We report on a nonlinear mirror (NLM) scheme that enables, for the first time to the best of our best knowledge, tunable mode locking of a ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{2+}$ :ZnSe laser in the picosecond regime. The NLM—used as the output coupler of the laser cavity—consists of a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal with a fan-out grating coupled with a dichroic mirror and a wedged dispersive YAG plate. The ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{2+}$ :ZnSe laser, pumped by a CW thulium-doped fiber laser, delivers $85\mathrm{ps}$ pulses at a repetition rate of $220\mathrm{MHz}$ with a $300\mathrm{mW}$ average power. Thanks to the use of a fan-out PPLN crystal, we benefit from the wide tunability of the ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{2+}$ :ZnSe laser and achieve mode locking over the whole $2.44–2.55\mathrm{\mu m}$ range while maintaining a narrow-linewidth emission suitable for time-resolved nonlinear spectroscopy applications.

© 2011 Optical Society of America

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