Intracavity-dispersion analysis of an all-solid-state femtosecond Cr:LiSAF laser

Mode-locked Cr:LiSAF lasers are attractive femtosecond (fs)-pulse sources which can directly be pumped by compact diode lasers. Although 14.8-fs pulses were generated using Kr-ion laser as a pumping source, the pulse durations from all-solid-state Cr:LiSAF lasers have been no shorter than 18 fs. In the report we analyze intracavity dispersions of the all-solid-state femtosecond Cr:LiSAF laser which produces 12-fs pulses, This is to our knowledge the shortest pulses ever produced from a mode-locked Cr:LiSAF laser.