Spectral broadening of femtosecond pulses in an nonlinear optical fiber amplifier

A promising method for the generation of a supercontinuum with a high spectral power density based on the spectral broadening of ultrashort pulses in a fiber amplifier is considered. The advantage of the method, as compared to the conventional way of the supercontinuum generation in a microstructure fiber, is a lower pulse spectral broadening rate, which allows one to achieve higher SC spectral power densities. The initial stage of the supercontinuum generation in an ytterbium fiber amplifier (a fiber core diameter of 7 μm) with side pumping from an array of laser diodes with a total power of 8 W at a wavelength of 976 nm is experimentally studied. Yb:KYW laser pulses with a duration of 250 fs, a central wavelength of 1046 nm, and an average power of 150 mW have been supplied to the input of the amplifier. In this case spectrally broadened radiation with an average spectral power density of higher than 65 mW/nm and a spectrum width of 50 nm has been obtained.     

Supercontinuum generation in seven-core photonic crystal fiber pumped by a broadband picosecond pulsed fiber amplifier

We report a supercontinuum source generated in seven-core photonic crystal fibers(PCFs) pumped by a self-made all-fiber picosecond pulsed broadband fiber amplifier. The amplifier's output average power is 60 W at 1150 nm with spectral width of 260 nm, and its repetition rate is 8.47 MHz with pulse width of 221 ps. With two different lengths of seven-core PCF, different output powers and spectra are obtained. When a 10 m long seven-core PCF is chosen, the output supercontinuum covers the wavelength range from 620 nm to 1700 nm, with the output power of 11.7 W. With only 2 m long seven-core PCF used in the same experiment, the wavelength of the supercontinuum spans from 680 nm to 1700 nm,with the output power of 20.4 W. The results show that the pulse width is 385 ps in the 10 m long seven-core PCF and 255 ps in the 2 m long one, respectively, due to the normal dispersion of the PCF.     

Multiwatt octave-spanning supercontinuum generation in multicore photonic-crystal fiber

High-power supercontinuum spanning over more than an octave was generated using a high power femtosecond fiber laser amplifier and a multicore nonlinear photonic crystal fiber (PCF). Long multicore PCFs (as long as 20 m in our experiments) are shown to enable supercontinuum generation in an isolated fundamental supermode, with the manifold of other PCF modes suppressed due to the strong evanescent fields coupling between the cores, providing a robust 5.4 W coherent supercontinuum output with a high spatial and spectral quality within the range of wavelengths from 500 to 1700 nm.     

光子晶体光纤产生飞秒超连续谱的实验研究

研究了飞秒脉冲经过光子晶体光纤时超连续谱产生的物理机制。采用输出波长可调谐的钛宝石光参量放大器作为泵浦源,光纤光谱仪测量不同泵浦功率和不同泵浦波长条件下光子晶体光纤产生的超连续谱的光谱图,对进行了归一化处理后的不同泵浦功率和不同泵浦波长条件下的超连续谱进行对比,分析影响光子晶体光纤超连续谱差异的物理机制。实验结果表明,当泵浦波长不变时,随着入射泵浦脉冲平均功率的增大,波峰增多,谱宽也逐渐加宽并伴随着出现能量向短波方向集中的现象,泵浦功率到达一定强度时,超连续谱的宽度最后到达饱和,谱的包络趋于稳定;入射光功率稳定在300 mW时,超连续谱的宽度和形状皆受到泵浦波长影响,在760～840 nm范围内,泵浦波长越长,波峰数越多,泵浦脉冲波长离零色散点越近,光子晶体光纤产生的超连续谱谱宽会越宽,超连续谱的形状相对越平坦。     

1.6-W self-referenced frequency comb at 2.06 μm using a Ho:YLF multipass amplifier

A high-power optical frequency comb at 2.06 μm has been generated using a Ho:YLF multipass amplifier seeded by the long wavelength supercontinuum tail of an octave-spanning Er:fiber comb source. The Ho:YLF amplifier showed a net gain larger than 30 dB from 2048 to 2068 nm, allowing the generation of a 20 nm bandwidth comb with a mode spacing of 100 MHz and a power per mode ranging from 20 to 370 μW. In the time domain, the amplified comb corresponds to a pulse train with 1.6 W total power and 508 fs transform-limited pulse duration. Using a self-referencing f-2f interferometer and a phase-locking loop, spectral narrowing of the offset frequency down to less than 17 Hz has been achieved.     

基于低非线性系数光子晶体光纤的全光纤高效超连续谱光源

 报道了一种基于低非线性系数光子晶体光纤的全光纤高效率超连续谱产生系统。将光纤锁模激光器输出的脉宽5 ps、重复频率20 MHz、平均功率50 mW的脉冲,输入到15 μm的大模场光纤中进行放大,通过与两级芯径较小的短光纤模场匹配缩小输出的模场直径后,输入到20 m低非线性系数的光子晶体光纤,获得的超连续谱波长覆盖范围宽于650～1 700 nm。输入光子晶体光纤的泵浦光功率为740 mW,输出超连续光功率为670 mW,转换效率大于90%。实验研究了超连续光谱展宽的过程,从理论上进行了分析解释。     

Tapered semiconductor amplifiers for optical frequency combs in the near infrared

A tapered semiconductor amplifier is injection seeded by a femtosecond optical frequency comb at 780 nm from a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. Energy gains of more than 17 dB(12 dB) are obtained for 1 mW(20 mW) of average input power when the input pulses are stretched into the picosecond range. A spectral window of supercontinuum light generated in a photonic fiber has also been amplified. Interferometric measurements show sub-Hertz linewidths for a heterodyne beat between the input and amplified comb components, yielding no detectable phase-noise degradation under amplification. These amplifiers can be used to boost the infrared power in f-to-2f interferometers used to determine the carrier-to-envelope offset frequency, with clear advantages for stabilization of octave-spanning femtosecond lasers and other supercontinuum light sources.     

