Experimental investigation of frequency modulation of ultrashort pulses in a solid-state laser

An experimental investigation was made of the sign and amplitude of frequency modulation of ultrashort pulses in a YAG:laser using various saturable absorbers. An analysis was made of the contribution of various factors influencing the amplitude and sign of frequency modulation. The results indicated that the amplitude of frequency modulation of ultrashort pulses and also the sign of such modulation (at the leading edge) can be controlled by a suitable selection of the initial density of a passive switch.