Abstract

We present the analysis of a new technique for mode locking cw solid-state lasers. The mode-locking mechanism consists of a combination of a laser carrier frequency shift from the center of gain band caused by insertion of a knife-edge into the intracavity prism section and self-phase modulation. It results in the quasi-soliton formation of ultrashort pulses. An investigation of the soliton parameters versus the laser system parameters and a nonlinear analysis of soliton stability are presented that show new possibilities for highly efficient mode locking of solid-state lasers.

© 1995 Optical Society of America

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