Picosecond duration laser pulse generation by simultaneous active-passive mode-locking in Ar+ ion and dye lasers

We use a rate equation model to analyse a technique for the generation of picosecond duration laser pulses in argon pumped dye lasers. The system is based on passive mode-locking of the Ar⁺ laser by saturable absorption of the dye which is inserted in the Ar⁺ laser cavity. Simultaneously, the dye is forced to oscillate in a regime of synchronously pumped mode-locking. The system is relatively simple, does not require the use of an acousto-optical light modulator and can be easily implemented in commercially available lasers. Pulses shorter than 100 ps and having an average power of 20 mW were obtained at a repetition rate of 110 MHz. Good agreement between the model and experimental results was also obtained.     

Picosecond and subpicosecon pulse generation in synchronously pumped mode-locked cw dye lasers

Generation of tunable near-infrared picosecond and subpicosecond pulses in a synchronously pumped cw mode-locked Oxazine-1-perchlorate dye laser has been investigated for different values of the important system parameters. The experimental results confirm the predictions of a simple theoretical model which describes the steady-state pulse duration in terms of gain modulation strength, pump power, intracavity bandwidth, pump pulse length and cavity detuning. For a pump-pulse length of 100 ps and a bandwidth of more than 500 Å for the intracavity tuning element dye-laser pulses as short as 0.35 ps have been obtained. Under these conditions up to 100 mW of average output power were provided. In addition, mode-locking of an Oxazine 750 dye laser by synchronous pumping with the cw train of pulses obtained from the Oxazine-1-Perchlorate laser is reported.     

Stable Q-switch mode-locking of Nd:YVO<Subscript>4</Subscript> lasers with a semiconductor saturable absorber

This paper reports on a passively mode-locked and Q-switched Nd:YVO₄ laser generating picosecond pulses with an average output power exceeding 7 W. In a first step Q-switch mode-locking was obtained by self Q-switching of a mode-locked oscillator with appropriate cavity design, pump power and output coupling. In a second system the Q-switching was actively controlled and stabilized by modulating the resonator internal losses with an acousto-optic modulator. In the Q-switch mode-locking operation the laser provided 12.8 ps long mode-locked pulses with a repetition rate of 80 MHz. The repetition rate of the Q-switch envelope was 185 kHz. The maximum pulse energy of a single ps pulse was 0.55 μJ which is 5.5 times the pulse energy measured for cw mode locking. The total energy of the pulses within the Q-switch envelope was 42 μJ. PACS  42.55.Xi; 42.60.Fc; 42.60.Gd     

Theoretical and experimental investigations of a passively mode-locked Nd: Glass laser

The presented theoretical model for a mode-locked Nd-glass laser simultaneously takes into account dynamics of the mode-locking dye, amplification saturation and radiation background. A systematic variation of laser parameters gives insight into the pulse formation process and allows to improve the laser design. The calculations show that it should be possible to decrease considerably the duration of light pulses of a mode-locked Nd-glass laser. Using a new mode-locking dye with a switching time of τ=2.7×10⁻¹² s we obtained stable laser operation and a pulse duration of 1.7×10⁻¹²s.     

Single picosecond UV pulse generation by mode-locking of an excimer laser-pumped dye laser

A single picosecond ultraviolet pulse has been generated based on mode-locking of a dye laser pumped by a long pulse XeCl laser to serve as the input source for a high-power ps KrF laser system. A short-pulse uv dye laser (BBQ) pumped by an additional XeCl laser was used to selectively amplify a single pulse from a mode-locked pulse train with the pulse separation of 3.2 ns. The amplified single pulse was frequency-doubled to 248 nm with the pulse duration of 20 ps.     

