Multi‐Watt Long‐Wavelength Infrared Femtosecond Lasers and Resonant Enamel Ablation.

High average power broadband tunable long‐wavelength infrared (LWIR) femtosecond lasers operating at fingerprint wavelengths of 7–14 µm hold significant promise across a range of applications, including molecular hyperspectral imaging, strong‐field light‐matter interaction, and resonant tissue ablation. Here, a 6–12 µm broadband tunable parametric amplifier based on LiGaS2 or BaGa4S7, generating an output power of 2.4 W at 7.5 µm, and 1.5 W at 9.5 µm, pumped by a simple and effective thin‐square‐rod Yb:YAG amplifier producing 110 W 274 fs output pulses is presented. As a proof of concept, efficient resonant ablation and microstructure fabrication on enamel are showcased at the hydroxyapatite resonant wavelength of 9.5 µm, with a laser intensity two orders‐of‐magnitude lower than that required by non‐resonant femtosecond lasers, which can foster more precision surgical applications with superior biosafety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]