Mid-infrared pulse generation using a sub-picosecond OPO

We describe a synchronously pumped LBO parametric oscillator pumped by a cw mode-locked Ti:Sapphire laser. We demonstrate the synchronization between the pump pulses and the signal pulses by measuring a 100 fs cross correlation. We then generate pulses tunable from 2.6 to 5.3 µm by mixing the signal and idler pulses in an AgGaS₂ crystal and obtain as much as 400 µW of average power.     

Generation of tunable picosecond pulses in the medium infrared by down-conversion in AgGaS2

Picosecond pulses from a mode-locked Nd:YAG laser and a traveling-wave dye laser are mixed in an AgGaS₂ crystal to generate pulses at the difference frequency. The dye laser is tunable between 1200 nm and 1460 nm resulting in a tuning range of the parametric pulses from 3.9 μm to 9.4 μm. The spectral bandwidth is quite narrow. A value of Δ?=6.5 cm^-1 was measured which is constant over the whole tuning range. Several percent of the Nd:YAG laser photons are converted to infrared photons. Pump pulses of 21 ps give parametric pulses of 8 ps.     

8字形腔波长可调谐锁模脉冲光纤激光器

采用非线性光纤环形镜加脉冲锁模技术及可调谐光纤光栅滤波器,对8字形腔被动锁模掺铒光纤激光器进行了波长可调谐输出的实验研究.在EDFA抽运光功率一定的情况下,通过调节偏振控制器和可调谐光纤光栅滤波器,获得了光谱稳定、重复频率1.1 MHz、输出功率起伏小于0.8 dBm、中心波长在1 548~1 570 nm内连续可调的短脉冲输出.该激光器可实现自启动锁模,且长时间稳定工作无需任何调整.     

Megawatt peak power 8–13 μm CdSe optical parametric generator pumped at 2.8 μm

Infrared pulses, continuously tunable in the 8–13 μm range, and with up to 1 MW peak power, have been achieved using single-stage frequency conversion in a CdSe travelling-wave optical parametric generator, pumped by 100 ps pulses from an actively mode-locked, Q-switched and cavity dumped 2.8 μm Cr,Er:YSGG laser. The external quantum conversion efficiency reached 10%.     

Passively Mode-Locked Figure-Eight Fiber Laser Using a Compact Power-Imbalanced Nonlinear Optical-Loop Mirror

We present an experimental demonstration of a passively mode-locked figure-eight fiber laser (F8L) based on a power-imbalanced nonlinear optical loop-mirror (PI-NOLM) comprising a section of 25 m long high-nonlinear fiber (HNLF) and a tunable attenuator (ATT). The asymmetric power, which results in different nonlinear phase shifts on the clockwise (CW) and counter-clockwise (CCW) directions, is achieved using an ATT. We greatly reduce the length of the nonlinear cavity, which can effectively diminish the interference from external environment. A balanced optical coupler (OC) and an ATT act as a tunable OC. So, a stable mode-locked pulse train with full width at half maximum (FWHM) of ～571 fs and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of ～60 dB is obtained.     

High-quality, large-area monolayer graphene for efficient bulk laser mode-locking near 1.25 μm

High-quality monolayer graphene as large as 1.2×1.2?cm² was synthesized by chemical vapor deposition and used as a transmitting saturable absorber for efficient passive mode-locking of a femtosecond bulk solid-state laser. The monolayer graphene mode-locked Cr:forsterite laser was tunable around 1.25?μm and delivered sub-100?fs pulses with output powers up to 230?mW. The nonlinear optical characteristics of the monolayer graphene saturable absorber and the mode-locked operation were then compared with the case of the bilayer graphene saturable absorber.     

Generation of a single tunable ultrashort light pulse

A novel system for generating single tunable ultrashort light pulses of high power is described. The pulse train from a mode-locked flashlamp pumped dye laser passes through an amplifier, which is pumped by an N₂ laser. As gain is only available for a few nsec, only one pulse in the train gets amplified. The energy of the resulting single pulse is about 100 μJ.     

