FAQs - frequently asked questions and answers about Saturable Absorber Mirrors - buy online
Can I clean a dirty SAM surface?
What is the main difference between glued and soldered SAMs?
When I need an edge mounted SAM?
Which type of SAM can I use in a Nd-doped ps laser at 1064 nm?
Which type of SAM can I use in an Yb-doped fs laser around 1040 nm?
Which type of SAM can I use in a ps fiber laser?
Which type of SAM can I use in a fs fiber laser?
Does the damage threshold in the spec sheets indicate the maximum mean power density?
Do I need a SAM with sub-picosecond relaxation time for mode locking a fs laser?
What can I do to avoid Q-switching?
What is the saturation fluence of SAM 331 saturable absorber lambda = 800nm/ A=1%
What is the delivery time for SAMs?
How can I pay for SAMs?
Can I clean a dirty SAM surface?
Yes. The SAM surface can be cleaned by blowing off with a dry argon or nitrogen gas beam or also with ethanol or acetone using a soft lens tissue.
What is the main difference between glued and soldered SAMs?
The thermal resistance of soldered SAM chips is lower than of glued.
When I need an edge mounted SAM?
In case of a folded beam using a focusing mirror to increase the power density on the SAM.
Which type of SAM can I use in a Nd-doped ps laser at 1064 nm?
A SAM-1064-1-x or 1064-2-x.
Which type of SAM can I use in an Yb-doped fs laser around 1040 nm?
A SAM-1040-1-x or 1040-0.7-x.
Which type of SAM can I use in a ps fiber laser?
A resonant SAM with absorbance values between 20% and 50% depending on the fiber gain. Also a broadband antiresonant SAM can be used, but it has a larger saturation fluence.
Which type of SAM can I use in a fs fiber laser?
An antiresonant SAM with absorbance values between 20% and 50% depending on the fiber gain.
Does the damage threshold in the spec sheets indicate the maximum mean power density?
No, the damage threshold indicates the peak power density inside the laser cavity on the SAM.
Do I need a SAM with sub-picosecond relaxation time for mode locking a fs laser?
No, for soliton mode locking the relaxation time can be up to about a factor of 40 longer than the needed pulse width. See J. Opt. Soc. Am. B/ Vol. 16, No. 1/January 1999 p. 46 -56.
What can I do to avoid Q-switching?
If you have Q-switching instead of CW mode locking, the power density on the SAM is probably too low. You have to increase the power density above the Q-switching threshold to get
CW mode-locking and to avoid SAM surface damage. The condition to get stable CW
mode locking described by Hönninger et. al., J. Opt. Soc. Am. B/ Vol. 16, No.
1/January 1999 p. 46 -56
Answers about delivery and payment
What is the delivery time for
SAMs?
The
listed products on our internet pages are in stock if not otherwise
indicated. The typical delivery time is one week.
How can I pay for SAMs?
You can pay by wire transfer, check, and credit card (VISA, MASTER or AMERICAN
EXPRESS).
Your questions have been answered by Wolfgang Richter. E-mail your questions about Photoconductive Antennas or Saturable Absorber Mirror