Passive mode locking of Yb : KLuW using a single-walled carbon nanotube saturable absorber

Abstract

Mode locking of an Yb-doped bulk laser in the 1 le,m spectral range using a single-walled carbon nanotube saturable absorber (SWCNT-SA) is demonstrated for the first time, to our knowledge. Passive mode locking of an Yb:KLuW laser resulted in nearly transform-limited pulses as short as 115 fs at 1048 nm. In addition, the nonlinear response of the SWCNT SA was measured, yielding a modulation depth of 0.25% and a relaxation time of 750 fs. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America