An investigation on the improved performance of shared cavity optical parametric oscillators

It has been demonstrated that shared cavity optical parametric oscillator (OPO) could improve power stability in comparison with that of coupled cavity OPO. By theoretically calculating the spectral transmissions induced by the etalon effect, it has been found that the shared cavity OPO had much wider transmission bandwidth than that of coupled OPO. The corresponding experimental results agreed with the theoretical analysis. Furthermore, the OPO and fundamental laser resonator have nearly the same longitudinal mode spacing in the shared cavity configuration. The above two factors can account for the improved performance of the shared OPO operation.     

Ultrashort optical pulse generation from microwave modulated AlGaAs diode laser with selfoc rod resonator

Experimental studies were carried out to demonstrate the practical feasibility for generating high-bit-rate ultrashort optical pulses from RF modulated AlGaAs diode lasers using compact Selfoc rod lens external resonators mounted on the brass heat sink for the diode laser. Measured pulse width was found to be ? 37 ps with a lorentzian profile at modulation frequencies of 1.4 and 3.6 GHz depending on the length of the Selfoc rod lens. Evidence for regeneratively amplified pulse oscillation was also obtained at 3.6 GHz repetition rate with this external cavity configuration.     

Experimental investigation of the sound absorption performance of compartmented Helmholtz resonators

An experiment was derived in the present study to investigate the effects of coupling up two Helmholtz resonators on their overall sound absorption performance. The effect of compartmenting the cavity of a resonator on its sound absorption property was also discussed. Such cavity compartmentation in fact creates a coupled resonator with a front and a rear resonator. The results show that the coupling in many cases can improve the sound absorption capacity and widen the working bandwidth of the resonators provided that the uncoupled resonance frequency of the front resonator is larger than or equal to that of the rear resonator. Results also suggest that the best compartmentation is that with these uncoupled resonance frequencies very close to each other. It is also found that the undamped plane wave approach is sufficient to predict the resonance frequencies of the coupled resonators within engineering tolerance.     

First-Stokes Wavelengths at 1175.8 and 1177.1 nm Generated in a Diode End-Pumped Nd:YVO_4/LuVO_4 Raman Laser

A diode end-pumped acousto-optic Q-switched Nd:YVO_4/LuVO_4 Raman laser is demonstrated. Both YVO_4 and LuVO_4 can work as Raman gain, and slightly different active vibration modes of both crystals can result in different first-Stokes wavelengths. The output characteristic as the Raman competition between YVO_4 and LuVO_4 crystals for the laser systems with both shared cavity and coupled cavity is experimentally investigated.For the shared cavity, simultaneous Raman conversion in both YVO_4 and LuVO_4 crystals is achieved with dualwavelength emission at 1175.8 and 1177.1 nm. The maximum output power of 1.03 W and the conversion efficiency of 10.3% are obtained. The 0.84 W single first Stokes wavelength at 1177.1 nm with LuVO_4 Raman conversion is achieved with the coupled cavity. The results show that the coupled cavity with short Raman cavity can obtain a narrow pulse width. The separated laser crystal and Raman gain media with different vanadates in shared cavity have advantages in achieving dual-wavelength lasers with small frequency intervals.     

Resonance amplifier model describing diode lasers coupled to short external resonators

A model of a regenerative resonance amplifier has been used to describe Fabry-Perot GaAs diode lasers coupled to short external resonators. The optical gain and the equivalent input of the resonance amplifier are controlled by means of appropriate rate equations. Homogeneous line-broadening and proportionality between gain and electron density have been assumed in this approach. The model was applied to a diode laser coupled to an external plane mirror placed at a variable distance from one diode mirror. A numerical evaluation of the coupling coefficient between laser and external cavity enables to predict the measured power output and mode selective properties of the coupled system. A similar analysis was done for diode lasers coupled to external hemispherical resonators. The model calculation confirms the previously demonstrated mode selective properties of the hemispherical configuration which permitted stable single mode operation.     