Passively mode-locked ytterbium fiber laser utilizing chirped-fiber-Bragg-gratings for dispersion control

A robust, self-starting picosecond pulse source based on ytterbium (Yb³⁺) doped fiber laser is described. Utilizing a chirped-fiber-Bragg-grating (C-FBG) for dispersion control, solitary mode-locking is obtained without bulk dispersion compensation elements. A semiconductor saturable absorber (SESAM) is used for stable self-starting. 3.6 ps pulses are produced, with 45 MHz basic repetition-rate and mW scale average output power at 1060 nm. Detailed numerical simulations based on the modified nonlinear Schrödinger equation agree well with the experimental results and are used as a design tool for the solitary mode-locked picosecond laser. The presented design can be simply employed in an all-fiber environmentally-stable system.     

Generation and measurement of frequency-tunable picosecond pulses from dye lasers

Experimental techniques for the generation of frequency-tunable picosecond pulses from passively mode-locked dye lasers are reviewed. Direct photoelectric measurements of pulse durations with a streak-camera of time resolution <3 ps are described. Recent studies of the build-up of pulse shortening and of saturable absorber photochemistry are discussed and related to the mode-locking processes in dye lasers.     

同步泵浦PML飞秒激光研究

采用CW锁模YAG倍频激光器同步泵浦PML飞秒染料激光器,产生了平均脉宽约55fs、功率为15mW的光脉冲。文章在理论和实验上还研究了同步泵浦飞秒激光脉冲产生技术。     

High-energy long-pulse Nd:YAG picosecond laser

A long train of actively mode-locked pulses is obtained from a negative feedback controlled Nd:YAG laser. The 70s pulse train contains up to 0.1 J energy and the duration of the picosecond pulses is 120 ps. The laser is operated at a repetition rate of 20 Hz. ActiveQ-control of the cavity generates a short pulse train of duration 50 to 70 ns. An excellent peak-to-background intensity ratio of the correlation function for the picosecond pulses in the train of 5×10³ is reported.     

利用光谱滤波器实现自启动的全光纤超短脉冲掺Yb3+光纤激光器

讨论了利用光谱滤波器实现自启动的被动锁模掺Yb³⁺光纤环形激光器的锁模机理,并研制出全光纤结构超短脉冲掺Yb³⁺光纤环形激光器.使用980 nm二极管激光器作为抽运源,高掺杂浓度掺Yb³⁺光纤作为增益介质.在净群速度色散为正的环形腔中加入光谱滤波器,抑制Yb³⁺离子在1030 nm强发射峰的同时,通过对啁啾脉冲的光谱滤波实现脉冲压缩.光谱滤波器与光纤非线性偏振旋转效应相结合,实现了激光器在1053 nm可自启动、十分稳定的锁模运转.激光器锁模阈值功率300 mW,平均斜率效率18.3%,最大输出功率53.07 mW,对应最大输出脉冲能量3.2 nJ.锁模光脉冲中心波长1053.6 nm,3 dB带宽10.84 nm,重复频率16.45 MHz.锁模脉冲宽度为皮秒量级,经腔外光栅对压缩至188 fs. 关键词： 3+光纤激光器')" href="#">掺Yb³⁺光纤激光器 自启动锁模 全光纤     

A microchip-laser-pumped DFB-polymer-dye laser

A miniaturized, high repetition rate, picosecond all solid state photo-induced distributed feedback (DFB) polymer-dye laser is described by applying a passively Q-switched and frequency-doubled Cr⁴⁺:Nd³⁺:YAG-microchip laser (pulse width Δτ=540 ps, repetition rate ν=3 kHz, pump energy E_pump=0.15 μJ) as a pump source. A poly-methylmethacrylate film doped with rhodamine B dye serves as active medium. The DFB-laser pulses are temporally and spectrally characterized, and the stability of the thin polymer/dye film at high repetition rates is analyzed. The shortest DFB-laser pulses obtained have a duration of 11 ps. After the emission of 350000 pulses the intensity of the DFB-laser output has decreased by a factor of two and the pulse duration has increased by a factor of 1.2. For single DFB-laser pulses of 20-ps duration the spectral bandwidth is measured to be Δλ=0.03 nm, which is only 0.005 nm above the calculated Fourier limit assuming a Gaussian profile for the temporal shape of the pulses. Coarse wavelength tuning of the DFB laser between 590 and 619 nm is done by turning the prism. Additionally, a fine tuning of the DFB-polymer-laser wavelength is achieved by changing the temperature of the polymer/dye layer (=-0.05 nm/°C) in the range from 20 to 40 °C. Received: 1 March 2001 / Revised version: 23 May 2001 / Published online: 18 July 2001     

