基于低非线性系数光子晶体光纤的全光纤高效超连续谱光源

 报道了一种基于低非线性系数光子晶体光纤的全光纤高效率超连续谱产生系统。将光纤锁模激光器输出的脉宽5 ps、重复频率20 MHz、平均功率50 mW的脉冲,输入到15 μm的大模场光纤中进行放大,通过与两级芯径较小的短光纤模场匹配缩小输出的模场直径后,输入到20 m低非线性系数的光子晶体光纤,获得的超连续谱波长覆盖范围宽于650～1 700 nm。输入光子晶体光纤的泵浦光功率为740 mW,输出超连续光功率为670 mW,转换效率大于90%。实验研究了超连续光谱展宽的过程,从理论上进行了分析解释。     

Q-switched Yb-doped nonlinear microstructured fiber laser for the emission of broadband spectrum

We report on an innovative configuration of a supercontinuum laser based on an Yb-doped nonlinear microstructured fiber. Due to this particular fiber design combining amplification and nonlinear properties, a wideband output spectrum is generated in the fiber under the Q-switched regime. By exploiting stimulated Brillouin scattering, high peak power pulses are achieved and contribute to a spectral broadening due to a nonlinear wavelength conversion process. Both infrared (1000-1200 nm) and visible (650-750 nm) spectra are generated with an average power of 200 mW.     

Kilowatt-peak-power, single-frequency, pulsed fiber laser near 2 μm

We generated single-frequency pulses at kilowatt peak power from an all-fiber Tm-doped master oscillator power amplifier system, which is the first report of this kind (to the best of our knowledge) of a laser in the 2 μm region. Compared with the laser linewidth of seed pulses, spectral broadening by a factor of 3 was observed with the amplified pulses. This was attributed to self-phase modulation in passive pigtail fibers of the components (isolator and wavelength division multiplexing) that were placed after the fiber amplifier. The short pulse width (~7 ns) of the kilowatt-level pulses prevents an onset of stimulated Brillouin scattering in the long fiber. When launching the pulses into several-meter single-mode fiber, significant nonlinear spectral broadening occurs due to modulation instability in the fiber. This reaction is beneficial for generation of a mid- and long-wavelength IR supercontinuum in nonlinear IR fibers.     

High power supercontinuum generation in a nonlinear ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier

High power supercontinuum generation with 70 W average output power in a nonlinear ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier is demonstrated using all-normal dispersion, all-fiber master oscillator power amplifier configuration. The supercontinuum covers from 1064 nm to beyond 1700 nm with spectral flatness better than 12 dB and 67.3% optical to optical conversion efficiency. The almost uniform spectral power density across the whole continuum is more than 70 mW/nm and the nanosecond bursts output have an effective peak power of 82.7 kW.     

Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation to 4.5 microm in ZBLAN fluoride fibers by nanosecond diode pumping

A mid-infrared supercontinuum (SC) is generated in ZBLAN (ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF...) fluoride fibers from amplified nanosecond laser diode pulses with a continuous spectrum from approximately 0.8 microm to beyond 4.5 microm. The SC has an average power of approximately 23 mW, a pump-to-SC power conversion efficiency exceeding 50%, and a spectral power density of approximately -20 dBm/nm over a large fraction of the spectrum. The SC generation is initiated by the breakup of nanosecond laser diode pulses into femtosecond pulses through modulation instability, and the spectrum is then broadened primarily through fiber nonlinearities in approximately 2-7 m lengths of ZBLAN fiber. The SC long-wavelength edge is consistent with the intrinsic ZBLAN material absorption.     

