Chirped Chirped Mirror WQ-CM-1030-500

Overview

The Chirped Mirror 1030nm (-500 fs² per bounce) delivers mid-range group delay dispersion (GDD) compensation optimized for Yb-doped ultrafast laser systems operating at 1030 nm. With -500 fs² per bounce, this mirror provides the ideal balance between compactness and control for chirped pulse amplification (CPA) and OPCPA configurations requiring moderate total GDD correction. For systems with ~6000 fs² accumulated positive dispersion—common in multi-pass amplifiers and stretcher-compressor setups—this mirror achieves full compensation in approximately 12 bounces, offering precise pulse compression without excessive beam path complexity.

This GDD value excels in external compressor designs where <50 fs pulse durations are targeted from Yb:KGW, Yb:YAG, and Yb-fiber laser systems. Unlike lower-GDD mirrors requiring 20+ bounces or ultra-high-GDD designs that sacrifice bandwidth, the -500 fs² specification enables compact, thermally stable compressor geometries while maintaining excellent GVD linearity across the 1020–1040 nm range.

Applications

• Yb-fiber CPA systems: External pulse compressors for industrial femtosecond lasers delivering 200–500 µJ at sub-100 fs durations
• Regenerative amplifier compression: Post-amplifier GDD compensation for Yb:KGW and Yb:CaF₂ regenerative amplifiers in biophotonics and micromachining
• OPCPA pump line management: Fine-tuning temporal overlap in optical parametric CPA architectures pumped at 1030 nm
• Hollow-core fiber compressor stages: Pre- or post-compression dispersion control in spectral broadening setups targeting few-cycle pulse generation

Construction & Performance

Manufactured on precision-polished UVFS substrates using ion beam sputtering (IBS), this P-polarized chirped mirror features ultra-low-loss dielectric multilayer coatings with >99.5% reflectance at 1030 nm. Designed for 0–10° angle of incidence (AOI), the mirror maintains GDD specification to ±30 fs² tolerance per bounce at normal incidence. The robust IBS coating process ensures excellent environmental stability and laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) performance of 0.2 J/cm² for femtosecond pulses, suitable for amplified laser systems with peak fluences typical of kHz–MHz repetition rate operation.

Storage & Handling

Operate at 25 °C, 40–60% RH. Clean only with >99% optical-grade ethanol and lint-free lens tissue using single-pass drag method. Avoid abrasive cloths and water.