Precision phase control of an ultrawide-bandwidth femtosecond laser: a network of ultrastable frequency marks across the visible spectrum

We demonstrate that the stability of the current optical frequency comb generated by a Kerr-lens mode-locked femtosecond laser is limited by the microwave reference used for phase locking the comb spacing. Hence we implement precision frequency/phase control of the entire comb to the fundamental and second-harmonic frequencies of a stable cw laser without any external microwave reference. The stability of a cw iodine-stabilized laser is transferred to millions of comb lines (with an instability of 3 x 10(-13)) covering more than one octave of the optical frequency spectrum. In addition, the mode spacing of the comb can be used as a stable microwave frequency derived directly from a stable optical oscillator.     

Precise determination of characteristic laser frequencies by an Er-doped fiber optical frequency comb

Femtosecond optical frequency combs correlate the microwave and optical frequencies accurately and coherently. Therefore, any optical frequency in visible to near-infrared region can be directly traced to a microwave frequency. As a result, the length unit "meter" is directly related to the time unit "second". This paper validates the capability of the national wavelength standards based on a home-made Er-doped fiber femtosecond optical frequency comb to measure the laser frequencies ranging from visible to near-infrared region. Optical frequency conversion in the femtosecond optical frequency comb is achieved by combining spectral broadening in a highly nonlinear fiber with a single-point frequency-doubling scheme. The signal-to-noise ratio of the beat notes between the femtosecond optical frequency comb and the lasers at 633, 698, 729, 780, 1064, and 1542 nm is better than 30 dB. The frequency instability of the above lasers is evaluated by using a hydrogen clock signal with a instability of better than 1×10^-13 at 1-s averaging time. The measurement is further validated by measuring the absolute optical frequency of an iodine-stabilized 532-nm laser and an acetylene-stabilized 1542-nm laser. The results are within the uncertainty range of the international recommended values. Our results demonstrate the accurate optical frequency measurement of lasers at different frequencies using the femtosecond optical frequency comb, which is not only important for the precise and accurate traceability and calibration of the laser frequencies, but also provides technical support for establishing the national wavelength standards based on the femtosecond optical frequency comb.     

Femtosecond optical frequency combs

A laser frequency comb allows the conversion of the very rapid oscillations of visible light of some 100’s of THz down to frequencies that can be handled with conventional electronics. This capability has enabled the most precise laser spectroscopy experiments yet that allowed to test quantum electrodynamics, to determine fundamental constants and to search for possible slow changes of these constants. Using an optical frequency reference in combination with a laser frequency comb has made it possible to construct all optical atomic clocks, that are now outperforming even the best cesium atomic clocks. In future direct frequency comb spectroscopy might enable high resolution laser spectroscopy in the extreme ultraviolet for the first time. Frequency combs are also used to calibrate astronomical spectrographs and might reach an accuracy that is sufficient to observe the expansion of the universe in real time.     

基于高精细度光腔锁频激光的分子吸收光谱测量

利用高精细度光腔锁定激光频率,实现了对分子吸收光谱的高精度测量.光腔采用低热膨胀系数的殷钢结构设计和温度控制,实现了腔长度的稳定;通过将激光频率锁定在光腔纵模上,实现了高频率精度和高灵敏度的光腔衰荡光谱测量.利用该装置示范性地测量了二氧化碳分子在6470.42 cm~(-1)附近的光腔衰荡光谱和色散光谱,得到了高精度的谱线参数,并和数据库谱线参数进行了对比.     

飞秒光学频率梳高精度气体吸收光谱技术进展

飞秒光学频率梳以其频谱宽、脉宽窄、频率稳定度高等优点,对光学频率计量、绝对距离测量、高精度光谱测定产生重大影响。飞秒光学频率梳的时域特性和频域特性溯源至微波频率基准,使得高精度气体吸收光谱探测成为可能。飞秒光学频率梳光谱技术具有测量速度快、光谱灵敏度高、分辨率高、信噪比高等优点,因此加大对飞秒光学频率梳光谱技术的研究力度将更好地服务于环境保护、工业生产、生物医学、科学研究等各领域。飞秒光频梳高精度气体吸收光谱主要可分为光频梳腔衰荡光谱、光频梳腔增强光谱和双光频梳多外差光谱。其中,根据采集方式不同,光频梳腔增强光谱又可分为梳齿游标测量法、虚拟成像相位阵列测量法和傅里叶变换测量法。目前,国外已广泛开展相关研究,而国内仍处于起步阶段。本文综述了飞秒光学频率梳高精度气体吸收光谱探测的主要技术方法,展示了不同测量方法典型的实验方案,分析了各探测方法的优缺点,并追踪了主要研究小组的前沿成果。     

