K. Kneubühl †, Walter Lukosz,
Hans Melchior, Markus W. Sigrist
Vol. 52
Cyrill R. E. Bär
New Frontiers in Ultrafast High Power
Laser Oscillators.
1st edition 2011. XXVI, 122 pages, € 64,00.
ISBN 978-3-86628-376-3
This thesis describes the development of
mode-locked laser oscillators that generate high pulse energies and average
powers. Such laser sources are particularly interesting for materials
processing where they can be used for cutting, drilling or structuring with
unprecedented accuracy and speed. From a scientific point of view these high
power laser oscillators make experiments such as photoelectron imaging spectroscopy
or high harmonic generation accessible at inherently high repetition rates in
the megahertz regime. This leads to a better signal-to-noise ratio or a higher photon
flux in comparison to the kilohertz laser amplifier systems that are typically employed
in this field of application.
All lasers presented here are based on the
thin disk technology that provides the required beam quality and power levels. In
the framework of this thesis three key parameters of high power mode-locked
laser oscillators were pushed to new limits: pulse energy, average power and
pulse duration. An Yb:YAG thin disk laser is presented that delivered a pulse
energy of 11 μJ at a repetition rate of 4 MHz. Another interesting gain material for
high power laser operation is Yb:Lu2O3 as it offers a
better thermal conductivity and a broader emission bandwidth than Yb:YAG. Here,
the first mode-locked thin disk laser based on Yb: Lu2O3 is
presented, followed by subsequent power scaling to an average power of 141 W,
which is higher than for previous mode-locked laser oscillators. Moreover, the
shortest pulse duration so far achieved from a mode-locked thin disk laser has
been obtained from the gain material Yb:LuScO3 that delivered pulses
as short as 227 fs.
About the author:
Cyrill R. E. Baer received his Masters degree
in Physics in 2006 from the University of Basel, Switzerland. He joined the
Institute of Quantum Electronics at ETH Zurich in the same year. His research
interests focus on the development of ultrafast laser oscillators with high
average powers and pulse energies whose applications are found in materials
processing or high field physics experiments. He has written or co-authored
more than 50 scientific journal articles and conference contributions.
Keywords: Laser, semiconductor
disk laser, ultrafast, mode-locking
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