SESAM mode-locked red praseodymium laser

We present the first semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) mode-locked praseodymium solid-state laser. The laser is based on a Pr3+:LiYF4 crystal as gain medium and a GaInP-quantum well-based SESAM. Self-starting continuous-wave mode-locked laser operation with an average output power of 16 mW is achieved at a center wavelength of 639.5 nm. The laser operates at a repetition rate of similar to 85.55 MHz and emits pulses with a duration of similar to 18 ps. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America