Tunable-wavelength mode-locked Nd-glass laser with instant recording of temporal and spectral parameters

A tunable-wavelength mode-locked Nd-glass laser operating in a single transverse mode configuration has been developed. The intracavity bandwidth of the laser is narrowed by using eight highly dispersive Abbe prisms and a resonant reflector. A single bandwidth-limited pulse is isolated from the train, its duration being 30 psec and its linewidth being 0.8 Å. The wavelength can be tuned over a range of 80 Å between 10 580 and 10 660 Å. The pulse characteristics measurements are performed by using a streak camera and a spectrograph, both connected to a TV system giving immediate display of the shape, duration, spectral width, and wavelength of each laser shot.