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.     

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.     

Diode-pumped 10-fs Cr3+:LiCAF laser

We demonstrate 10-fs pulses from a diode-pumped, soft-aperture Kerr lens mode-locked Cr3+:LiCAF laser with a spectral bandwidth of 150 nm and 40 mW of output power at a repetition rate of 110 MHz. For dispersion compensation, double-chirped mirrors and prisms are used. The pulses are characterized by use of spectral shearing interferometry.     

Theoretical investigation of chirped mirrors in semiconductor lasers

This paper reports a theoretical design of chirped mirrors in 1.3-μm double-section semiconductor lasers to achieve high reflectivity and dispersion compensation over a broad bandwidth. Analytic expressions for reflectivity, group delay and group delay dispersion are derived. We use for the first time chirped air/semiconductor layer pairs as mirrors for higher-order dispersion compensation in semiconductor lasers. Our optimised calculations demonstrate that the broad-band mirrors designed consist of a total of only 12 air/semiconductor layers and achieve a reflectivity higher than 99.8%, a smooth group delay and almost stable dispersion in the laser cavity over a 100-nm bandwidth. Due to a high index contrast of both types of the layers, n _l = 1, n _h~ 3.5, a high-reflectivity bandwidth of > 700 nm is obtained in 1.3-μm semiconductor lasers. We also compare our results with that of a commercial simulation program and show a good agreement between them. As a conclusion, we assume from the theoretical results that air/semiconductor layer pairs with varying thicknesses used at one end of double-section semiconductor lasers can lead to femtosecond optical pulse generation using mode-locking techniques. An erratum to this article can be found at .     

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%.     

钛宝石激光器中用优化Gires-Tournois镜产生15 fs脉冲

根据飞秒脉冲锁模钛宝石激光器脉冲压缩的要求,介绍了负色散镜补偿色散的基本原理及其特点。详细阐述了优化Gires-Tournois(OG-T)镜的设计过程,并通过计算机优化得到理想设计膜系。采用离子束溅射的方法镀制了优化Gires—Tournois镜。测量了优化Gires-Tournois镜(编号为OGT#1)的透射率和群延迟色散,并与设计值进行了比较,分析了实测值产生偏差的原因,从而对镀膜参量进行了相应的调整,制造了第二批优化Gires—Tournois镜(编号为OGT#2)。将优化Gires—Tournois镜用于钛宝石激光器振荡级内,单程5次通过三个优化Gires-Tournois镜,补偿了激光器腔内色散,实现了飞秒锁模脉冲运转。用OGT#1先进行了实验,获得32fs的脉冲和46nin的光谱宽度。用调整参量后的OGT#2进行了实验,获得了15fs的超短脉冲和91nm的光谱宽度。实验很好的验证了负色散镜补偿色散的优点,为国内啁啾镜的研制创造了条件。     

Chirped-pulse oscillators: a route to high-power femtosecond pulses without external amplification

We demonstrate a Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire oscillator that generates 130-nJ, 26-fs and 220-nJ, 30-fs pulses at a repetition rate of 11 MHz. The generation of stable broadband, high-energy pulses from an extended-cavity oscillator is achieved by the use of chirped multilayer mirrors to produce a small net positive dispersion over a broad spectral range. The resultant chirped picosecond pulses are compressed by a dispersive delay line that is external to the laser cavity. The demonstrated peak powers, in excess of 5 MW, are to our knowledge the highest ever achieved from a cw-pumped laser and are expected to be scalable to tens of megawatts by an increase in the pump power and (or) a decrease in the repetition rate. The demonstrated source permits micromachining of any materials under relaxed focusing conditions.     

Mirror-dispersion-controlled OPA: a compact tool for sub-10-fs spectroscopy in the visible

We report on a sub-10-fs optical parametric amplifier in the visible, using noncollinear phase matching in #-barium borate, with a pulse compressor made exclusively of chirped dielectric mirrors. We employ mirrors of novel design, providing negative group delay dispersion for bandwidths of over 200 THz, up to the blue-green spectral region. The resulting setup, compact, easy to operate and reliable, is an ideal tool for ultrafast spectroscopy with extremely high time resolution. We use these pulses to observe in the time domain coherent oscillations in organic molecules with period as short as 16 fs.     

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.     

Brewster-angled chirped mirrors for broadband pulse compression without dispersion oscillations

We use Brewster-angled chirped mirrors for dispersion compensation of a noncollinear optical parametric amplifier. This novel mirror design virtually eliminates spurious surface reflections and resultant dispersion ripple. The absence of compression artifacts is demonstrated by the generation of clean 5.6 fs pulses, with what is believed to be an unprecedented low ripple-induced satellite content for a nonadaptive scheme. In addition, the 270 THz spectral coverage allows generation of widely tunable visible pulses of 8 to 15 fs duration.     

Gires-Tournois干涉镜补偿色散的自启动飞秒Cr4+:YAG激光器实验研究

利用一片GTI镜补偿腔内色散,并使用宽带半导体可饱和吸收片,实现了锁模自启动的飞秒Cr⁴⁺:YAG激光输出.在9W平均功率的1030nm激光抽运下,获得输出脉冲功率为95 mW,光谱半高全宽45 nm,中心波长1508 nm,实测脉冲宽度为65 fs.     

