A compact Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire oscillator with 330 nJ soliton-like pulses

Abstract

We demonstrate high-energy soliton-like pulses from a Herriott-type, soft-aperture, Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire oscillator. The oscillator operates at a 4.26 MHz repetition rate and generates a pulse energy as high as 330 nJ with a 98 fs pulse duration in a negative dispersion regime. The signal-to-noise ratio at the fundamental frequency shows an extinction ratio of >60 dB relative to the carrier. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest chirp-free soliton-like pulse energy achieved directly from an oscillator without amplification or cavity dumping. The laser has only a 120 x 60 cm(2) footprint based on a single Herriott cell with notches.