Bibliothèque de L'IMIST/CNRST

Introduction -- Basics of mode-locking -- High-power thin-disk resonator and gain medium -- SESAM mode-locked thin-disk oscillator -- Kerr-lens mode-locked thin-disk oscillator -- Towards ultrashort CE phase stable pulses -- XUV output coupler and XUV/IR grazing-incidence beam splitter -- Conclusion.

This thesis provides unique information on the Kerr-lens mode-locking (KLM) technique applied to a thin-disk laser. It describes in detail cavity geometry, the qualitative approach to KLM, and self-starting behavior in the regime of both negative and positive dispersion. Comprehensive comparative analysis of KLM and semiconductor saturable absorber techniques is also carried out. Recent successful experiments on carrier-envelope phase stabilization, spectral broadening and compression of output of this oscillator underline the importance of this new, emerging technology.