All-Fiber Ultra-Fast Switching Using Stimulated Raman Scattering

We propose a method for all-fiber ultra-fast switching using stimulated Raman scattering. It is based on the transference of energy from the signal as pump to the control signal as first Stokes by stimulated Raman scattering. In the absence of a control signal, the transference of energy from the pump signal to the generated first Stokes is negligible, which results in high output power at the pump signal wavelength. To minimize the walk-off problem between two wavelengths, we chose pump signal and control signal to be equally spaced on opposite sides of the zero dispersion wavelength of the fiber. Based on this assumption, the all-fiber ultra-fast optical switch with low power consumption and high output extinction ratio can be realized.     

一种用弱信号光调制的宽带光纤拉曼相干光源

本文考察了光纤中外加可调谐信号光条件下的受激拉曼散射现象,提出一种新的宽带光纤拉曼相干光源的设想。这种光源是利用波长可调的弱信号光来调制固定波长的强泵浦光在光纤中产生的高阶受激拉曼散射,使得高阶受激拉曼散射Stokes峰值波长随弱信号光的波长改变而改变。从而获得一个输出均匀而频带又比信号光宽得多的高强度相干光。     

Modeling and Investigation of High-Power Optical-Fiber Transmitters for Lidar Applications

In this work, we develop a high-power optical-fiber transmitter for lidar applications. The device can be utilized for measurements of the methane concentration and determination of the parameters of methane absorption line at wavelengths near 1,650 nm. The transmitter is based on a fiber Raman amplifier with an active fiber length converting the pumping radiation with a wavelength of 1,540 nm to the desired wavelength region of about 1,650 nm. We conduct the theoretical modeling of the Raman amplifier operation and demonstrate the advantage of the two-stage amplifier design over the single-stage design. In the modeling, the total power of a single Raman amplifier in the twostage design is 4.5 W with a pumping power of 5 W and an active fiber length of 1,000 m. Then we experimentally investigate the developed single Raman amplifier and demonstrate a satisfactory agreement between its parameters and the results of the theoretical modeling. The achieved average power of the transmitter at the output stage is over 7 W with two single Raman amplifiers joined in parallel. The distributed-feedback (DFB) master laser utilized in the transmitter is modulated by a linear-frequency signal with simultaneous application of a nonsynchronous high-frequency signal to eliminate the noise due to stimulated Brillouin scattering.     

Numerical analysis of multi-wavelength cascaded Raman fiber lasers based on genetic algorithm

A novel numerical method is presented for the calculations of the coupled propagation equations in multi-wavelength Raman fiber lasers. By taking the advantages of genetic algorithm and shooting method, only a few of the best individuals at each generation are chosen to implement several shootings in order to accelerate theirs converging. The output characteristics of an all-fiber three-wavelength Raman fiber laser have been analyzed based on the proposed algorithm. Results show that the total output power linearly depends on the pump power with a slope efficiency of ∼51%. For the three output Stokes, the slope efficiencies of the longer wavelengths are larger than that of the shorter ones because the optical energy at the Stokes with shorter wavelengths allows for a transfer of optical power to the longer Stokes via stimulated Raman scattering. We also find that the total output power degrades by less than 10% by adjusting the output-coupler reflectivity and is insensitive to the variation of the Raman fiber length over a large range.     

在同种光纤中实现RFA增益平坦化的方法

提出了一种新的光纤拉曼放大器设计方法:在同一种光纤内运用不同波长的泵浦光源达到前增益后补偿的目的,最终实现在放大器输出端信号光增益谱平坦化。通过对拉曼增益谱前后沿做线性化处理,化简稳态SRS耦合波方程的解析解,最终在输出端得到了一个固定的功率输出值。模拟结果表明:所设计的放大器具有增益平坦度好、增益高的优点,且设计方法简单。该方案为增益平坦化的拉曼光纤放大器设计提供了一种新的思路。     

Coaxial Multi-Wavelength Generation in YVO_4 Crystal with Stimulated Raman Scattering Excited by a Picosecond-Pulsed 1064 Laser

The multiwavelength characteristics of stimulated Raman scattering(SRS) in YVO_4 crystal excited by a picosecond laser at 1064 nm are investigated theoretically and experimentally. Laser output with seven wavelengths is achieved coaxially and synchronously at 894, 972, 1175, 1312, 1486, 1713 and 2022 nm in a YVO_4 crystal. The maximum total Raman output energy is as high as 2.77 m J under the pump energy of 7.75 m J. A maximum total Raman conversion efficiency of 47.8% is obtained when the pump energy is 6.54 m J. This is the highest order of Stokes components and the highest output energy generated by YVO_4 reported up to date. This work expands the Raman spectrum of YVO_4 crystal to the near-IR regime, with seven wavelengths covered at the same time,paving the way for new wavelength generation in the near-IR regime and its multiwavelength application.     

