Exploring ultrafast negative Kerr effect for mode-locking vertical external-cavity surface-emitting lasers

• DOI: 10.1364/oe.21.028801
• Publication Date: 2013-11-15T19:16:11Z
• Authors: Alexander R. Albr...; Yi Wang; Mohammadreza Ghas...; Denis V. Seletskiy; Jeffrey G. Cederberg; Mansoor Sheik-Bahae
• Keywords: 0103 physical sciences; info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/530; 01 natural sciences

We present analytical considerations of "self-mode-locked" operation in a typical vertical external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) cavity geometry by means of Kerr lens action in the semiconductor gain chip. We predict Kerr-lens mode-locked operation for both soft- and hard-apertures placed at the optimal intra-cavity positions. These predictions are experimentally verified in a Kerr-lens mode-locked VECSEL capable of producing pulse durations of below 500 fs at 1 GHz repetition rate.