Backward Raman amplification in a plasma waveguide

Backward Raman amplification of a short laser pulse in a plasma waveguide is demonstrated. With a guided seed pulse of 0.8-microJ energy and a pump pulse of 345-mJ energy in a 9-mm-long optically preformed plasma waveguide, 910-fold energy amplification is achieved. Heating of the plasma by the long pump pulse is identified to be a key issue for plasma-waveguide-based backward Raman amplifiers.     

一种基于非线性光纤环镜开关特性的超短光孤子产生方法

提出了一种利用非线性光纤环镜的开关特性将连续波同时转化为亮孤子和暗孤子的新方法 ,即让连续波和另一波长的调制脉冲串共同耦合入光纤环镜 ,交叉相位调制使得一部分连续波被环镜透射 ,其余部分被反射 ;再让透射波和反射波分别在反常色散光纤和正常色散光纤中传输 ,自相位调制和群速度色散之间的相互作用使得透射波和反射波分别演化为亮、暗孤子。数值计算表明 ,该方法不仅可产生脉宽比调制脉冲窄、重复频率比调制脉冲高的亮孤子和暗孤子 ,而且几乎可将全部的连续波能量转化为孤子能量。     

Amplification of short laser pulses by Raman backscattering in capillary plasmas

Short laser pulses can be significantly amplified in the process of Raman backscattering in plasma inside an oversized dielectric capillary. A dielectric capillary allows obtaining high intensities of the output radiation by sustaining efficient amplification at large distances compared to the diffraction length. The efficiency of the interaction between the pump wave and the amplified pulse is shown not to be critically sensitive to the transverse structure of the wave fields. For a quasi-single-mode initial seed pulse and a low pump intensity, the amplified pulse tends to preserve its transverse structure due to nonlinear competition of the capillary eigen-modes. At a high power of the pump wave, multimode amplification always takes place but the growth of the front peak of the pulse still follows the one-dimensional model. The Raman backscattering instability of the pump wave resulting in the noise amplification can be suppressed in detuned interaction by chirping the pump wave or arranging an inhomogeneous plasma density profile along the trace of amplification. The efficiency of the desired pulse amplification does not significantly depend on detuning in the case of a smooth detuning profile. Density inhomogeneities are shown to exert less influence on the amplification within a capillary than in the one-dimensional problem. Parameters of a future experiment on the Raman amplification of a short laser pulse inside a capillary are proposed.     

等离子体密度对激光拉曼放大机理的影响

等离子体中的背向拉曼散射机理可以用来产生超短超强的激光脉冲. 本文采用粒子模拟方法模拟研究了等离子体密度对激光拉曼放大过程的影响. 研究发现, 过低的等离子体密度会导致等离子体波提前波破而降低能量转换效率; 而过高的等离子体密度又会导致其他不稳定性的快速增长, 限制作用距离和输出能量. 因此, 拉曼放大机理的最佳等离子体密度应处于等离子体波破的密度阈值附近, 可以获得最高的能量转换效率和能量输出. 另外, 空间频谱分析显示放大激光的强度饱和主要来自于自相位调制不稳定性的发展. 利用10¹³ W·cm^-2的抽运激光脉冲, 模拟证实拉曼放大机理可有效地将种子激光的强度从10¹³ W·cm^-2 放大到10¹⁷ W·cm^-2, 脉宽压缩到40 fs, 且能量转换效率达到58%.     

单频光纤拉曼放大器的实验研究

本文进行了1031 nm抽运光对1080 nm单频信号光的拉曼放大实验,详细研究了单频信号光种子功率、拉曼增益光纤长度、抽运方式等因素对 单频光纤拉曼放大器(SF-FRA)输出特性的影响.结果表明,在未受受激布里渊散射(SBS)因素限制时,相同抽运功率条件下,单频信号光种子功率越高,SF-FRA的效率越高;拉曼增益光纤越长,SF-FRA的效率越高;前向抽运时,SF-FRA的效率较高.实验中发现SF-FRA的拉曼放大过程对单频信号光的线宽有较小的展宽.此外,单频信号光远场干涉短曝光图像的对比度为0.814,单频信号光与SF-FRA放大光远场干涉短曝光图像可见度为0.719,表明SF-FRA对单频信号光的相干性有一定影响.实验结论可为其他特殊波长SF-FRA的设计提供一定的参考.     

水中受激布里渊散射微弱Stokes信号光的高增益放大

采用脉冲宽度为7.2 ns的种子光注入式倍频Nd:YAG脉冲激光器,以CS₂为放大介质,实验并理论研究了水中受激布里渊散射微弱Stokes光的信号增益随延迟时间、放大器池长、抽运光能量的变化规律. 结果表明,当抽运光脉冲相对信号光脉冲延迟进入放大器,且延迟时间为脉冲宽度的一半,抽运光能量略低于介质受激布里渊散射阈值,选择合适的放大器池长可获得最佳的信号增益. 适当选择抽运光能量,亦可实现微弱信号光的线性放大. 实验中采用独立双池放大系统,当水中Stokes信号光的能量为1 pJ时,信 关键词： 布里渊放大器 信号增益 延迟时间 抽运光能量     

Angularly resolved coherent Raman spectroscopy (ARCS)

This new crossed beam configuration produces an angularly separated Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman spectrum, eliminating the need for a spectrometer. Since one of the driving laser beams is always linearly opposed to the dye laser, it may also be used as a dye pump and the experiment performed within the dye cavity for efficient laser energy utilization. With this arrangement, a broad bandwidth dye laser produces a several wavenumber resolution spectrum from a small volume with relatively simple alignment. The spectrum is scanned by varying the incidence angle of the probe beam or taken is a single pulse using a fan shaped probe beam.     

