Theory of passive mode-locking of semiconductor disk lasers in the blue spectral range by metal nanocomposites

We theoretically study femtosecond pulse generation by passive mode-locking of semiconductor disk lasers operating in the blue spectral range using metal nanocomposites as slow saturable absorbers. By using the relation for the nonlinear dielectric response of a layer of silica glass doped with spherical silver nanoparticles and the master equation for mode-locking, we investigate the dynamics of pulse formation and the achievable pulse parameters and predict the generation of pulses as short as 50 fs at 420 nm in such lasers. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America