• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.430-438
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• 1999

We have utilized soft-aperturing by gain media to develop a high-power tunable Ti:Sapphire laser with sub-40-fs and broad tuning range. The tunable spectral range was only limited by the bandwidth of mirrors. We made use of knife-edge slits near an intra-cavity prism controlled by micro-stepping-motors to tune the center wavelength continuously. The tunability of the center wavelength was ranged from 770 nm to 870 nm, and the measured pulsewidth was sub-40 fs throughout the above spectral range. The shortest pulsewidth was about 17 fs at the center wavelength of 820 nm and the spectral bandwidth was 72 nm. At 5 W pumping power of the Ar-ion laser we obtained average output power of 440 mW~580 mW. For the cw and Kerr-lens mode-lodking conditions, we have evaluated the value of an amplitude modulation to be ${\gamma}=2.5{\times}10^{-8}/W$ from the calculated waists of a Gaussian beam on the Ti:sapphire crystal surface. Using this result we demonstrate that the generation of sub-40-fs Kerr-lens mode-locked pulse can be described by the Ginzberg-Landau model which is a weak pulse shaping model.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.455-460
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• 2004

We have developed a mode-locked ultra-short pulse C $r^{4+}$:YAG laser, as well as a continuous wave C $r^{4+}$:YAG laser. The laser was pumped by a Nd:YAG laser and its characteristics were investigated. In continuous wave mode, we obtained as much as 600 mW at 1.436 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ with pumping power of 6 W, by using an output coupler with a reflectivity of 98%. The power slope efficiency was 10%, when the gain medium was cooled to 19$^{\circ}C$. The tuning range was varied from 1.39 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ to 1.55 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ and the maximum power was 400 mW at 1.492 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ with a 3-plate birefringent filter. The C $r^{4+}$:YAG laser was mode-locked by a Kerr lens mode locking method. Mode locking at 1.436 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$was initiated by slightly rocking a mirror mount. But the pulses were very unstable because of the strong water absorption at this region. So we shifted the lasing wavelength to 1.492 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ by using a 3-plate birefringent filter. Then we obtained stable state mode-locking with the maximum average power of 280 mW for a pumping power of 6 W. The pulse width of 43 fs was measured using an autocorrelator and the repetition rate was 104.5 MHz.

• Proceedings of the Optical Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.02a
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• pp.34-35
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• 2003

펨토초 레이저의 개발은 커렌즈 모드록킹 (Kerr-lens mode-locking； KLM) 기술이 티타늄사파이어 이득매질에 적용되면서 1990년대에 들어 급격하게 이루어졌다. 구조가 간단하면서 안정적인 KLM 티타늄사파이어 레이저는 현재 펨토초 레이저 광원의 표준을 이루고 있으며, 처프펄스 증폭 (chirped-pulse amplification； CPA) 방식을 이용하여 소규모의 테라와트급 고출력 펨토초 레이저 제작에도 이용되고 있다. 특히, 1990년대 말에는 CPA 증폭단을 갖춘 KLM 티타늄사파이어 레이저가 상용화되면서 물리, 화학과 같은 기초 분야에서뿐만 아니라 의료용, 산업용으로도 활용이 확대되고 있다. (중략)

• Proceedings of the Optical Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.02a
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• pp.40-41
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• 2003

(self-focusing)을 이용한 커렌즈 모드록킹(Kerr-lens mode-locking； KLM) 방법을 이용하면 간단한 구조를 갖는 공진기로 100 펨토초(femto=10-13) 미만의 레이저 펄스를 생성할 수 있다. KLM 티타늄사파이어(Ti：sapphire) 레이저의 발달로 10 펨토초 영역의 레이저 펄스를 간단하게 생성할 수 있게 되었으며 특히, 넓은 스펙트럼 폭을 가지는 처프거울(chirped mirror)의 사용과 정확한 분산의 보정을 통한 5 펨토초(800 nm 파장의 두 주기에 해당) 영역의 레이저 펄스 생성도 보고되고 있다.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 2002

We have constructed a high efficiency and broad tunable cw Ti:sapphire laser with a four-mirror symmetric Z-type laser cavity to increase the laser usability. From theoretical analyses and experimental data for a symmetric Z-type laser cavity containing a Kerr medium, the cavity mode size and the Kerr-lens mode-locking (KLM) strength for KLM lasers can be confirmed as function of the position in the cavity, the intracavity laser power, and the stability parameter. As a result, the slope efficiency and the maximum average output power of cw Ti:sapphire laser at 5 W pumping power of Ar-ion laser were 31.3% and 1420 ㎽ respectively. The tunablility was ranged from 730 ㎚ to 908 ㎚ with average output power above 700 ㎽. We obtained the KLM operation easily by self-aperturing effect in the Kerr medium and the slope efficiency and the maximum average output power of KLM Ti:sapphire laser was 16% and 550 ㎽ respectively. The spectral bandwidth was 33 ㎚ at the center wavelength of 807 ㎚ and the pulse width was 27 fs with a repetition rate of 82 ㎒.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.447-454
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• 2006

We obtained analytic solutions of boundary conditions to the stable region of Z-fold $Cr^{4+}$ : YAG laser cavity when the conditions are with and without thermal tensing effect. Also we investigated the influence of the thermal tensing effect on the stability of cavity, beam waist, and astigmatic compensation using aberration transformation matrices. The thermal tensing effect almost has no influence on the stable region of the cavity when the crystal is located in the middle of two concave mirrors and when the distances from the concave mirror to the reflecting mirror and the output coupler are the same. The beam waist, however, is affected more in a tangential plane than in a sagittal plane, and so it is difficult to have astigmatic compensation when the thermal tensing effect exists. This result means that the thermal tensing effect should be considered even for the Kerr-lens mode-locking.