Direct link between microwave and optical frequencies with a 300 THz femtosecond laser comb

We demonstrate a great simplification in the long-standing problem of measuring optical frequencies in terms of the cesium primary standard. An air-silica microstructure optical fiber broadens the frequency comb of a femtosecond laser to span the optical octave from 1064 to 532 nm, enabling us to measure the 282 THz frequency of an iodine-stabilized Nd:YAG laser directly in terms of the microwave frequency that controls the comb spacing. Additional measurements of established optical frequencies at 633 and 778 nm using the same femtosecond comb confirm the accepted uncertainties for these standards.     

Widely tunable THz synthesizer

The generation of cw-THz radiation by photomixing is particularly suited to the high resolution spectroscopy of gases; nevertheless, until recently, it has suffered from a lack of frequency metrology. Frequency combs are a powerful tool that can transfer microwave frequency standards to optical frequencies and a single comb has permitted accurate (10⁻⁸) THz frequency synthesis with a limited tuning range. A THz synthesizer composed of three extended cavity laser diodes phase locked to a frequency comb has been constructed and its utility for high resolution gas phase spectroscopy demonstrated. The third laser diode allows a larger tuning range of up to 300 MHz to be achieved without the need for large frequency excursions, while the frequency comb provides a versatile link to be established from any traceable microwave frequency standard. The use of a single frequency comb as a reference for all of the cw-lasers eliminates the dependency of synthesized frequency on the carrier envelope offset frequency. This greatly simplifies the frequency comb stabilization requirements and leads to a reduced instrument complexity.     

Solid-state laser sources for (anti)hydrogen spectroscopy

Conclusion Recently developed high-power semiconductor laser amplifiers offer new ways to construct laser sources for high-resolution spectroscopy in the blue and ultraviolet. Such sources overcome a number of limitations that are connected to the standard single-mode ring laser systems. A source of this kind can contribute significantly to the feasibility of antihydrogen spectroscopy. Experiments with hydrogen will also benefit greatly. The construction of an optical hydrogen frequency standard becomes realistic and experiments with demanding atomic preparation techniques as, for instance, optical cooling in magnetic traps are facilitated.     

Absolute-frequency measurements with a stabilized near-infrared optical frequency comb from a Cr:forsterite laser

A frequency comb is generated with a chromium-doped forsterite femtosecond laser, spectrally broadened in a dispersion-shifted highly nonlinear fiber, and stabilized. The resultant evenly spaced comb of frequencies ranges from 1.1 to beyond 1.8 microm. The frequency comb was referenced simultaneously to the National Institute of Standards and Technology's optical frequency standard based on neutral calcium and to a hydrogen maser that is calibrated by a cesium atomic fountain clock. With this comb we measured two frequency references in the telecommunications band: one half of the frequency of the d/f crossover transition in 87Rb at 780 nm, and the methane v2 + 2v3 R(8) line at 1315 nm.     

用于氢原子1S-2S光谱研究的超窄线宽243nm半导体激光

近年来,随着激光稳频技术的发展,人们可以把972nm的外腔半导体激光器产生的激光进行放大和四倍频,并将它锁定到超稳定的光学法布里-珀罗腔上,从而可以获得Hz量级超窄线宽的243nm激光,使其成为研究氢原子1S-2S双光子跃迁的有力工具.文章主要介绍了超稳腔、四倍频243nm半导体激光器的研究进展及在氢原子1S-2S双光子跃迁精密光谱研究中的应用.     

基于双环混频光电振荡器的可调谐微波频率梳产生

随着无线通信的速率提升和微蜂窝趋势,光载微波技术已经成为重要的发展趋势,而光生多载波系统是光载微波的最重要的技术之一.本文提出了一种基于双环混频光电振荡器（OEO）的可调谐光载微波频率梳产生方案,可同时实现多频段微波信号产生,从而高效低成本地为无线节点提供光生微波载波.方案采用混频双环OEO系统,通过工作在增益开关状态的直调激光器,利用其非线性动态特性产生多频率光载微波频率梳信号,并采用双路微波滤波器分别滤出两个相邻频率的微波信号,并利用二者的差频反馈注入直调激光器构成光电谐振.利用偏振双环结构抑制长谐振腔引起的边模问题,提高了输出信号的噪声特性.经过实验分析,得到了低相噪的多路微波信号,并最终实现了间隔797.4 MHz的稳定的微波频率梳信号,一阶载波相位噪声低于-101.7 dBc/Hz@10 kHz,-115.2 dBc/Hz@50 kHz.因此该方案产生的光载微波频率梳信号具有低噪声的优点,适用于光载微波通信系统.     