Two-dimensional imaging of two types of radicals by the CW-EPR method

New EPR resonators were developed by using a ceramic material with a high dielectric constant, epsilon=160. The resonators have a high quality factor, Q=10(3), and enhance the sensitivity of an EPR spectrometer up to 170 times. Some advantages of the new ceramic resonators are: (1) cheaper synthesis and simplified fabricating technology; (2) wider temperature range; and (3) ease of use. The ceramic material is produced with a titanate of complex oxides of rare-earth and alkaline metals, and has a perovskite type structure. The resonators were tested with X-band EPR spectrometers with cylindrical (TE(011)) and rectangular (TE(102)) cavities at 300 and 77K. We discovered that EPR signal strength enhancement depends on the dielectric constant of the material, resonator geometry and the size of the sample. Also, an unusual resonant mode was found in the dielectric resonator-metallic cavity structure. In this mode, the directions of microwave magnetic fields of the coupled resonators are opposite and the resonant frequency of the structure is higher than the frequency of empty metallic cavity.     

基于异向传输线的亚波长谐振腔设计

 提出了一种新型的谐振腔，该谐振腔的谐振条件与普通谐振腔不同，其两个端面的总相移不必是180°的正整数倍。这种谐振腔由异向传输线和右手传输线两种不同性质的传输线级联构成，它利用耦合腔链作为异向传输线实现负相移，同轴波导作为右手传输线实现正相移，使谐振腔两个端面的总相移为零，满足谐振腔的谐振条件。由于它与传统谐振腔谐振条件不同，理论证明这种谐振腔的长度可远远小于传统谐振腔，设计实例的仿真结果表明这种新型谐振腔的长度最短仅为传统谐振腔的1/7。     

Determination of Quality Factor for Highly Overcoupled EPR Resonators

We reported determination of the loaded quality factor (Q) of highly overcoupled (dielectric, loop-gap, and cavity) resonators used in time-domain electron paramagnetic resonance. We introduced a microwave absorber into resonators and achieved critical-coupling. Due to the deep “Q-dip” of critical-coupling, we can easily determine the loaded Q as low as 10. The loaded Q of resonators with and without the microwave absorber was examined under various overcoupling conditions. We found that the radiation Q (Q _r) can be calculated from the loaded Q of the resonator that contains the microwave absorber. We proposed a simple model that represents the loaded Q of the overcoupled resonator in terms of two parameters, Q ₀ and Q _r. Q ₀ is the effective unloaded Q of the resonator determined for the critically coupled resonator without the microwave absorber and is independent of a degree of coupling. The model can be applied to overcoupling in which the coupling parameter (Q ₀/Q _r) is in the range of 1 to ca. 20.     

Energy coupling mechanism for pulse detonation ignition of a scramjet cavity

The effect of detonation decoupling on the ignition capability of a pulse detonation igniter in a scramjet cavity is investigated. It was observed that a strongly coupled detonation is required for igniting a fueled cavity and the ignition capability rapidly decays for a weak or slightly decoupled detonation. The pulse detonation igniter pressure and wave speed were measured at subatmospheric pressure to characterize the pressure and fill characteristics dependence on backpressure. Temperatures measurements using 100 kHz H₂O absorption measurements showed an increase in peak temperature for critically filled conditions but a decrease in bulk fluid temperature with decreasing fill time. Simultaneous schlieren and chemiluminescence measurements demonstrate that a fully coupled detonation entrains greater quantities of high-temperature and reacting fluid in the vortex formed on the edges of the detonation plume, enhancing the mixing and spreading of products into the cavity. This shedding of high-temperature intermediate species is the primary mechanism governing successful ignition in the scramjet cavity.     

X波段脉冲电子顺磁共振谱仪的矩形腔与微型平面腔的设计

为了满足脉冲式电子顺磁共振谱仪的需要,设计并制作了连续波谐振腔和脉冲谐振腔. 连续波谐振腔采用矩形谐振腔的设计,而脉冲谐振腔采用了微型平面腔的设计. 在设计阶段,使用Ansoft-HFSS三维电磁仿真软件对2种谐振腔进行模拟计算. 微型平面腔的加工采用了微纳加工技术. 制作完成的谐振腔的参数指标由网络分析仪测定. 实验测得2种谐振腔的参数指标符合理论模拟值,并满足脉冲式电子顺磁共振谱仪的要求.     