Generation of tunable picosecond pulses in the ultraviolet region down to 197 nm

Tunable picosecond pulses in the ultraviolet region down to 197 nm with ? 20 kW peak power are generated by the sum frequency mixing of fourth or third harmonic pulses of a mode-locked YAG laser with tunable pulses produced by a LiNbO₃ parametric oscillator pumped by second harmonic pulses of the YAG laser by using a KB5 or KDP crystal.     

High-power picosecond LiB3O5 optical parametric oscillators tunable in the blue spectral range

The paper reports on an experimental investigation and numerical analysis of noncritically and critically phasematched LiB₃O₅ (LBO) optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) synchronously pumped by the third harmonic of a cw diode-pumped mode-locked Nd:YVO₄ oscillator–amplifier system. The laser system generates 9.0 W of 355-nm mode-locked radiation with a pulse duration of 7.5 ps and a repetition rate of 84 MHz. The LBO OPO, synchronously pumped by the 355-nm pulses, generates a signal wave tunable in the blue spectral range 457–479 nm. With a power of up to 5.0 W at 462 nm and 1.7 W at 1535 nm the conversion efficiency is 74%. The OPO is characterized experimentally by measuring the output power (and its dependence on the pump power, the transmission of the output coupler and the resonator length) and the pulse properties (such as pulse duration and spectral width). Also the beam quality of the resonant and nonresonant waves is investigated. The measured results are compared with the predictions of a numerical analysis for Gaussian laser and OPO beams. In addition to the blue-signal output visible-red 629-nm radiation is generated by sum-frequency mixing of the 1.535-μm infrared idler wave with the residual 1.064-μm laser radiation. A power of 1.25 W of 1.535-μm idler radiation and 5.7 W of 1.064-μm laser light generated a red 629-nm output power of 2.25 W. Received: 2 February 2000 / Revised version: 28 July 2000 / Published online: 22 November 2000     

Widely tunable mode-locked all-fiberized Yb-doped fiber laser with near-transform-limited spectrum linewidth

A widely tunable mode-locked all-fiberized Yb-doped fiber laser with near-transform-limited spectrum linewidth is used. It consists of a tunable fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) and a fiber-coupled LiNbO₃ phase modulator (PM) in a linear cavity. The TFBG is used to achieve tunable emission wavelength, and the intracavity PM is used to achieve actively mode-locking operation. We have experimentally demonstrated that the laser-emitting wavelength can be tuned between 1,041 and 1,091 nm with power fluctuation less than 3 dB. The temporal width of the laser pulse is about 1 ns, and the pulses are near transform-limited with a spectral linewidth of 1.3 GHz. The results may find useful application in optical communication and optical measurement system.     

Transition state to mode locking in a passively mode-locked erbium-doped fibre ring laser

The transition state between the continuous wave region and the mode-locked region in a passively mode-locked erbium-doped fibre ring laser has been experimentally observed by utilizing the nonlinear polarization rotation technique.When the pump power reaches the mode-locked threshold,the metastable pulse train with a tunable repetition rate is obtained in the transition from the continuous wave state to the passive mode-locked state via proper adjustment of the polarization controller.A simple model has been established to explain the experimental observation.     

Passive synchronization of two independent laser oscillators with a Fabry-Perot modulator

By optical modulation of the reflectivity of an intracavity nonlinear Fabry-Perot semiconductor mirror, the pulse train from a passively mode-locked picosecond Nd:YVO(4) laser oscillator is synchronized to an independent femtosecond-mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. We obtain stable synchronized pulse trains at central wavelengths of 1064 and 850 nm, and the Ti:sapphire laser is still independently tunable over a large wavelength range. The tolerable cavity-length difference between the two laser oscillators exceeds 20mu;m .     

Widely tunable passively mode-locked fiber laser with carbon nanotube films

In this paper, we demonstrate a widely tunable passively mode-locked fiber laser covering the C or L band with carbon nanotube films. Our results show that the saturable absorber incorporating nanotubes (SAINT) has potential for constructing widely tunable passively mode-locked fiber laser.     

A picosecond dye laser tunable in the 1.1μ m region

We report in this letter the characteristic of a picosecond dye laser, tunable in the 1.08–1.12 μm range. The dye is pumped by the fundamental of a mode-locked Nd-YAG laser. The energy conversion efficiency is higher than 10% and the pulse duration is less than 10 ps.     

