Sub-80 fs mode-locked Tm,Ho-codoped disordered garnet crystal oscillator operating at 2081 nm

Abstract

We demonstrate a mode-locked (ML) femtosecond laser based on the disordered garnet crystal Tm, Ho:CNGG. Employing a single-walled carbon nanotube saturable absorber, pulses as short as 83 and 76 fs at 2081 nm are achieved without and with external compression, respectively. The latter represents, to the best of our knowledge, the shortest pulse duration obtained from any Ho-doped or Tm, Ho-codoped laser. The average power amounts to 67 mW at a repetition rate of 102 MHz. By analyzing the soliton ML regime, the nonlinear refractive index of Tm, Ho: CNGG is estimated to be similar to 1.1 x 10(-19) m(2)/W. (C) 2018 Optical Society of America