Supercontinuum generation in a standard fiber pumped by noise-like pulses from a figure-eight fiber laser

We report the experimental study of broadband spectrum generation in a piece of standard fiber (SMF-28) using as the pump a train of noise-like pulses, or sub-nanosecond packets of sub-ps pulses with randomly varying amplitudes. The pulses are generated by an erbium-doped figure-eight fiber laser, and present a wide (∼50 nm) optical spectrum, which represents a significant advantage to seed the generation of new frequencies. Another advantage of the pulses is their relatively large energy, as they are made up of a large number of ultrashort pulses. After amplification with an Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA), the pulses were injected in a 0.75 km length of SMF-28 fiber. We obtained experimentally at the end of the fiber an output signal spectrum extending from 1530 nm to at least 1750 nm (the upper limit of the spectrum analyzer) for pump pulses with an average power of 20.4 mW, corresponding to a few kilowatts peak power. The spectral broadening is due to Raman self-frequency shift (SFS). It is noteworthy that the spectrum of the newly created frequencies was extremely uniform over the range of measurement. Considering that the Raman shift is directly related to the pump pulse duration, spectral flatness is a direct consequence of the random distribution of amplitudes and durations of the pulses in the packet. Finally, the results show the capabilities of noise-like pulses from a fiber laser for applications in supercontinuum generation based on nonlinear phenomena such as Raman SFS.     

Self-Q-switched Er-Brillouin fiber source with extra-cavity generation of a Raman supercontinuum in a dispersion-shifted fiber

Brillouin mirrors based on a single-mode optical fiber provide the simplest, completely passive, and most universal way to produce nanosecond pulses with extensive wavelength tunability. We propose an all-fiber solution, where a passively Q-switched Er-doped Briilouin fiber laser pumped by a low-power laser diode produces pulses with a peak/average power contrast of 500 W/25 mW and, in association with a conventional dispersion-shifted fiber employed as an extracavity nonlinear medium, causes the generation of a nanosecond supercontinuum extending from 900 to over 1800 nm. Expanding evolution of the spectrum kicked off by the multicascade Brillouin process is reported.     

飞秒激光脉冲在高非线性光子晶体光纤中产生超连续谱的实验研究

使用钛宝石激光器抽运一根长1m的高非线性光子晶体光纤,获得的超连续谱波长覆盖范围为420—1700nm,输出功率为170mW,转换效率在20%以上;对实验结果给出了详细的分析,并与理论模拟结果相比较,认为超连续谱产生的主要原因是高阶孤子的分裂和四波混频效应.同时研究了不同抽运功率和不同抽运波长下超连续谱产生的情况,发现对同一根光纤,抽运功率由小到大变化时,可将输出的光谱分为初始展宽,剧烈展宽和饱和展宽三个阶段,当输出的光谱处于初始展宽和饱和展宽阶段时,都会存在一定的抽运残留,当输出的光谱处于剧烈展宽时,转 关键词： 光子晶体光纤 超连续谱 高阶孤子 反常色散区     

基于光纤中超短脉冲非线性传输机理与特定光谱选择技术的多波长飞秒激光的产生

高集成、高可靠性宽调谐飞秒激光源在超快光谱学、量子光学及生物成像等研究与应用领域具有重要价值.如在生物多光子显微成像中,具有适中能量的宽调谐飞秒激光源不仅可满足多种生物组织荧光激发所需的峰值功率与激发波长,而且也可以显著提升非线性荧光产生效率、成像分辨率以及增大成像穿透深度.采用自主研发的高可靠性全保偏光纤飞秒激光器作为抽运源,基于低色散光纤中高峰值功率飞秒激光脉冲非线性传输引起的光谱加宽机制,本文开展了多波长全光纤飞秒激光产生技术研究.通过采用中心波长在980, 1000,1050, 1070与1100 nm的带通滤波片选择性地对单模光纤输出光谱中最左边与最右边光谱旁瓣进行滤波,在上述中心波长处分别可获得203, 195, 196, 187与194 fs的激光输出.本文提出的基于全光纤飞秒激光脉冲在单模光纤中非线性传输引起的光谱加宽机制与特定光谱选择技术的实验方案为高集成、高可靠性宽调谐飞秒激光源的实现提供了新的研究途径.     