Stabilized frequency comb with a self-referenced femtosecond Cr:forsterite laser

A frequency comb is generated with a Cr:forsterite femtosecond laser, spectrally broadened through a highly nonlinear optical fiber to span from 1.0 to 2.2 ,m, and stabilized using the f-to-2f self-referencing technique. The repetition rate and the carrier-envelope offset frequency are stabilized to a hydrogen maser, calibrated by a cesium atomic fountain clock. Simultaneous frequency measurement of a 657-nm cw laser by use of the stabilized frequency combs from this Cr:forsterite system and a Ti:sapphire laser agree at the 10(-13) level. The frequency noise of the comb components is observed at 1064, 1314, and 1550 nm by comparing the measured beat frequencies between cw lasers and the supercontinuum frequency combs.     

单腔双光梳激光器及其光谱学应用研究进展

光频梳因频率等间隔、波长稳定、谱线线宽窄以及谱宽大等特性,在高精度测量和计量中具有广泛的应用。其中,双光梳快速测量包括光谱测量、绝对测距、三维成像和超快异步光学采样等已成为研究热点之一。近年来,基于自由运行的单腔双光梳激光器的双梳光谱学系统由于具有结构简单、测量范围大和精度高等优点而备受关注。首先从时域和频域介绍了光频梳的特性和应用,尤其介绍了双光梳测量的优势,相较目前主流的稳频稳相锁模激光器、电光调制等双光梳光源实现方案,单腔双光梳激光器方案有望避免采用复杂的电子控制系统,简化双光梳光源的结构、体积和成本。因此,重点介绍了波长复用、偏振复用、空间复用和脉冲波形复用的单腔双光梳光纤激光器实现技术,并对其基本原理、性能参数和当前研究的进展以及目前发展中仍然存在的问题进行了分析;同时对保偏光纤双光梳激光器的研究现状及其性能进行了总结。接着,重点介绍了双梳光谱学的测量原理,回顾了现有光谱扩展技术,并详细介绍了基于自由运行的单腔双光梳激光器的双梳光谱学应用案例,包括掺铒光纤激光器所在的近红外波段以及其扩展到中红外和太赫兹波段的光谱探测。最后,总结了目前的单腔双光梳激光器的主要发展趋势,包括进一步提高单腔型双光梳激光腔的重频稳定性、降低共模噪声、探索单腔双光梳系统在中红外以及太赫兹波段的应用,推动单腔双光梳锁模光纤激光器的实用化。     

Measurement of the hydrogen 1S- 2S transition frequency by phase coherent comparison with a microwave cesium fountain clock

We report on an absolute frequency measurement of the hydrogen 1S-2S two-photon transition in a cold atomic beam with an accuracy of 1.8 parts in 10(14). Our experimental result of 2 466 061 413 187 103(46) Hz has been obtained by phase coherent comparison of the hydrogen transition frequency with an atomic cesium fountain clock. Both frequencies are linked with a comb of laser frequencies emitted by a mode locked laser.     

基于飞秒锁模光纤激光脉冲基频光的差频产生红外光梳

报道了一种基于飞秒锁模光纤激光脉冲基频光的光纤型差频产生(DFG)红外光梳及其研制技术.基于自主研制的重频锁定200 MHz飞秒锁模掺铒光纤激光器,经啁啾脉冲光纤放大与超连续谱产生技术,优化近零色散OFS光纤(型号:OFS-980-20)长度,结合可调延时线,获得了精准同步的基频双色脉冲;以GaSe为非线性晶体,利用光整流技术,产生了可在6—10μm范围内宽带调谐的DFG红外光梳,光梳最大光谱宽度可达1.3μm.这种光纤型远红外光梳可望在分子光谱精密测量等领域发挥重要作用.     

