Patent ID: 7372880

Claim:
A laser for generating light pulses at a selected operating wavelength or range of wavelengths and a selected fundamental repetition frequency comprising: (a) one or more optical resonators or a closed optical path where a light pulse can build up over multiple round trips; wherein the one or more resonators or the closed optical path comprises one or more gain mediums and wherein the round trip path length is selected to give the selected fundamental repetition frequency; (b) one or more pump light sources; (c) one or more optical couplers for coupling pump light from the pump light source into the one or more gain mediums to provide optical gain at the selected operating wavelength or range of wavelengths; (d) one or more nonlinear optical or saturable absorber elements optically coupled with the one or more optical resonators or the closed optical path and (e) one or more optical couplers for coupling light pulses out of the laser wherein one or more of the saturable absorber elements comprise carbon nanotubes, and wherein at least one of the non-linear optical or saturable absorber elements is a mode locker and the laser is self-starting and mode-locked.