Abstract

We will describe the use of a variety of mode-locking techniques, including the use of active mode locking and passive mode locking with Fabry-Perot saturable absorbers, to generate ultrashort pulses from broadly tunable external cavity single lateral mode cw diode lasers. We have tuned such lasers either directly with intracavity tuning elements (primarily gratings and birefringent filters) or by injection locking with external broadly tunable cw diode lasers, to obtain short pulse generation over relatively large tuning ranges (typically 350 Å). A comparison of the results obtained with the different mode-locking techniques and the advantages and disadvantages of each of these techniques will be described. Scaling of the results for obtaining broad tuning ranges with high output powers (>1 W average and >1 kW pulsed) and applications thereof (including high efficiency nonlinear frequency conversion) will be discussed.

© 1992 Optical Society of America