Demonstration of supercontinuum generation in a long-cavity fiber ring laser

We demonstrate generation of supercontinuum pulses directly from a passively mode-locked long-cavity fiber ring laser. The laser output exhibited a blueshifted spectrum extending from 1350 to 1550 nm with an average output power greater than 60 mW.     

Tapered semiconductor amplifiers for optical frequency combs in the near infrared

A tapered semiconductor amplifier is injection seeded by a femtosecond optical frequency comb at 780 nm from a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. Energy gains of more than 17 dB(12 dB) are obtained for 1 mW(20 mW) of average input power when the input pulses are stretched into the picosecond range. A spectral window of supercontinuum light generated in a photonic fiber has also been amplified. Interferometric measurements show sub-Hertz linewidths for a heterodyne beat between the input and amplified comb components, yielding no detectable phase-noise degradation under amplification. These amplifiers can be used to boost the infrared power in f-to-2f interferometers used to determine the carrier-to-envelope offset frequency, with clear advantages for stabilization of octave-spanning femtosecond lasers and other supercontinuum light sources.     

孤子光脉冲的产生及其应用研究

利用非线性偏振旋转技术实现自起振被动锁模.在掺铒光纤环形腔激光器中产生了中心波长为1563.3 nm、重复频率为12.5 MHz、脉冲宽度为352.0 fs、3 dB光谱宽度为7.8 nm的孤子光脉冲.采用该孤子光脉冲作为抽运光源，经掺铒光纤放大器放大后，输入到101 m长的高非线性光子晶体光纤中，获得了20 dB带宽约为240 nm的超连续激光光谱.实验详细观测了光脉冲随抽运功率的变化及超连续激光光谱的形成过程，分析了其形成机理.研究表明：当抽运功率较低时，光谱加宽主要由高阶孤子的分裂引起；随着抽运功率的增加，高阶孤子分裂成基本孤子的数目逐渐增大，光谱进一步加宽；当抽运功率增加到受激拉曼散射的阈值时，受激拉曼散射成为光谱展宽的主要原因；抽运功率进一步增加时，受激拉曼散射、参量四波混频等非线性的共同作用将使光谱进一步加宽且变得光滑. 关键词： 孤子光纤激光器 超连续 光子晶体光纤     

被动谐波锁模掺Yb3+光纤环形激光器

 利用光纤的非线性偏振旋转效应产生可饱和吸收体的锁模机制，从掺Yb³⁺光纤环形激光器中得到稳定高阶谐波锁模光脉冲。理论分析了工作于正色散区的掺Yb³⁺光纤环形激光器的特性。实验中观测到了掺Yb³⁺光纤环形激光器3种不同演化方式产生高阶锁模光脉冲。4阶谐波锁模脉冲（107.2 MHz重复频率）经过1 m长高掺杂Yb³⁺光纤放大器放大后产生了平均功率100 mW，脉宽22.8 ps的脉冲，最后经过光栅压缩得到了平均输出功率20 mW，脉宽307 fs，脉冲中心波长1 051.2 nm，带宽13.76 nm的激光。     

Supercontinuum generation in short dispersion-shifted fiber by a femtosecond fiber laser

The supercontinuum generation has been obtained in short conventional dispersion-shifted fiber using the femtosecond pulses from a passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser. In the experiment, the supercontinuum spectrum of >300 nm has been observed by injecting 70-fs pulses into a several-meter dispersion-shifted fiber. The simulation of the evolution in the fiber shows that spectral broadening arises from soliton dynamics when pumping using femtosecond pulses in the anomalous group velocity dispersion regime of the fiber.     

