Negative dispersion mirrors for dispersion control in femtosecond lasers: chirped dielectric mirrors and multi-cavity Gires-Tournois interferometers

Chirped dielectric laser mirrors have been known for years as useful devices for broadband feedback and dispersion control in femtosecond pulse lasers. First we present a novel design technique referred to as frequency domain synthesis of chirped mirrors. These mirrors exhibit high reflectivity and nearly constant group delay over 150 THz supporting generation of sub-5-fs pulses in the visible. Afterwards, multi-cavity thin-film Gires-Tournois interferometers are introduced for the first time as an alternative approach to realize "negative dispersion mirrors". These novel dielectric high reflectors exhibit reflectivities R>99.97% and a negative group delay dispersion of ⫆ǃ fs² over a bandwidth of 56 THz. Dispersive properties originate from coupled resonances in multiple 5/2 cavities embedded in the layer structure. The general structure and performance of multi-cavity Gires-Tournois interferometers are compared to that of chirped dielectic mirrors and their distinct applications are discussed.     

Back-side-coated chirped mirrors with ultra-smooth broadband dispersion characteristics

We demonstrate a new technique for the design of chirped mirrors with extremely smooth dispersion characteristics over an extended ultra-broadband wavelength range. Our approach suppresses spectral dispersion oscillations, which can lead to unwanted strong spectral modulations and limit the bandwidth of mode-locked laser pulses. Dispersion oscillations are significantly reduced by coating the chirped mirror structure on the back side of a substrate, providing ideal impedance matching between coating and ambient medium. An anti-reflection coating may be added on the front side of the substrate, geometrically separated from the chirped mirror. The chirped mirror structure and the anti-reflection coating are non-interfering and can be independently designed and optimized. The separation of both coating sections provides a much better solution for the impedance-matching problems than previous approaches to chirped mirror design. We show by a theoretical analysis and numerical simulations that minimum dispersion oscillations are achieved if the index of the substrate is identical to the index of one of the coating materials and if double-chirping is used for the chirped mirror structure. Based on this analysis, we design a mirror that supports a bandwidth of 220 THz with group delay dispersion oscillations of about 2 fs² (rms), an order-of magnitude improvement compared to previous designs of similar bandwidth. In a first experimental demonstration of back-side-coated (BASIC) mirrors, we achieve nearly transform-limited and virtually unchirped pulses of 5.8 fs duration from a Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. BASIC mirrors are particularly suited for higher-order dispersion compensation schemes. They support the extremely broad spectra of few-cycle pulses and promise to provide clean pulse shapes in this regime. Received: 19 April 2000 / Published online: 6 September 2000     

Integrative optimization of chirped mirrors for intracavity dispersion compensation

A new integrative optimization of three chirped mirrors for precise broadband intracavity group delay dispersion compensation in ring cavity is proposed. Simulation demonstrates that the residual group delay dispersion ripples of these three chirped mirrors are less than 25 fs² for most of the wavelengths from 600 to 1200 nm. Pulse evolution simulation shows that these three matched chirped mirrors compensate the group delay dispersion in the Ti:Sapphire ring cavity laser well to obtain an octave-spanning spectrum.     

飞秒激光器中超宽带色散补偿啁啾镜对的设计

根据设计目标和制备要求, 以双啁啾作为啁啾镜膜系初始结构设计方法, 详细分析了双啁啾调制系数以及双啁啾层数对啁啾镜反射特性和色散特性的影响, 确立了两者之间的最佳取值组合. 利用分析结果设计了单个啁啾镜, 并实现了啁啾镜的配对设计, 获得了600–1050 nm范围内反射率大于99.5%, 平均群延迟色散-40 fs², 振荡小于± 20 fs²的啁啾镜对, 满足了钛宝石飞秒激光系统的色散补偿要求. 关键词： 超快激光 色散补偿薄膜 双啁啾镜 啁啾镜对     

Cr∶LiSAF飞秒激光器中Gires-Tournois镜的设计

飞秒激光脉冲的产生主要依赖于激光腔内净的负群延迟色散.但是在固体激光器中,增益介质和其它光学元件却引入了正色散,因此需引入相应的色散补偿机制.布儒斯特角棱镜对曾是激光腔中色散补偿的主要办法,但是它在进行群延迟色散补偿的同时还会引入高阶色散,使激光器操作困难并影响激光器的尺寸和重复频率.Gires-Tournois镜是一种新型的色散补偿元件,可以克服这些缺点.本文介绍了Gires-Tournois镜的基本结构,分析了影响Gires-Tournois镜的群延迟时间、群延迟色散和三阶色散的量,给出了Gires-Tournois镜的设计原则并根据Cr∶LiSAF飞秒激光器中的色散补偿要求设计了性能优良的Gires-Tournois镜.该Gires-Tournois镜在750~900 nm的波长范围内具有高于99.9%的反射率和-35±8fs2的群延迟色散.用这样的Gires-Tournois镜经过4次反射后可以补偿3mm的Cr∶LiSAF晶体的绝大部分群延迟色散.     

