Open AccessAn effective method for designing insensitive resonator of continuous-wave passively mode-locked laser
Author(s) -
Wenchao Qiao,
Liqun Sun,
Yonggang Wang,
Enyao Zhang,
Qi Tian
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.17.008956
Subject(s) - resonator , optics , laser , lens (geology) , continuous wave , semiconductor laser theory , optical cavity , mode locking , materials science , physics
An effective method for designing the insensitive resonator of a continuous-wave passively mode-locked laser is firstly presented in this paper. This method, using resonator transform circle graphic theory, is both intuitive and reliable. Theoretical results show that the resonator is suitable to obtain highly stable mode locking operation when the following two conditions are fulfilled. First, the transform circle of the terminal mirror opposite the semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) propagates through a series of lens (including the thermal lens of the gain medium) and a small transform circle in the image space is obtained, which ensures the small spot size at the SESAM. Second, the resonator transform circles orthogonally (or nearly orthogonally) intersect at the SESAM, which ensures the spot size at the SESAM is insensitive to the external perturbation. The experimental results of the mode locking lasers show good agreement with the theoretical studies very well.