An eye-safe KTiAsO4 intracavity optical parametric oscillator driven by a diode pumped composite Nd:YAG/Cr4+:YAG laser

A mini eye-safe KTiAsO₄ intracavity optical parametric oscillator (IOPO) employing the shared cavity configuration and driven by a diode-end-pumped composite Nd:YAG/Cr⁴⁺:YAG laser is demonstrated in this paper. Under an incident laser diode power of 11 W, a maximum average output power of 424 mW at 1534 nm was obtained. The corresponding signal pulse width and repetition rate were 1.2 ns and 16.7 kHz, respectively. The fluctuation of the average signal output power over long-term operation was found to be ±3.0%. A theoretical model for the compact IOPO was also presented in this paper.     

Intracavity Raman conversion for 16-μm Stokes pulse generation in para-hydrogen

16-μm Stokes pulses were directly generated for the first time to our knowledge by an intracavity configuration for the para-hydrogen Raman laser. We have analyzed Stokes field growth using a focused gain model and designed a pump/Stokes cavity to satisfy CO₂ pump power and pulse duration requirements for Raman oscillation. The CO₂ laser oscillation with circular polarization was realized by seeding externally circularly polarized CO₂ radiation. An output energy of 2.4 mJ was obtained with the output coupler of 0.5% transmittance, which indicated that 420 mJ of Stokes pulse energy was stored inside the cavity. This suggests that a much higher energy can be extracted by the optimization of cavity parameters. Received: 18 November 1998 / Published online: 26 May 1999     

Full-range tunable optical delay line based on coupled and side-coupled resonators

An optical delay line based on a new kind of structure comprising coupled resonators and side-coupled resonators has been proposed and demonstrated. The structure has unique advantages in realizing tunable optical delay lines. The tuning range has covered almost the full range of the optical delay line, from minimum delay at which only one ring of the light pulse structure requires transmission, to maximum delay at which all rings are required. In addition, the input signal delivered from the input to output port travels the structure twice, thereby providing buffer delay that is twice longer than general coupled resonators.     

Compact high conversion efficiency Nd:YAG/LBO green laser using unstable V cavity

We demonstrated a 36.9 W green laser with an intra-cavity second harmonic generation. A compact unstable V type cavity was adopted to compress the whole cavity configuration. The type I phase-matching LiB₃O₅ was used as the nonlinear crystal in the second harmonic generation. The 36.9 W average power and 38 ns pulse width of 532 nm green laser was obtained at a repetition rate of 10.3 kHz, corresponding to a peak power of 94 kW. The optical to optical conversion efficiency from diode to green and from IR to green laser was about 19.8 and 82%, the whole cavity length is about 300 mm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the shortest cavity configuration of side pump green system with output power higher than 30 W and IR to green conversion efficiency larger than 80%. The output fluctuation of this system was less than 3% in 2 h.     

Pulse compression in AO Q-switched diode-pumped Nd:GdVO4 laser with Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber

By simultaneously using both an acoustic-optic (AO) modulator and a Cr⁴⁺:YAG saturable absorber in the cavity, for the first time, a diode-pumped doubly Q-switched Nd:GdVO₄ laser has been realized. The pulse duration is obviously compressed in contrast to the actively acoustic-optic Q-switched laser. By considering the Gaussian transversal distribution of the intracavity photon density and the longitudinal distribution of the photon density along the cavity axis as well as the influence of turnoff time of the acoustic-optic (AO) Q-switch, we provide the coupled rate equations for a diode-pumped doubly Q-switched Nd:GdVO₄ laser with both an acoustic-optic (AO) modulator and a Cr⁴⁺:YAG saturable absorber. These coupled rate equations are solved numerically, and the dependence of pulse width, pulse energy and peak power on the incident pump power at different pulse repetition rates is obtained. The numerical solutions of equations agree well with the experimental results.This revised version was published online in August 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

Microlaser with Ramsey Separated Fields Cavity

In a novel microlaser configuration with Ramsey separated-field cavity, we investigate a two-level atomic beam interacting with a single-mode high-Q Ramsey cavity, which is composed by two separated resonators. By using the well-known Ramsey cavity, one can recover the characters of microlaser even with a high flux atomic beam.     

