Frequency comb expansion in a monolithic self-mode-locked laser concurrent with stimulated raman scattering

The discovery of a novel phase-locked frequency comb generated from a monolithic laser with the concurrent processes of self-mode locking (SML) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) is reported. It is experimentally shown that the width of the Raman gain can be exploited to considerably expand the frequency comb of a monolithic SML crystal laser via the SRS process. At a pump power of 6.5 W, an output power of 140 mW in the Stokes wave with a pulse width as narrow as 2.9 ps at a pulse repetition rate of 6.615 GHz is obtained. The present finding not only provides useful insights into the monolithic intracavity SRS process but also paves the way for generating mode-locked pulses based on monolithic self-Raman crystals. A monolithic Nd-doped vanadate crystal is exploited to achieve the cooperative processes of self-mode locking and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS). The SRS process is confirmed to effectively expand the lasing spectrum to lead to a mode-locked pulse width as narrow as 2.9 ps at a pulse repetition rate of 6.615 GHz. The discovery paves a new way for generating mode-locked pulses based on monolithic self-Raman crystals.