Raman Suppression in a Kilowatt Narrow-Band Fiber Amplifier

A novel technique to suppress stimulated Raman scattering in a high power narrow-band fiber amplifier is reported.By seeding with a combination of a broadband amplified spontaneous emission seed and a narrowband master oscillator seed,the Raman Stokes components can be reduced about 16 dB at a total output power of1 kW.Raman suppression results are depicted in a different wavelengths seeding case and the same wavelength seeding case,respectively,with different seed power ratios.     

All-fiber Raman supercontinuum generator

The results on an all-fiber supercontinuum generator that exhibits a continuous wide spectrum in the range 1060–1640 nm predominantly owing to the cascade stimulated Raman scattering in a single-mode quartz fiber at a relatively high power of the combined femtosecond-picosecond pumping with a central wavelength of 1080 nm are presented for the first time. The mean power of the supercontinuum is 2.1 W.     

Generation of a compact high-power high-efficiency normal-dispersion pumping supercontinuum in silica photonic crystal fiber pumped with a 1064-nm picosecond pulse

Broadband normal dispersion pumping supercontinuum （SC） generation in silica photonic crystal fiber （PCF） is investigated in this paper. A 1064-nm picosecond fiber laser is used to pump silica PCF for the SC generation. The length of PCF is optimized for the most efficient stimulated Raman scattering process in the picosecond pump pulse region. The first stimulated Raman Stokes peak is located in the anomalous dispersion regime of the PCF and near the zero dispersion wavelength; thus the SC generation process can benefit from both a normal dispersion pumping scheme and an anomalous dispersion pumping scheme. The 51.7-W SC spanning from about 700 nm to beyond 1700 nm is generated with an all-fiber configuration, and the pump-to-SC conversion efficiency is up to 90%. In order to avoid the output fiber end face damage and increase the stability of the system, an improved output solution for the high power SC is proposed in our experiment. This high-efficiency near-infrared SC source is very suitable for applications in which average output power and spectral power density are firstly desirable.     

Stimulated-emission-depletion microscopy with a multicolor stimulated-Raman-scattering light source

We describe a subdiffraction-resolution far-field fluorescence microscope employing stimulated emission depletion (STED) with a light source consisting of a microchip laser coupled into a standard single-mode fiber, which, via stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), yields a comb-like spectrum of seven discrete peaks extending from the fundamental wavelength at 532 nm to 620 nm. Each of the spectral peaks can be used as STED light for overcoming the diffraction barrier. This SRS light source enables the simple implementation of multicolor STED and provides a spectral output with multiple available wavelengths from green to red with potential for further expansion.     

Efficient mid-IR spectral generation via spontaneous fifth-order cascaded-Raman amplification in silica fibers

Spontaneous cascaded Raman amplification is demonstrated as a practical and efficient means of power transfer from telecommunications wavelengths to mid-IR wavelength bands through use of conventional silica fibers and amplifiers. We show that silica fibers possessing normal dispersion over all near-IR and mid-IR wavelengths can facilitate 37% and 16% efficient Raman power conversion from 1.53 microm to 2.15 and 2.41 microm wavelength bands, respectively, using nanosecond pulses from an all-fiber laser source. In contrast to supercontinuum-based techniques for long-wavelength generation, the high levels of Raman gain generated at these wavelength bands could produce useful optical amplification necessary for the development of numerous mid-IR laser sources.     

日盲紫外域拉曼激光雷达探测大气水汽技术研究

拉曼激光雷达通过探测与水汽浓度相关的大气水汽振动拉曼散射回波信号,可实现大气水汽混合比廓线的探测。然而由于振动拉曼信号非常微弱,在白天测量时振动拉曼散射光谱会淹没在太阳背景光中,多在夜间测量。为实现大气水汽的全天时测量,设计开发一套日盲紫外波段拉曼激光雷达系统。该系统选择Nd∶YAG脉冲激光器的四倍频输出-266.0 nm日盲紫外波段作为拉曼激光雷达系统的激励波长,采用镀高增益介质膜的牛顿式望远镜作为接收器,同时利用二向色镜和超窄带干涉滤光片设计高效率的高光谱分光系统,实现了大气氧气、氮气和水汽振动拉曼散射回波信号277.5,283.6和294.6 nm的精细提取。计算仿真结果表明,臭氧吸收对日盲紫外域拉曼激光雷达探测存在一定的影响,主要是探测距离的影响;氮气通道不受白天太阳背景光噪声的影响;水汽通道存在少量太阳背景光噪声,对系统探测距离略有影响。而系统信噪比计算结果表明,设计的日盲紫外域拉曼激光雷达系统可实现白天3.5 km大气水汽的探测。实际进行水汽探测时,可利用氮气和氧气通道反演出臭氧浓度廓线,修正臭氧对发射波长、各通道拉曼散射波长的吸收,进一步提升系统的探测能力和探测精度。     

Analysis and simulation of single-frequency Raman fiber amplifiers

High power operation of single-frequency Raman fiber amplifiers is usually limited by the onset of stimulated Brillouin scattering. A theoretical investigation on single-frequency Raman fiber amplifier limited by stimulated Brillouin scattering is presented in this paper, based on the intensity equations combining stimulated Brillouin scattering and stimulated Raman scattering. A combination of methods is proposed to increase the output power of single-frequency Raman fiber amplifier. These methods include applying a suitable pump scheme according to the fiber length and seed signal power, using short gain fibers, utilizing a multiple-stage scheme and providing suppression of stimulated Brillouin scattering.     

