200-fs optical pulse generation and intracavity pulse evolution in a hybrid mode-locked semiconductor diode-laser/amplifier system

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Abstract
Optical pulses of 200 fs with 165 W of peak power have been generated from an AlGaAs semiconductor diode-laser system. These pulses represent, to our knowledge, both the shortest and most intense ever generated from an all-semiconductor injection diode-laser system. The intracavity pulse evolution in the external cavity is also investigated experimentally. The findings show that the large nonlinearities associated with gain depletion and saturable absorption cause appreciable spectral and temporal modification of the mode-locked optical pulse as it oscillates in the laser cavity.