Tunable Yb:KGW laser, CW or Q-switched, enabled by dual-axis tilt of a MOEMS mirror : KGW laser, CW or Q-switched, enabled by dual-axis tilt of a MOEMS mirror

Paterson, Alan and Bauer, Ralf and Lubeigt, Walter and Uttamchandani, Deepak (2018) Tunable Yb:KGW laser, CW or Q-switched, enabled by dual-axis tilt of a MOEMS mirror : KGW laser, CW or Q-switched, enabled by dual-axis tilt of a MOEMS mirror. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 24 (5). 1601709. ISSN 1077-260X (https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTQE.2018.2814786)

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Abstract

The experimental proof-of-concept demonstration of an end-pumped Yb:KGW laser with tunable spectral and temporal output characteristics is reported. For the first time, tuning of both of these characteristics in a solid-state laser is achieved simultaneously using a single electrothermally-actuated MOEMS micromirror with controllable tilt angle in two dimensions. In continuous-wave mode, a wavelength tuning range of 22 nm with < 0.3 nm linewidth was achieved by using static MOEMS mirror tilt about one axis to select the intracavity wavelength dispersed by a prism. A wavelength tuning range of 15.3 nm with < 1.1 nm linewidth was achieved in Q-switched operation, by using simultaneous static tilt and resonant scanning of the MOEMS mirror about orthogonal axes. In this operational mode, a pulse repetition rate of 2.06 kHz was obtained with pulse durations varying from 460 ns to 740 ns over the addressable range of laser wavelengths.

ORCID iDs

Paterson, Alan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1255-3254, Bauer, Ralf ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7927-9435, Lubeigt, Walter and Uttamchandani, Deepak ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2362-4874;
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