Self-stabilized and dispersion-compensated passively mode-locked Yb:YAG laser

Self-stabilized passive mode-locking of a diode-pumped Yb:yttrium aluminum garnet laser with a semiconductor saturable absorber was achieved using an off-phase-matching second-harmonic crystal. According to the numerical model, such a condition is accomplished by self-defocusing in the nonlinear crystal in the presence of positive intracavity dispersion. Robust mode locking with Fourier-limited 1.0-ps pulses was obtained, whereas mode locking, unassisted by the nonlinear crystal, yielded 2.2-ps pulses, with the laser operating near the edge of the stability region in order to minimize the saturation energy of the semiconductor device.