Ultrafast laser pulses generated from the chromium-doped cunyite laser

Femtosecond pulses were generated from a Cr⁴⁺: Cunyite laser using a combination of a broadband semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM), chirped mirrors, and passive mode locking. The astigmatically compensated asymmetric X-cavity with a 4.5-mm-long Cr⁴⁺:Ca₂GeO₄ sample was operated with a 2.5% output coupler. Dispersion compensation was achieved using chirped mirrors. During self-starting mode-locked operation, pulses as short as 365 fs were generated at a pulse repetition rate of 100 MHz with output power of 70 mW and a spectral bandwidth of 5.2 nm at the center wavelength of 1432 nm.     

钛宝石激光器9.5 fs脉冲输出中的啁啾镜色散补偿

根据钛宝石激光器的要求,实验设计了中心波长800 nm带宽200 nm的啁啾镜,在700—900 nm波长范围内提供约-60 fs²群延迟色散(group delay dispersion,GDD).采用双射频离子束溅射方法进行制备,用实验室搭建的白光干涉仪进行色散性能测试,从测试结果可以看出,制备的啁啾镜的性能和设计值符合得比较好.制备得到的非成对啁啾镜在钛宝石激光谐振腔中进行色散补偿,锁模后分别获得了12 fs和9.5 fs的激光脉冲输出.这是目前报道的使用国产啁啾镜获得的最短的 关键词： 啁啾镜 群延迟色散 色散补偿 钛宝石激光器     

全啁啾镜色散补偿的亚8 fs钛宝石激光器

报道了一种基于全啁啾镜腔内色散补偿的、可长期稳定运行的亚8 fs钛宝石激光器.在4 W绿光抽运下, 可获得300 mW、86 MHz脉冲输出.腔内用于色散补偿的两对啁啾镜是国内自主设计自行镀膜的, 其对色散的精确控制可以在腔内不加尖劈对的情况下获得半宽超过150 nm超宽带输出.利用腔外色散补偿, 脉冲宽度被压缩至7.9 fs, 这是目前采用国产啁啾镜获得的最短脉宽, 也是无尖劈对谐振腔获得的最短脉宽.同时, 利用电路系统提供实时反馈调节, 可保证钛宝石激光器长期稳定运行, 24 h内功率抖动约0.6%.     

1.5-octave chirped mirror for pulse compression down to sub-3 fs

We demonstrate numerically and experimentally a chirped mirror with controlled reflectivity and dispersion of up to 1.5 octaves. A complementary pair of such mirrors has a reflectivity of 95% in the wavelength range 400–1200 nm with residual group delay dispersion ripples <100 fs² in all of this range. The mirror pair allows one to compensate a chirp of the corresponding spectrum (with a smooth phase), resulting in sub-3-fs pulses. PACS 42.65.Re; 42.79.Fm; 42.79.Wc     

Design and Fabrication of Chirped Mirror

Chirped mirrors （CMs） are designed and manufactured. The optimized CM provides a group delay dispersion （ODD） of around -60fs^2 and average reflectivity of 99.4% with bandwidth 200 nm at a central wavelength of 800nm. The CM structure consists of 52 layers of alternating high refractive index Ta2O5 and low refractive index SiO2. Measurement results show that the control of CM manufacturing accuracy can meet our requirement through time control with ion beam sputtering. Because the ODD of CMs is highly sensitive to small discrepancies between the layer thickness of calculated design and those of the manufactured mirror, we analyze the error sources which result in thickness errors and refractive index inhomogeneities in film manufacture.     

Design of different bandwidth dispersive mirrors

Dispersive mirrors in the wavelength range of 960–1110 nm, 700–900 nm, 950–1150 nm, 600–900 nm, 900–1200 nm, 600–1000 nm and 550–1050 nm are designed, respectively. From the design results, we analyse the choice of material and the approach to dispersion compensation. Furthermore, along with the increase of bandwidth, interaction between group delay dispersion (GDD) oscillation and high reflectivity, and influence of bandwidth on both GDD ripple and reflectivity are discussed.     

Gold-reflector-based semiconductor saturable absorber mirror for femtosecond mode-locked Cr4+:YAG lasers

We developed a gold reflector based semiconductor saturable absorber mirror that has a sufficiently high reflectivity and a broad bandwidth and has been used to initiate the mode locking in a Cr⁴⁺:YAG laser. The laser achieved a similar efficiency to the lasers with Bragg-reflector-based semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors, but delivered a much broader spectrum and a shorter pulse.     

