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Theoretical analysis of picosecond pulse development of passively mode-locked Nd-glass lasers

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Abstract

A realistic numerical theory of the temporal and spectral development of picosecond light pulses in a passively mode-locked Nd-glass laser is presented. The effects of the inhomogeneous gain profile of the active medium are considered. The calculations include the pulse development in the prelaser, the linear laser and the mode-locking region. In the mode-locking region twophoton absorption and self-phase modulation in the active medium as well as the bleaching dynamics of the mode-locking dye are included. The influence of self-phase modulation on the temporal pulse shape in active media of finite spectral gain width is analysed. The theoretical results are compared with the experimental findings.

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This paper is dedicated to Professor W.Kaiser for his 60th birthday.

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Penzkofer, A., Graf, F. Theoretical analysis of picosecond pulse development of passively mode-locked Nd-glass lasers. Opt Quant Electron 17, 219–252 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00620449

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