Synchronously pumped femtosecond optical parametric oscillator based on AgGaSe2 tunable from 2 μm to 8 μm

The operation of a continuous-wave mode-locked silver gallium selenide (AgGaSe₂) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) is reported. The OPO was synchronously excited by 120-fs-long pulses of 1.55-μm radiation at a repetition rate of 82 MHz. The 1.55-μm radiation is generated by a noncritically phasematched cesium-titanyl-arsenate (CTA)-OPO pumped by a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. The AgGaSe₂-OPO generates signal and idler radiation in the range from 1.93 μm to 2.49 μm and from 4.1 μm to 7.9 μm, respectively. Up to 67 mW of signal wave output power has been obtained. The experimentally determined pulse duration and chirp parameters are in reasonable agreement with results from a numerical model taking into account group velocity mismatch, group velocity dispersion, self phase modulation, and chirp enhancement. Received: 6 August 1999 / Revised version: 4 October 1999 / Published online: 3 November 1999     

锁模脉冲波长连续可调谐光纤激光器

利用在腔内加入可调谐光纤光栅滤波器使“8”字形腔掺Yb3+光纤激光器在锁模状态下实现波长连续可调谐.实验中,在保证锁模状态稳定的情况下,通过调节可调谐光纤光栅滤波器,使激光器输出锁模脉冲的中心波长在1 047 nm～1 055 nm范围内连续调谐,重复频率稳定维持在4.9 MHz.在中心波长1 053 nm处,测得锁模脉冲输出平均功率为8.02 mW,光谱带宽1 nm,脉冲宽度为259.3 ps.这种“8”字形腔被动锁模光纤激光器在锁模状态下对波长连续可调谐,并可长时间稳定工作.     

Experimental method for the measurement of hyperfine transition saturation intensities in a gaseous medium

A laser system capable of generating picosecond pulses of 2 ps duration and peak powers of up to 50 MW, tunable throughout the emission spectrum of the lasing medium is described. The system consists of a cw dye laser which is tuned and is actively mode-locked by means of a novel interferometer. Single-pulse amplification is achieved via a two-stage N₂-laser-pumped amplifier arrangement. One of the most attractive features of the system here described is its inherent versatile broad tunability, which should allow, with different lasing media and pump sources, ps pulse generation from 400 to 700 nm using the same interferometer device.     

A novel tunable dual-wavelength external-cavity laser diode array and its applications

We review the principles and characteristics of a novel tunable external-cavity laser diode source. It can operate as either a continuous wave (CW) single-wavelength, a CW dual-wavelength, a single-wavelength mode-locked, or a tunable dual-wavelength mode-locked laser. The gain medium is a commercial laser diode array. The telescopic external cavity consists of a grazing-incidence grating, a lens and a stripe-mirror. The external cavity provides functions of wavelength selection, dispersion compensation and spatial mode control. The characteristics of the laser under CW or mode-locked operation are described. The dual-wavelength laser output exhibits beat note beyond 7 THz. The tunable multi-terahertz beat frequency is characterized by a non-collinear intensity autocorrelation technique. A dual-wavelength interferometer that uses a tunable dual-wavelength laser as the light source is demonstrated. Finally, theoretical analysis is presented, which demonstrates that the dual-wavelength output of the laser is stable if the modes at the two wavelengths correspond to different array lateral modes.     

Soliton Raman fibre-ring oscillators

Results are presented on the operation and optimization of soliton Raman fibre-ring lasers using a c.w. mode-locked Nd-YAG laser at 1.32m as the source of 100 ps pump pulses. Various lengths of standard single-mode silica fibre were used, and tunable pulses as short as 100 fs generated.On leave from Departamento de Fisica, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceio, 57000-AL, Brazil     

Stimulated Raman emission at 9.2 μm from hydrogen gas

Light at 1.06 μm from a mode-locked Nd:YAG laser has been successfully down-converted by two vibrational stimulated Raman shifts in H₂ gas. Approximately 1 MW of power was produced at second-Stokes wavelength, 9.20 μm. Many other rational and vibrational shifts were observed, up to the seventh anti-Stokes at 260 nm.