All-solid-state diode-pumped Cr:LiSGAF laser amplifier system applied to laser ablation

To demonstrate the utility of all-solid-state diode-pumped laser technology, with its advantages of low cost and straightforward deployment, to ultrafast ablation of different materials including metals and dielectrics. After initially using an argon ion based Cr:LiSAF laser system (providing 10 ps pulses of up to 10 /spl mu/m energy at up to 25 kHz), we have successfully demonstrated the ablation of micron scale holes using an all diode-pumped tunable Cr:LiSGAF system.