Tunable Ultrashort Pulse Generation from a Waveguided Laser with Premixed-Dye-Doped Plastic Film

Abstract
A highly compact ultrashort pulse generator is proposed and demonstrated with a poly-methylmethacrylate (PMMA) waveguide doped with a mixture of laser dye (Rhodamine 6G) and saturable absorber (DODCI). A series of spikes with a pulse duration of 20–30 ps was generated by a distributed feedback dye laser pumped by a ns Nd:YAG laser. First, the spikes were shortened by passive Q-switching effect of the saturable absorber. Then they were compressed to 9 ps FWHM by passing a pulse compressor having an alternative chain of amplifier and saturable absorber integrated on the same waveguide. Performances of both devices were evaluated by calculation and confirmed experimentally.