Inexpensive variable rep-rate source for high-energy, ultrafast lasers

摘要

A system comprising: a) a light source, wherein said source comprises a quasi-cw laser diode (31); b) a lithium niobate modulator (32) arranged to receive output of said light source and outputting pulses which are less than or equal to approximately 10 ns at a repetition rate in a range of from 1 kHz to less than 10 MHz, and said modulator (32) is disposed at an output of said cw laser diode (31); c) an amplifier (33) arranged to amplify pulses output by said modulator (32); and d) a fiber (34) with positive, i.e. normal, group-velocity dispersion (GVD) and self phase modulation receiving an output of said amplifier (33). The quasi cw laser diode (31) is gated so that it does not emit for significantly longer times than the pulse duration. The output of the positive GVD fiber may be compressed to produce fs pulses with variable repetition rate.