Quantum well femtosecond pulse VECSELs are ideally suited to generate pulse trains at GHz repetition frequencies. Here I will report on recent progress in developing laser systems which exploit the unique features of the VECSEL, such as 'class A' dynamics and the short upper level lifetime of the gain. Continuous tunable repetition rate operation through cavity length variation, covering the range 2.8 to 7.9 GHz is described. Pulses as short as 290 fs were achieved with femtosecond pulse operation between 2.8 and 5 GHz. To increase the repetition rate further, into the hundreds of GHz range, harmonic mode locking is investigated. We demonstrated 400 fs pulses at 175 GHz repetition frequency with a combined average output power of 300 mW.

Date Published: 14 February 2012
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 8242, Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VECSELs) II, 82420P (14 February 2012); doi: 10.1117/12.906189

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8242:
Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VECSELs) II
Anne C. Tropper, Editor(s)