窄线宽纳秒脉冲光纤拉曼放大器的理论模型和数值分析

窄线宽纳秒脉冲光纤拉曼放大器在非线性频率变换、遥感探测和量子信息等领域有广泛的应用前景.综合考虑受激拉曼散射(stimulated Raman scattering,SRS)、受激布里渊散射(stimulated Brillouin scattering,SBS)、自相位调制(self-phase modulation)和交叉相位调制(cross-phase modulation)等非线性效应,建立了窄线宽纳秒脉冲光纤拉曼放大器的非线性动力学模型.仿真分析了放大器中脉冲激光的时频演化特性,对比研究了抽运脉冲宽度、光纤长度和信号光功率等因素对放大器性能的影响.研究发现,上述因素会影响放大器的SRS阈值、SBS阈值、输出激光线宽、激光转换效率等.例如,当脉冲宽度为800 ns时,SBS随着抽运功率的增加而发生,限制了激光功率的提升;减短抽运脉宽可以抑制SBS,但是输出激光的线宽易于展宽到数百MHz以上;增加光纤长度可以获得更低的SRS阈值和更高的转换效率,但是SBS效应和光谱展宽程度也随之增强.系统搭建中需要平衡各非线性效应,选择合适的系统参数.研究内容可以为窄线宽纳秒脉冲光纤拉曼放大器的设计搭建提供参考.     

Stimulated Raman X waves in ultrashort optical pulse filamentation

We demonstrate that ultrashort pulse filamentation in liquids with strong Raman gain leads to the spontaneous formation of nonlinear X waves at a Raman-shifted wavelength. We measured as much as 75% energy conversion efficiency into a Raman X wave in ethanol starting from 1 ps pulses due to the group velocity matching between the pump and Raman X pulses. Large Raman gain of a weak seed signal was observed in water, associated with a strong spatiotemporal transformation of the seed into an X wave.     

High power pulse amplification of ytterbium-doped double-clad fiber amplifier

By solving a set of time-dependent equations, the characteristics of the ytterbium-doped double-clad fiber amplifier are presented. Besides the steady state in the fiber of the upper-state population, pump power and amplified spontaneous emission without the input signal, the dynamic characteristics of the high power Gaussian pulse amplification like the evolution of pulse waveform distortion, upper-state population distribution and stored energy and pulse energy of the amplifier under the forward and backward pump,are simulated. The relations between the output pulse energy of the amplifier and the different input pulse peak power or pump power are also discussed. The models and results can provide important guide for the design and optimization of the high power pulse amplification.     

Simultaneous achievement of polarization attraction and Raman amplification in isotropic optical fibers

We present a theoretical analysis and experimental demonstration of the combined effects of polarization attraction and Raman amplification in isotropic optical fibers. The polarization attraction process is based on four-wave mixing interaction of counterpropagating pump and signal waves. We show that this technique can be used for the design of a highly efficient nonlinear system that permits the simultaneous processing of repolarization and amplification of light waves in dielectric media.     

High-power tunable IR Raman lasers

Physical principles, new ways and means of creation, schemes, characteristics and features of efficient high-power tunable pulse Raman lasers, operating in the near and middle ir are reviewed. The paper includes: tunable dye and Nd lasers as pump sources; promising active media and their optimal excitation methods; optical systems for producing spatially homogeneous pumping; the physics of Raman oscillators and their practical schemes, efficient high pulse energy liquid N₂ and compressed H₂ Raman oscillators, covering several bands in the range between 1.4 and 9.2 μm; the physics and construction of efficient tunable Raman amplifiers-convertors, amplifying in the saturation regime of spontaneously scattered or beforehand produced and collimated external Stokes signals, obtained in the spectral range between 0.83 μm and 18 μm. Raman laser using a, so-called, broadband pump where the linewidth of pumping light is broader than the spontaneous scattering linewidth, are also discussed. Features of both amplification and oscillation regimes of such broadband pumped Raman lasers are reported, and conditions for the efficient frequency conversion are determined.     

