Passive mode-locking of a Tm-doped bulk laser near 2 mu m using a carbon nanotube saturable absorber

Abstract

Stable and self-starting mode-locking of a Tm:KLu(WO4)(2) crystal laser is demonstrated using a transmission-type single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) based saturable absorber ( SA). These experiments in the 2 mu m regime utilize the E-11 transition of the SWCNTs for nonlinear saturable absorption. The recovery time of the SWCNT-SA is measured by pump-probe measurements as similar to 1.2 ps. The mode-locked laser delivers similar to 10-ps pulses near 1.95 mu m with a maximum output power of up to 240 mW at 126 MHz repetition rate. (C) 2009 Optical Society of Americ