Mode-locking of cw dye laser using externally modulated pumping laser

A new mode-locking method of tunable dye laser is described. This simple and practical method requires only an external intensity modulator to the pumping source. After the simple analytical considerations, the experimental work was done using an Ar laser pumped Rhodamin 6G dye laser and an acousto-optic modulator. As results, stable continuous trains of mode-locked pulses were obtained throughout in the ordinary lasing range 570–630 nm. The pulse width, estimated to be 30–50 ps by SHG autocorrelation measurements, is limited by the bandwidth of Lyot filter used. It is also shown experimentally that this method can be applicable for the suppression of the growth of double pulses in passive mode-locking with saturable absorber (DODCI).     

Dual-wavelength asynchronous and synchronous mode-locking operation by a Nd:CLTGG disordered crystal

We have developed a diode-pumped passively mode-locked Nd³⁺:CLTGG laser operated at 1059 and 1061 nm with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). The relative intensity of the two spectrum wavelengths is adjustable, allowing asynchronous and synchronous generation of the dual-wavelength pulses. In synchronous mode-locking regime, a total average output power of 383 mW was obtained with pulse duration of 3.5 ps and repetition rate of 42 MHz. The two spectral bands of 1059 and 1061 nm had the same intensities and areas, indicating 1:1 for the pulse energy ratio. It is desirable for efficiently generating a terahertz wave by difference-frequency generation.     

Cascaded mode-locking of a spectrally controlled Yb:KYW laser

Self-starting and stable mode-locking of an Yb:KYW laser in the picoseconds pulse regime has been achieved by exploiting a positive cascaded Kerr lens in periodically poled KTP. The use of a volume Bragg grating (VBG), for locking the output spectrum of the laser, was essential to achieve a stable mode-locked operation in this wide gain bandwidth laser material. The laser emitted stable, nearly transform-limited pulses with a duration of 16 ps, at a repetition rate of 210 MHz, and with an energy of 3.2 nJ. The mode-locked spectrum was centred at 1,029.1 nm and featured a FWHM bandwidth of 85 pm, which was effectively determined by the VBG. Combination of a large cascaded Kerr nonlinearity with spectral limiting by a VBG represents so far the best opportunity for stable mode-locking of a broadband laser to produce near-transform-limited picosecond pulses.     

Picosecond fluorescence studies by intracavity gain spectroscopy in a modelocked dye laser

This article presents measurements which combine modelocking technique with intracavity spectroscopy. To test this approach, a sample (10^–5 m ethanolic solution of 1,4-dihydroxyanthranquinone) was inserted in a modelocked Ar⁺ ion laser and probed by intracavity pulses of a synchronously pumped dye laser. The probing of the sample results in an amplification of the dye laser output. Maximum output was measured if the pulses of the dye laser temporally overlapped with those of the Ar⁺ ion laser inside the sample. Under this condition, the spectral laser intensity was shaped by the spectrum of stimulated fluorescence which originated from a molecular vibronic state populated by pump laser excitation.Presented at LASERION '91, June 12–14, 1991, München (Germany)     

