Seed Lasers
Definition: lasers which are used for generating some seed light into an amplifier or another laser
More general term: lasers
Opposite term: slave lasers
Categories: laser devices and laser physics, optical amplifiers
Author: Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta
A seed laser is a laser the output which is injected into some optical amplifier or another laser. This is done in, e.g., the following situations:
- A seed laser combined with an amplifier forms a master oscillator power amplifier configuration, used for generating an output with high power. Compared with an approach with a single high-power laser, it is easier to obtain certain features with a low-power seed laser, e.g. single-frequency operation with narrow linewidth, a wide wavelength tuning range or the generation of ultrashort pulses.
- Instead of injection into an amplifier, a single-frequency seed beam can be sent into another laser (slave laser) or into an optical parametric oscillator in order to achieve narrowband emission via injection seeding. It is sometimes possible even to achieve injection locking, where the emitted frequency exactly equals the seed frequency, and the laser noise may be close to that of the seed laser.
Typical types of seed lasers are small laser diodes (single-frequency or gain-switched), short-cavity fiber lasers, and miniature solid-state lasers such as nonplanar ring oscillators (NPROs).
Suppliers
The RP Photonics Buyer's Guide contains 22 suppliers for seed lasers. Among them:


RPMC Lasers
RPMC Lasers offers one of the widest selections of single-frequency lasers for injection seeding as well as pulsed DPSS ultrafast lasers and microchip lasers. These offerings are available with either open beam or fiber-coupling and can be paired with laser diode drivers to provide transform-limited picosecond seed sources for Q-switched fiber lasers.


Menlo Systems
Menlo Systems' femtosecond fiber lasers based on Menlo figure 9® patented laser technology are unique in regard to user-friendliness and robustness. We offer solutions for scientific research as well as laser models engineered for OEM integration.


AMPHOS
The flexible Amphos1000 1030-nm seed laser (a fiber laser) can be used as the basis for powerful amplified sources. The basic version products 10-nJ pulses with 20–100 MHz repetition rate and pulse durations tunable from 1 ps to 500 ps. Amplified versions reach up to 2 μJ pulse energy at lower pulse repetition rates or in single shot operation.

ALPHALAS
Single-frequency microchip, NPRO and DFB diode CW lasers are available for seeding bulk amplifier chains or fiber amplifiers for generating high power laser radiation at 1030, 1047, 1053, 1064 and 1342 nm wavelengths. Another application is seeding of high-power single-frequency pulsed Q-switched lasers for holographic and interferometric applications.
Picosecond pulse diode lasers from ALPHALAS can be applied for seeding of fiber and regenerative amplifiers.


TOPTICA Photonics
TOPTICA’s ultrafast fiber lasers family “FemtoFiber smart” is available as picosecond or femtosecond version. The lasers are based either on ytterbium-doped or erbium-doped fiber laser architecture. These systems are dedicated to applications ranging from seed laser purposes, biophotonics to terahertz generation and two-photon polymerization.


Lithium Lasers
The Lithium Six seed laser emits femtosecond pulses with the central wavelength of 1050 nm and average powers up to 7 W. The Lithium Six generates pedestal-free low-noise pulses that are ideal to reach an effective amplification. Moreover, this laser provides high pulse energies up to 87 nJ, allowing to simplify the amplification chain and reduce the number of amplifiers.


HÜBNER Photonics
The VALO Series of ultrafast fiber lasers are unique in their design offering amoungst the shortest femtosecond pulses and highest peak powers which can be obtained from a compact turn-key solution. They can be used as seed lasers for various amplifier systems. Pulse durations of <50 fs are achieved using novel fiber laser based technology. The ultrashort pulse durations combined with computer controlled group velocity dispersion pre-compensation, allow users of the VALO lasers to achieve the highest peak power exactly where its needed, which makes the lasers ideal for use in multiphoton imaging, advanced spectroscopy and many other applications.
- <50 fs pulse duration
- up to 2 W output power
- very low noise
- integrated pre-compensation dispersion module


Thorlabs
Thorlabs manufactures an extensive selection of ultrafast lasers and related products for control and characterization. Applications from nonlinear excitation and amplifier seeding to THz and supercontinuum generation are served by a family of products covering a spectral range from 700 – 4500 nm. Femtosecond fiber lasers and Ti:sapphire oscillators are among our key ultrafast laser offerings. Complimenting our ultrafast laser systems is a suite of chirped mirrors, low GDD optics, and related products for pulse measurement, pre-compensation, and dispersion measurement.
See also: optical amplifiers, master oscillator power amplifier, slave laser, single-frequency operation, single-frequency lasers, injection locking, injection seeding
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