47-fs diode-pumped Yb3+: CaGdAlO4 laser

The experimental demonstration of a diode-pumped passively mode-locked femtosecond laser based on an Yb3+: CaGdAlO4 single crystal is reported. The oscillator is directly diode pumped by a high-brightness 5 W fiber coupled laser diode, and pulses are produced by use of a semiconductor saturable-absorber mirror. It permits the production of pulses as short as 47 fs at 1050 nm, which are to our knowledge the shortest laser pulses obtained from an oscillator based on Yb3+-doped bulk materials. The average power is 38 mW, and the repetition rate is 109 MHz. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.