Generation of pulses as short as 93 fs from self-starting femtosecond Cr:LiSrAlF_6 lasers by exploiting multiple-quantum-well absorbers

A Cr:LiSrAIF(6) laser has been mode locked by using a multiple-quantum-well (MQW) absorber. With the MQW absorber inside the laser cavity, Kerr lens mode locking is initiated, yielding transform-limited pulses as short as 93 fs. Pulses of 500-fs duration have also been produced by using resonant passive mode locking with the MQW absorber in an external cavity.