Passive additive-pulse mode-locking of CW neodymium:YLF laser

Experimental study of passive additive-pulse mode-locking (APM) of continuous-wave Nd:YLF laser is presented in this dissertation. From a nonlinear external coupled cavity configuration used in this novel mode-locking technique, passive mode-locking of a continuous-wave Nd:YLF laser is achieved, producing picosecond pulses directly. The significance of this dissertation research is that it represents the first demonstration of continuous-wave passive mode-locking in neodymium lasers over their two decades of existence. Performance characteristics of passive APM Nd:YLF laser are thoroughly investigated. The shortest pulse width achieved in this system is 3 ps at a repetition rate of 76 MHz. A train of pulses of 5 ps in duration at an average power level of 10 W which corresponds to a peak power of 25 kW is obtained. The dependencies of the temporal and spectral characteristics of the APM Nd:YLF laser pulses on the system parameters are presented in detail.