The optimum design model of two resonators system

In this work we present a new theoretical treatment for the design of two resonator system. Our finding shows our model behaves better than previous models when we consider side-coupling loss for two resonators coupled in a ring configuration. In addition, our model is more physical and intuitive for the analysis of the two resonators system. The properties of the system are studied using the model. The optimum separation between the resonators for the parallel-coupled resonators is provided and the effect of the side-coupling on the system is presented.     

A tunable general purpose Q-band resonator for CW and pulse EPR/ENDOR experiments with large sample access and optical excitation

We describe a frequency tunable Q-band cavity (34 GHz) designed for CW and pulse Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) as well as Electron Nuclear Double Resonance (ENDOR) and Electron Electron Double Resonance (ELDOR) experiments. The TE(011) cylindrical resonator is machined either from brass or from graphite (which is subsequently gold plated), to improve the penetration of the 100 kHz field modulation signal. The (self-supporting) ENDOR coil consists of four 0.8mm silver posts at 2.67 mm distance from the cavity center axis, penetrating through the plunger heads. It is very robust and immune to mechanical vibrations. The coil is electrically shielded to enable CW ENDOR experiments with high RF power (500 W). The top plunger of the cavity is movable and allows a frequency tuning of ±2 GHz. In our setup the standard operation frequency is 34.0 GHz. The microwaves are coupled into the resonator through an iris in the cylinder wall and matching is accomplished by a sliding short in the coupling waveguide. Optical excitation of the sample is enabled through slits in the cavity wall (transmission ～60%). The resonator accepts 3mm o.d. sample tubes. This leads to a favorable sensitivity especially for pulse EPR experiments of low concentration biological samples. The probehead dimensions are compatible with that of Bruker flexline Q-band resonators and it fits perfectly into an Oxford CF935 Helium flow cryostat (4-300 K). It is demonstrated that, due to the relatively large active sample volume (20-30 μl), the described resonator has superior concentration sensitivity as compared to commercial pulse Q-band resonators. The quality factor (Q(L)) of the resonator can be varied between 2600 (critical coupling) and 1300 (over-coupling). The shortest achieved π/2-pulse durations are 20 ns using a 3 W microwave amplifier. ENDOR (RF) π-pulses of 20 μs ((1)H @ 51 MHz) were obtained for a 300 W amplifier and 7 μs using a 2500 W amplifier. Selected applications of the resonator are presented.     

Efficient GTR-KTP IOPO driven by a diode-pumped Nd:YAG/Cr4+:YAG laser with the shared cavity configuration

An efficient eye-safe GTR-KTP IOPO with the shared cavity configuration and excited by a diode-end-pumped composite Nd:YAG/Cr⁴⁺:YAG laser was demonstrated. Under the incident LD power of 8.4 W, the maximum average output power of 900 mW at 1572 nm was obtained with the T=33% output coupler, corresponding to a diode-to-signal conversion efficiency of 10.7%. The corresponding signal pulse width and repetition rate were respectively 2.2 ns and 12 kHz, with the peak power and single pulse energy estimated to be 34.1 kW and 75 μJ, respectively. The instability of the average signal output power over hours-long operation was found to be 2.0%. As for the common KTP IOPO at the same pump condition and cavity design, a lower average output power of 640 mW with a longer pulse width of 4.6 ns was obtained. The corresponding diode-to-signal conversion efficiency was reduced by 28.8% compared with that obtained in GTR-KTP IOPO. A theoretical model for the compact GTR-KTP IOPO was also presented in this paper. Theoretical analysis on the pulse characteristics of the signal was performed, which showed a good agreement with that obtained experimentally.     

自缩短效应对Kerr被动锁模激光器稳定区的影响

利用谐振腔的往返矩阵理论以及谐振腔的稳定性条件研究了锁模激光器的稳定区与激光腔内光功率的关系,从而得出在高脉冲功率下自缩短效应对Kerr被动锁模飞秒激光器的稳定区的影响.利用激光谐振腔的此性质可以对Kerr被动锁模激光器的谐振腔的设计进行优化,从而提高其锁模的可实现性以及谐振腔的稳定性.