A tunable fiber parametric oscillator for the 2 μm wavelength range employing an intra-cavity thulium doped fiber active filter

We report an efficient fiber parametric oscillator operating in the wavelengths range of 1.97 μm to 2.14 μm. The oscillator is based on narrow band parametric amplification and employs a thulium doped fiber placed at the loops end as an intra-cavity active filter. The filter eliminates any signal generated by stimulated Raman scattering which inherently accompanies the parametric process. Short wavelength parametric oscillations and the pump signal are also absorbed. Only the long wavelength parametric oscillations can build up in the resonantly pumped system which emits 4 ns pulses at ~ 1 MHz with a maximum peak pulse power of 20 W.     

Continuous-wave pumped, all-fiber optical parametric oscillator assisted by stimulated Raman scattering

A continuous-wave pumped, all-fiber optical parametric oscillator (OPO) around 1523 nm based on the mixing interaction of parametric process and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) effects are investigated in this paper. We study and give the detailed analysis of the generation and output characteristics of all-fiber OPO with the influence of the SRS effects. Experimental results show that there exists the saturation output effect for this kind of OPO due to the coexistence of first order SRS effect, second order SRS and the optical parametric oscillation. The maximal output power of OPO is about 100 mW as the pump power reaches 1.4 W. Furthermore, a depolarized L-band super-continuum light source from 1570 nm to 1640 nm based on the combined interaction of parametric process and SRS effects can also be obtained.     

Fiber parametric oscillator for the 2 μm wavelength range based on narrowband optical parametric amplification

We describe a widely tunable synchronously pumped coherent source based on the process of narrowband parametric amplification in a dispersion-shifted fiber. Using an experimental fiber with a zero-dispersion wavelength of 1590 nm and pump wavelengths of 1530 to 1570 nm yields oscillations at 1970 to 2140 nm-the longest reported wavelength for a fiber parametric oscillator. The long-wavelength oscillations are accompanied by simultaneous short-wavelength oscillations at 1200 to 1290 nm. The parametric gain is coupled to stimulated Raman scattering. For parametric oscillations close to the Raman gain peak, the two gain processes must be discriminated from each other. We devised two configurations that achieve this discrimination: one is based on the exploitation of the difference in group delay between the wavelengths where Raman and parametric gain peak, and the other uses intracavity polarization tuning.     

All-fiber actively Q-switched fiber laser tuned by a pair of temperature controlled fiber Bragg gratings

We report an all-fiber actively Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser, where the linear laser cavity mirrors are composed of two fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). The laser oscillation wavelength could be tuned by this pair of temperature controlled FBGs. The Q-switching is achieved by an all-fiber phase modulation device. Using this system, we could obtain stable Q-switched laser pulses output, which could be optimized by tuning the reflection wavelengths of the two FBGs to be adjacent to each other. Instead of being modulated by the FBG filter in high-speed oscillation, this fiber laser system is operating in the Q-switched regime using an all-fiber phase modulator, producing a more stable laser output spectrum.     

Multiwavelength visible laser based on the stimulated Raman scattering effect and beta barium borate angle tuning

We demonstrate wavelength-selectable visible emissions from a miniature crystalline laser that combines the stimulated Raman scattering(SRS) effect in an Nd:YVO4 crystal with intracavity frequency mixing in an angle-tuned beta barium borate(BBO) crystal.The presented laser is operating on demand at any one of three wavelengths in the green-yellow spectral region.Up to 600,560,and 200 mW output powers at 559,532,and 588 nm,respectively,are obtained from the continuous wave(CW) laser having a 18 mm long resonator and a 3.8 W laser diode end pumping.The pump threshold for each visible wavelength is less than0.4 W.     

Experimental investigation of combined four-wave mixing and Raman effect in the normal dispersion regime of a photonic crystal fiber

We study the effect of stimulated Raman scattering on four-wave mixing sidebands generated by pumping in the normal dispersion regime of a photonic crystal fiber. Q-switch nanosecond pulses at 1064 nm are used to generate signal and idler wavelengths by degenerate four-wave mixing. These three waves generate their own Raman Stokes orders, leading to a broadband supercontinuum.     

后向泵浦高功率掺镱光纤放大器的非弹性散射效应

 在考虑受激布里渊散射和受激喇曼散射效应的基础上,数值求解了双包层掺镱光纤放大器的速率-传输方程,分析了后向泵浦高功率掺镱光纤放大器在不同信号光线宽、光纤长度和纤芯直径下的输出特性,研究了受激布里渊散射和受激喇曼散射的抑制条件。计算结果表明:在后向泵浦方式下,若掺镱光纤长度小于0.68 m,纤芯直径大于26 μm,信号光线宽大于0.04 nm,则放大过程中的受激布里渊散射和受激喇曼散射能同时得到有效抑制。