Mirror dispersion control of a hollow fiber supercontinuum

Ultrabroadband chirped mirrors with a bandwidth of 270 THz have been manufactured using the BASIC design approach. These mirrors were used to compress the supercontinuum of cascaded hollow fibers down to 4.6 fs. The pulse duration was measured with spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction (SPIDER). PACS 42.65.Re; 42.65.Wi; 42.79.Fm     

Dispersion-managed semiconductor mode-locked ring laser

A novel breathing-mode external sigma-ring-cavity semiconductor mode-locked laser is developed. Intracavity pulse compression and stretching produce linearly chirped pulses with an asymmetric exponential temporal profile. External dispersion compensation reduces the pulse duration to 274 fs (within 10% of the bandwidth limit).     

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     

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     

Generation of high average power, 7.5-fs blue pulses at 5 kHz by adaptive phase control

The spectral width of a 5-kHz Ti:sapphire laser system was broadened by spectral control in a regenerative amplifier consisting of broadband chirped mirrors. The dispersion over the wide spectral range was compensated by a deformable mirror along with a genetic algorithm, resulting in a pulse width of 15 fs. The pulse width is the shortest, to our knowledge, in chirped pulse amplification systems with a regenerative amplifier. The phase distortion of broadband frequency doubling in addition to the Ti:sapphire laser was compensated by using the self-diffraction intensity in sapphire as the feedback signal into the genetic algorithm, resulting in a pulse width of 7.5 fs. The average power of the second harmonic was 1 W with a fundamental input of 7 W.     

Generation of tunable 7-fs ultraviolet pulses: achromatic phase matching and chirp management

Ultraviolet pulses with a duration of 7 fs are efficiently generated by frequency doubling the output of a noncollinear optical parametric amplifier. The ultraviolet pulses are tunable between 275 to 335 nm. The acceptance bandwidth of the doubling crystal is increased by a factor of 80 through high-order achromatic phase matching. The chirp of the visible pulses and the dispersion introduced along the beam path are compensated partially before and partially after the doubling crystal. For the design of the dispersion management, we investigate the second harmonic generation of pulses with mixed orders of chirp and explicitly discuss the transfer of the spectral phase in frequency doubling. A simple analytic theory is derived that correctly describes frequently observed spectral narrowing effects. We find that chirped SHG avoids spectral narrowing and allows for precompression of dispersion encountered in the ultraviolet beam path. We apply chirped SHG to generate 18.7 fs ultraviolet pulses in an extremely simple setup. PACS 42.65.Re; 42.65.Ky; 42.65.Yj     

High pulse energy mode-locked multicore photonic crystal fiber laser

A high pulse energy passively mode-locked fiber laser operating in the all-normal dispersion regime is demonstrated. The gain material is an Yb-doped multicore photonic crystal fiber with 18 cores in array-type geometry. Robust and self-starting mode locking is achieved using a fast semiconductor saturable absorber mirror. The laser generates 180?nJ chirped pulses at a 14.48?MHz repetition rate for an average power of 2.6?W. The 1.15?ps output pulses are compressed to 690?fs outside the cavity.     

Generation of sub-4-fs pulses via compression of a white-light continuum using only chirped mirrors

Using noble gases as a nonlinear medium, it has become possible to compress energetic laser pulses into the sub-10-fs regime. Hollow fiber capillaries can serve to increase the effective interaction length of the pulses, and impressive white-light continua have been reported as a result. With demonstrated bandwidths exceeding the optical octave, this method holds the potential for generating single-cycle optical pulses. On the practical side, however, it becomes very difficult to compensate for dispersive effects and to fully exploit the enormous bandwidth. We will discuss chirped mirrors as one means for pulse compression. A further challenge lies on the characterization side. Utilizing advanced characterization schemes, we were able to demonstrate compression of a white-light continuum down to a pulse duration of 3.8 fs, which corresponds to only about 1.6 cycles at the carrier wavelength. These are the shortest pulses in the visible/near-infrared wavelength range that have ever been produced with a non-adaptive approach to dispersion compensation. Moreover, these are the shortest pulses generated using chirped mirrors, which compares favorably to previous results that were achieved with much more elaborate and lossier adaptive compression schemes. PACS 42.65.Re; 42.65.Wi     

Optical pulse compression and amplitude noise reduction using a non-linear optical loop mirror including a distributed Gires-Tournois etalon

We propose and analyse numerically a novel dispersion-imbalanced non-linear optical loop mirror (NOLM) scheme allowing simultaneous compression and amplitude noise reduction of chirped ultrashort-pulsed signals. An all-fibre distributed Gires-Tournois etalon (DGTE) made of two uniform fibre Bragg gratings is inserted asymmetrically in the loop, and is used both to dispersion imbalance the NOLM and to compress the pulses. The results show that the output pulses are accompanied by side lobes, which originate from the no-uniformity of the DGTE dispersion spectrum. We analyse the formation of these side lobes and show that, in the case of highly chirped input pulses, side lobes are strongly reduced by the NOLM architecture. In this case, the device operates well even when the signal optical spectrum extends over an entire free spectral range of the DGTE. We believe that this work will be useful for the design of all-optical regeneration schemes for highly chirped data streams in optical transmission systems.