Generation of a mid-infrared broadband polarized supercontinuum in As₂Se₃ photonic crystal fibers

A simplified structure of birefringent chalcogenide As 2 Se 3 photonic crystal fiber(PCF) is designed.Properties of birefringence,polarization extinction ratio,chromatic dispersion,nonlinear coefficient,and transmission are studied by using the multipole method,the finite-difference beam propagation method,and the adaptive split-step Fourier method.Considering that the zero dispersion wavelength of our proposed fiber is about 4 μm,we have analysed the mechanism of spectral broadening in PCFs with different pitches in detail,with femtosecond pulses at a wavelength of 4 μm as the pump pulses.Especially,mid-infrared broadband polarized supercontinuums are obtained in a 3-cm PCF with an optimal pitch of 2 μm.Their spectral width at 20 dB reaches up to 12 μm.In the birefringent PCF,we find that the supercontinuum generation changes with the pump alignment angle.Research results show that no coupling between eigenpolarization modes are observed at the maximum average power(i.e.,37 mW),which indicates that the polarization state is well maintained.     

中红外超连续谱在氟化物光纤中的产生

为获得高功率全光纤中红外超连续谱,采用自制的掺Er锁模光纤激光器作为种子源,激光经过两级放大至1.67W,泵浦氟化物光纤,获得光谱覆盖1000~2400nm的超连续光谱;光谱宽度随着泵浦功率的增加而展宽,当输出功率达到1.21W时,转换效率为72%,并且产生的超连续谱被强烈的调制,在多个波长点处谱功率密度调制到0mW/nm,但调制波长与泵浦功率无关。     

Compact sub-nanosecond wideband laser source for biological applications

We report on the experimental demonstration of a supercontinuum generation in a highly birefringent nonlinear microstructured optical fiber by use of a sub-nanosecond passively Q-switched Yb-doped double-clad fiber laser. The powerful, low-cost sub-nanosecond pulses produced by the fiber laser source permit one to generate a flat supercontinuum between 1064 and 1600 nm and a more structured spectral broadening down to 400 nm is also initiated. PACS 42.65.Wi; 42.55.Wd     

Numerical investigation of the nonlinear spectral broadening aiming at a few-cycle regime for 10 ps level Nd-doped lasers

We present a cascaded nonlinear spectral broadening scheme for Nd-doped lasers, featuring with long pulse duration and high average power. This scheme is based on two multi-pass cells (MPCs) and one multiple-plate supercontinuum generation (MPSG), and the numerical investigation is driven by a home-made Nd-doped fiber laser with 12 ps pulse duration, 50 kHz repetition rate and 100 W average power. The MPC-based first two stages allow us to broaden the pulse spectrum to 4 nm and 43 nm respectively, and subsequently, the MPSG-based third stage allows us to reach 235 nm spectral bandwidth. This broadened spectrum can support a Fourier-transfer-limited pulse duration of 9.8 fs, which is shorter than three optical cycles. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time to demonstrate the possibility of few-cycle pulses generation based on the 10 ps level Nd-doped lasers. Such few-cycle and high average power laser sources should be attractive and prospective, benefiting from the characteristics of structure compact, low-cost and flexibility.     

Enhancement and broadening of extreme-ultraviolet supercontinuum in a relative phase controlled two-color laser field

We experimentally demonstrate the generation of an extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) supercontinuum in argon with a two-color laser field consisting of an intense 7 fs pulse at 800 nm and a relatively weak 37 fs pulse at 400 nm. By controlling the relative time delay between the two laser pulses, we observe enhanced high-order harmonic generation as well as spectral broadening of the supercontinuum. A method to produce isolated attosecond pulses with variable width and intensity is proposed.     

High stability supercontinuum generation in lead silicate SF57 photonic crystal fibers

We report supercontinuum (SC) generation in a lead silicate SF57 photonic crystal fiber by using a 1550 nm pump source. The effective nonlinear coefficient of the SF57 fiber is simulated to be 111.5 W-1 ·km-1 at 1550 nm. The fiber also shows ultraflat dispersion from 1700 nm to 2100 nm. Our results reveal that with an increase of the average power of the incident pulse from 10 mW to 90 mW, the SC of the SF57 photonic crystal fiber is generated from 1300 nm to 1900 nm with high stability and without significant change in spectral broadening.