Determination of the antiproton-to-electron mass ratio by precision laser spectroscopy of pHe+

A femtosecond optical frequency comb and continuous-wave pulse-amplified laser were used to measure 12 transition frequencies of antiprotonic helium to fractional precisions of (9-16)x10(-9). One of these is between two states having microsecond-scale lifetimes hitherto unaccessible to our precision laser spectroscopy method. Comparisons with three-body QED calculations yielded an antiproton-to-electron mass ratio of Mp/me=1836.152674(5).     

基于光学-微波同步的低噪声微波产生方法

低噪声微波在冷原子光钟、光子雷达、大科学装置远程同步等领域具有重要的应用价值.本文介绍了一种基于光学-微波相位探测技术的低噪声微波产生方案,利用光纤环路光学-微波鉴相器,将超稳激光的频率稳定度相干传递至介质振荡器.实验采用梳齿相位参考至超稳激光的窄线宽掺铒光纤飞秒光学频率梳,结合光纤环路光学-微波鉴相器和精密锁相装置,将7 GHz介质振荡器同步至光频梳重复频率的高次谐波,同步后的光脉冲序列与微波信号的剩余相位噪声为–100 d Bc/Hz@1 Hz,定时抖动为8.6 fs [1 Hz—1.5 MHz];通过搭建两套低噪声微波产生系统,测得7 GHz微波的剩余相位噪声为–90 d Bc/Hz@1 Hz,对应的频率稳定度为4.8×10^–15@1 s.该研究结果对基于光学相干分频的低噪声微波产生提供了一种新思路.     

超稳光生微波源研究进展

随着科技的进步以及精密测量应用技术的不断提高,超稳微波源的稳定度和噪声水平等技术要求不断提高,应用范围愈加广泛,包括高性能频标研究、网络雷达研制、深空导航系统等方面.基于超稳激光和飞秒光梳的超稳光生微波源是目前频率稳定度最高的微波频率源,相对频率稳定度可达10~(16)@1 s量级.该装置也是未来频率标准(光频标)推广应用的基础,无论是时间的产生还是绝大多数的精密测量,都需要将光频标的输出激光变换为超稳的基带频率信号后才能够实现.本文介绍了超稳光生微波源技术的发展、现状和应用需求.以国家授时中心研制的国内首套超稳微波频率源技术为主线,介绍了超稳光生微波源的原理和结构以及各组成部分的技术发展情况:超稳激光方面,着重介绍超稳光学腔研究和研制的进展以及Pound-Drever-Hall锁频技术、剩余幅度调制等噪声抑制技术;飞秒光梳方面,着重介绍目前最常用的掺铒光纤光梳系统的激光锁模、频率控制等技术发展;低噪声光电探测方面,着重介绍宽带光电探测噪声抑制技术和激光幅度噪声引起微波相位噪声的抑制技术.最后对光生超稳微波技术进行了总结和展望.     

Phase coherent vacuum-ultraviolet to radio frequency comparison with a mode-locked laser

We demonstrate a versatile new technique that provides a phase coherent link between optical frequencies and the radio frequency domain. The regularly spaced comb of modes of a mode-locked femtosecond laser is used as a precise ruler to measure a large frequency gap between two different multiples (harmonics or subharmonics) of a laser frequency. In this way, we have determined a new value of the hydrogen 1S-2S two-photon resonance, f(1S-2S) = 2 466 061 413 187.29(37) kHz, representing now the most accurate measurement of an optical frequency.     

用于互组跃迁谱测量的窄线宽激光系统

采用Pound-Drerer-Hall稳频技术将689 nm激光锁定在高精细度超稳极低膨胀系数材料腔上,实现用于探测锶原子互组跃迁谱的窄线宽激光.利用光腔衰荡光谱技术,测量了不同阶次多横模情况下腔的精细度,并在理论上分析了平凹型Fabry-Perot腔的损耗与多横模阶次的关系.考虑了光开关延时及探测器响应时间在测量中的影响,对腔衰荡时间的实验测量值进行了修正.利用光纤飞秒光频梳测量了激光器的频率漂移,测出窄线宽激光频率稳定度的秒稳优于2.8×10-13.利用窄线宽激光在锶原子束上观测到具有高信噪比的窄线宽原子跃迁谱线,实验测得谱线的线宽为55 kHz,该窄线宽原子谱线可应用于锶原子二级冷却激光绝对频率的精确测量及锶原子互组跃迁谱的四种同位素位移测量.