宽带啁啾镜对的设计和制备

设计了中心波长800 nm带宽约500 nm的啁啾镜对, 在550–1050 nm波长范围内提供约-60 fs²群延迟色散(group delay dispersion, GDD), 通过啁啾镜对的形式使GDD振荡波纹由单个啁啾镜的±100 fs²减小到±20 fs². 采用双射频离子束溅射方法进行制备, 用白光干涉仪进行色散性能测试, 从测试结果可以看出, 制备的啁啾镜的反射率、GDD性能和设计值符合得比较好. 制备出的550–1050 nm超宽带啁啾镜对在钛宝石激光器腔外进行色散补偿, 原输入脉冲由24–27 fs压缩到12 fs, 这是国产超宽带啁啾镜对的首次应用. 关键词： 超快激光 啁啾镜对 群延迟色散 色散补偿     

Diode-pumped passively mode-locked yb<Superscript>3+</Superscript>-doped yttrium lanthanum oxide ceramic sub-picosecond laser

A diode-pumped sub-picosecond laser is realized with Yb³⁺-doped yttrium lanthanum oxide transparent ceramic Yb:(Y_0.9La_0.1)₂O₃ as the gain medium for the first time. By using Gires-Tournois interferometer mirrors and chirped mirror for dispersion compensation and semiconductor saturable absorber mirror for passive mode-locking, laser pulse as short as 730 fs was obtained at the central wavelength of 1033 nm and repetition rate of 65.5 MHz. Under the maximum pump power of 6 W at 976 nm, the output power is 92 mW.     

飞秒激光脉冲压缩用啁啾镜新设计方法

对配对啁啾镜传统的优化过程进行了改进,并且尝试了新的多个啁啾镜匹配的方法。理论上实现了在700～1050 nm光谱范围内,两个啁啾镜配对色散总和振荡小于±10 fs2,三个啁啾镜配对色散总和振荡小于±15 fs2。此配对啁啾镜所实现的精确补偿色散,是获得极短光脉冲的基础,可以用于飞秒激光的脉冲压缩。     

Generation of optical waveforms in 1.3-μm SOA-based fiber lasers

Passive optical waveform generation is obtained in fiber lasers using a 1.3-μm semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) as the gain medium. Various waveforms, including square wave, staircase wave, triangular wave, pulse, and dark pulse are generated in SOA-based fiber lasers by adjusting intracavity polarization controllers. The passive waveform generation might be attributed to the SOA gain dynamics and the enhanced nonlinear interaction at the 1.3-μm zero dispersion wavelength of traditional single-mode fiber (SMF), as well as the interference effect between the two sub-cavities of fiber laser. With figure-8 cavity configuration, 1250th-order harmonic pulses have been successfully demonstrated. We have also obtained a free-running SOA-based fiber laser with 3-dB spectral width of 16 nm, and the center wavelength can be tuned over 45 nm range.     

Passively mode-locked Nd:YVO4 laser using semiconductor saturable absorption mirrors of interface states relaxation region

Semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAMs) with GaAs/air interface relaxation region have less non-saturable loss than those with low temperature grown In_0.25Ga_0.75As relaxation region. A thin layer of SiO₂ and a high reflectivity film of Si/(SiO₂/Si)₄ were coated on the SESAMs, respectively in order to improve the SESAM's threshold for damage. The passively continuous wave mode-locked lasers with two such SESAMs were demonstrated, and the SESAM with high reflectivity film of Si/(SiO₂/Si)₄ is proved to be helpful for high output power.     

500 nm带宽啁啾镜对的设计与应用

设计了中心波长在825 nm、有效带宽在600 nm～1100 nm的超宽带啁啾镜对,色散补偿量目标值为-100 fs2。配对设计的啁啾镜对有效抑制了单个啁啾镜的色散振荡,啁啾镜对色散振荡幅度的最大值为50 fs2,用设计制作的啁啾镜对进行色散补偿,用频率分辨光学开关测量装置对脉冲进行测量。将10.3 fs的超短脉冲通过0.5 mm厚的LBO晶体,色散效应导致脉冲展宽,半峰值处的全宽度为39.6 fs,实验结果表明,经过啁啾镜对一次色散补偿后的脉冲形状,半峰值处得全宽度为11.6 fs;脉冲经过2次补偿后,脉冲被压缩到10.7 fs。     

Highly Efficient Self-Starting Femtosecond Cr:Forsterite Laser

We report a highly efficient and high power self-starting femtosecond Cr：forsterite laser pumped by a 1064-nm Yb doped fibre laser. Five chirped mirrors are used to compensate for the intra-cavity group-delay dispersion, and the mode-locking is initiated by a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror （SESAM）. Under pump power of 7.9 W, stable femtosecond laser pulses with average power of 760mW are obtained, yielding a pump power slope efficiency of 12.3%. The measured pulse duration and spectral bandwidth （FWHM） are 46 fs and 45 nm; the repetition rate is 82 MHz.     

Combined-method for designing broadband dispersion mirror based on local optimization approach and needle optimization technique

A combined-method based on local optimization and needle optimization is proposed to design broadband dispersion mirrors. The broadband dispersion mirrors are designed by using needle optimization combined with cross application of local optimization and changing high refractive index materials. We combine high efficiency of the local optimization and accuracy of needle optimization. This method can efficiently prevent optimizing process from being captured in a local minimum and obtain higher reflectivity and more smooth group delay dispersion (GDD) curves. The designed dispersion mirrors have a few numbers of layers, which do not have the thin layers that are not easily deposited.