与794nm飞秒激光精确同步的无直流背底的1064nm脉冲光的产生

基于非共线光参量放大(NOPA)，以宽带794nm飞秒激光的倍频光为抽运光，以连续的He-Ne激光为信号光，产生了与宽带794nm飞秒激光精确同步的无直流背底的1064nm的脉冲光.实验结果显示该1064nm的光脉冲可作为光参量啁啾脉冲放大系统的抽运激光链的种子光，从而实现用全光学方法实现OPCPA系统抽运光和信号光的精确同步.还将非共线光参量放大器置于经特殊设计的He-Ne激光腔内，也同样成功得到了无直流背底的1064nm的光脉冲.经一次光参量放大后所得到的1064nm光的光谱和空间啁啾特性与非共线光参量放大器置于He-Ne激光腔外时得到的1064nm的光脉冲相同，而其单脉冲能量约为腔外NOPA的10倍. 关键词： 非线性光参量放大 光参量啁啾脉冲放大 时间同步     

拉曼增强型自相位调制再生技术

自相位调制可用于信号脉冲的整形,可实现归零码(RZ)信号的再生。以高非线性光纤(HNLF)为介质,在高非线性光纤中实现了拉曼集总放大和信号脉冲的自相位调制。从理论上分析了同向拉曼泵浦增强信号的自相位调制,大大降低了所需的信号光强度。论证了在色散长度(LD)远大于HNLF长度(L)时由自相位调制(SPM)导致的频谱展宽,它与脉冲的啁啾无关,频谱的功率密度与脉冲的强度无关。因此在高非线性光纤之后加入偏移载波频率的带通滤波器可实现归零码信号的再生。集中拉曼放大可增强再生性能。     

拉曼放大辅助波长可选择的全光开关

使用3-dB耦合器组成M-Z干涉仪,在M-Z干涉仪的一臂加入高非线性光纤(HNLF)组成的反向拉曼放大器,改变放大器的泵浦波长及强度,可实现波长可选择的全光开关。其功能可用于波分复用(WDM)系统,对不同波长的上、下载选择有很大的应用意义。理论分析了实现这一功能的可行性和参数选择,考虑拉曼放大并伴有交叉相位调制(XPM)引起信号光的相移,推导分析了在引入放大的同时又引入相移,怎样选择放大和相位匹配问题,来实现波长可选择的光开关的要求。     

Extended-range optical time domain-reflectometry system at 1.65 microm based on delayed Raman amplification

We describe both theoretical and experimental results obtained in an investigation of a new technique for increasing the dynamic range of 1.65-microm optical time domain-reflectometry (OTDR) systems. The technique utilizes delayed Raman amplification of a 1.65-microm signal pulse by a 1.53-microm pump pulse. Amplification occurs when the two pulses overlap, and this position is determined by the initial delay between the pulses and the fiber dispersion. An increase in dynamic range of 17.5 dB has been observed, and the OTDR backscattered Rayleigh signal was detected up to 100 km. No significant noise penalty is introduced as a result of the directionality of the Raman gain.     

Efficient Raman amplification of low divergent radiation in barium nitrate crystal

One stage first Stokes amplification by a factor of 1600 was demonstrated in a barium nitrate Raman amplifier. The amplified pulse energy was up to 63 mJ at pump energy of 208 mJ. M² factor of Stokes signal radiation was 1.5 while for amplified radiation 2.2. PACS 42.65.Dr     

Tuning of group delay with stimulated Raman scattering-induced dispersion in gas-filled optical fiber

We report the first demonstration of group delay tuning with stimulated Raman scattering-induced dispersion in a hydrogen-filled hollow-core optical fiber. A pump laser induces a sharp refractive index change near the S_0(0)Raman transition of hydrogen molecules, enabling the control of the group velocity of signal pulses around the Stokes wavelength. Experiments with an 80-m-long hollow-core fiber filled with 2.5 bar hydrogen achieved continuous tuning of the pulse delay up to 1.42 ns by varying the Raman amplification from 0 to 10 dB. The tunable pulse delay is realized by changing the pump power as well as the hydrogen pressure. This work provides a new technique for controlling the pulse propagation in optical fibers with high flexibility.     

Backward Raman amplification in plasmas with chirped wideband pump and seed pulses

Chirped wideband pump and seed pulses are usually considered for backward Raman amplification(BRA)in plasmas to achieve an extremely high-power laser pulse.However,current theoretical models only contain either a chirped pump or a chirped seed.In this paper,modified three-wave coupling equations are proposed for the BRA in the plasmas with both chirped wideband pump and seed.The simulation results can more precisely describe the experiments,such as the Princeton University experiment.The optimized chirp and bandwidth are determined based on the simulation to enhance the output intensity and efficiency.     

基于双向拉曼放大的布里渊光时域分析系统

报道了一种基于双向拉曼放大的布里渊光时域分析系统(Brillouin optical time domain analyzer,BOTDA).利用双向拉曼抽运对信号光进行拉曼放大以补偿光纤损耗及布里渊抽运波的消耗,从而使光纤后端的测量分辨率得到改善,测量分辨率在整段传感光纤趋于一致,同时避免了调制不稳定性引起的频谱扩展,克服了传统BOTDA存在的信号强度指数下降的弊端,使传感精度得到进一步提高.实验实现了50 km传感距离, 温度分辨率达0.6 ℃,空间分辨率为50 m.实验测量并分析了基于双向拉曼放大的BOTDA信噪比和光功率分布特性. 关键词： 分布式光纤传感 受激拉曼放大 布里渊增益 布里渊光时域分析