Two-photon pumping of random lasers by picosecond and nanosecond lasers

We experimentally demonstrated two-photon pumping of random lasers using picosecond and nanosecond pump lasers. The picosecond laser pumping experiment was performed with 400 ps laser pulses at 770 nm, and the gain media was a Coumarin 480D dye solution doped with TiO₂ nanoparticles. Onset of laser action was observed at a pump laser pulse energy below 500 μJ. The nanosecond laser pumping experiment was performed with 7 ns laser pulses at 1064 nm, and the gain media was a Rhodamine 640 dye solution doped with TiO₂ nanoparticles. Onset of laser action was observed at a pump laser energy ∼18 mJ. Our results suggest that there exists an optimal pulse duration of the pumping laser in two-photon pumped random lasing that leads to minimum photodamage of the gain media and still keeps a high pumping efficiency. PACS 33.50.Dq; 42.55.Mv; 42.55.Zz     

Picosecond pulse generation and detection in the wavelength range 1200–1600 nm

Optical pulses of 1.5–5 ps duration tunable in the wavelength range 1200–1600 nm are generated by difference-frequency mixing mode-locked dye laser pulses in a lithium iodate crystal. The IR pulses are detected with picosecond resolution after transmission through long lengths of optical fibre, allowing the study of linear and nonlinear pulse propagation.     

Stretched-pulse mode-locking synchronously triggered by a femtosecond master laser at sub-megahertz repetition rate

A stretched-pulse mode-locked ytterbium-doped fiber laser was passively synchronized to a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser at a low repetition rate of 240 kHz through large cross absorption modulation along additional 1-m-long erbium-doped fiber. The synchronous fiber laser with an ultra-long fiber cavity could produce not only nanosecond flat-top pulses with tunable pulse duration but also Gaussian-shape stretched pulses with its minimum pulse duration of ∼450 ps as confirmed by cross-correlation measurement. When operating in the stretched pulse regime, the sub-nanosecond fiber laser could be synchronously triggered by the master injection with the cavity-length mismatch tolerance up to ∼7.8 cm and timing jitter less than 400 fs, confirming that the stretched-pulse mode-locking of the ultra-long slave fiber laser could be robustly controlled by cross absorption modulation effects in the erbium-doped fiber with appropriate femtosecond master injection.     

Simple generation of 400–700 nm picosecond dye laser pulses with nanosecond laser pumping

New results in the experimental study of the spectro-temporal selection (STS) method to produce picosecond dye laser pulses are presented. Adjustability of the picosecond pulse wavelength, possibility of extension of the STS method to different dyes and to UV pump wavelength, stability of the output pulse duration and intensity, and the concentration effect on pulse duration, are reported for the first time. From these results, production of high power picosecond (50–100 ps) dye laser pulses spectrally adjustable between 400 and 700 nm is obtained with a standard nanosecond pump laser, in a compact and simple device.     

A 9.5-W 82-MHz-repetition-rate picosecond optical parametric generator with cw diode laser injection seeding

We report on an injection-seeded 9.5-W 82-MHz-repetition-rate picosecond optical parametric generator (OPG) based on a 55 mm long crystal of periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) with a quasi-phase-matching (QPM) grating period of 29.75 μm. The OPG is excited by a continuously diode pumped mode-locked picosecond Nd:YVO₄ oscillator-amplifier system. The laser system generates 7 ps pulses with a repetition rate of 82.3 MHz and an average power of 24 W. Without injection-seeding the total average output power of the OPG is 8.9 W, which corresponds to an internal conversion efficiency of 50%. The wavelengths of the signal and idler waves were tuned in the range 1.57–1.64 μm and 3.03–3.3 μm, respectively, by changing the crystal temperature from 150 °C to 250 °C. Injection seeding of the OPG at 1.58 μm with 4 mW of single frequency continuous-wave radiation of a distributed-feedback (DFB) diode laser increases the OPG output to 9.5 W (53% conversion efficiency). The injection seeding increases the pulse duration and reduces the spectral bandwidth. When pumped by 10 W of 1.06 μm laser radiation, the duration of the signal pulses increased from 3.6 ps to 5.5 ps while the spectral bandwidth is reduced from 4.5 nm to 0.85 nm. Seeding thus improved the time-bandwidth product from 1.98 to a value of 0.56, much closer to the Fourier limit. Received: 29 April 2002 / Published online: 8 August 2002