Ultrashort Pulses From a Mode-Locked Diode-Oscillator Yb-Fiber-Amplifier System

Ultrashort optical pulses are generated using a hybrid master oscillator power amplifier source. Pulses 2.2 ps in duration generated by a two-contact, bent-waveguide passively mode-locked semiconductor laser are amplified in a ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier to an average power of 0.8 W. External pulse compression yields durations as low as 765 fs with peak powers as high as 0.9kW. Amplification of the harmonically mode-locked diode output has also been demonstrated at the eighth harmonic