七芯光子晶体光纤中百瓦量级超连续谱的产生

采用平均功率为141.6 W的皮秒光纤激光泵浦一段国产七芯光子晶体光纤,获得了平均功率为104.2 W、连续光谱覆盖范围从750至1700 nm以上的超连续谱输出.详细研究了超连续光谱随泵浦功率增加的演变过程,并对基于该七芯光子晶体光纤的超连续谱光源的光谱拓展和功率提升潜力进行相关的分析和讨论.该研究结果对高功率超连续谱光源的发展具有一定的参考价值.     

High average power supercontinuum sources

The physical mechanisms and basic experimental techniques for the creation of high average spectral power supercontinuum sources is briefly reviewed. We focus on the use of high-power ytterbium-doped fibre lasers as pump sources, and the use of highly nonlinear photonic crystal fibres as the nonlinear medium. The most common experimental arrangements are described, including both continuous wave fibre laser systems with over 100 W pump power, and picosecond mode-locked, master oscillator power fibre amplifier systems, with over 10 kW peak pump power. These systems can produce broadband supercontinua with over 50 and 1 mW/nm average spectral power, respectively. Techniques for numerical modelling of the supercontinuum sources are presented and used to illustrate some supercontinuum dynamics. Some recent experimental results are presented.     

20 W all fiber supercontinuum generation from picosecond MOPA pumped photonic crystal fiber

An all fiber high power supercontinuum (SC) source is demonstrated by pumping a section of photonic crystal fiber (PCF) with a picosecond MOPA laser. The core of the PCF is enlarged at the input end through a serious of PCF post processing method to match the output fiber of the picosecond laser, to ensure low loss splicing, hence high power operation of the whole system. The supercontinuum output spectrum covers the wavelength range from 650 nm to beyond 1700 nm. Limited by available pump power, 20 W super-continuum output power is obtained under 29.5 W picosecond pump power, giving a high optical to optical conversion efficiency of 67.8%.     

Characterization of a high-power tapered semiconductor amplifier system

We have characterized a semiconductor amplifier laser system which provides up to 200 mW output after a single-mode optical fiber at 780 nm wavelength. The system is based on a tapered semiconductor gain element, which amplifies the output of a narrow-linewidth diode laser. Gain and saturation are discussed as a function of operating temperature and injection current. The spectral properties of the amplifier are investigated with a grating spectrometer. Amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) causes a spectral background with a width of 4 nm FWHM. The ASE background was suppressed to below our detection limit by a proper choice of operating current and temperature and by sending the light through a single-mode optical fiber. The final ASE spectral density was less than 0.1 nW/MHz, i.e. less than 0.2% of the optical power. Related to an optical transition linewidth of Γ/2π=6 MHz for rubidium, this gives a background suppression of better than -82 dB. An indication of the beam quality is provided by the fiber coupling efficiency of up to 59%. The application of the amplifier system as a laser source for atom-optical experiments is discussed. Received: 8 May 2000 / Revised version: 21 September 2000 / Published online: 7 February 2001     

52 mJ narrow-bandwidth degenerated optical parametric system with a large-aperture periodically poled MgO:LiNbO3 device

We have demonstrated efficient, high-energy, narrow-spectral-bandwidth 2.128 microm pulse generation by use of periodically poled MgO:LiNbO3 devices with a 36 mm length and a 5 mm x 5 mm large aperture. A free-running degenerated optical parametric oscillator (OPO) pumped with a Q-switched 1.064 microm Nd:YAG laser exhibits a high slope efficiency of 75% and an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 70% with a broad spectral bandwidth (>100 nm). In a configuration with a spectrally narrowed master oscillator followed by a power amplifier, we have achieved an output pulse energy of 52 mJ with a spectral bandwidth of less than 2 nm at the degeneracy point. The total optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of the system reached 50%.     

Stopping and storing light pulses within a fiber optic ring resonator

A simple all optical system for stopping and storing light pulses is demonstrated. The system consists of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier （EDFA）, a semiconductor optical amplifier （SOA）, and a fiber ring resonator. The results show that the multisoliton generation with a free spectrum range of 2.4 nm and a pulse spectral width of 0.96 nm is achieved. The memory time of 15 min and the maximum soliton output power of 5.94 dBm are noted, respectively. This means that light pulses can be trapped, i.e., stopped optically within the fiber ring resonator.     

用于Rb原子冷却系统的半导体激光放大(TPA)装置

报道了我们最近研制的780 13m半导体激光放大装置.激光放大管采用Eagleyard公司生产的(EYP-TPA-0780-01000)半导体锥形放大器,当输入的种子源激光功率为25 mW时,放大器输出的激光功率达600mW左右,该光束经过透镜整形,声光调制器频移,然后耦合到单模保偏光纤后,输出功率达110 mW.该激光放大装置可很好的用于高密度冷原子的俘获.     

Fiber supercontinuum generator with wavelength-tunable pumping

The initial results of the experimental and numerical study of a fiber supercontinuum generator based on a wavelength-tunable femtosecond Yb:KYW laser are presented. It is demonstrated that a variation in the pumping wavelength in the vicinity of the zero-dispersion wavelength of a microstructured fiber at about 1040 nm allows for a wide-range variation in the supercontinuum spectral width at a constant mean pumping power. The experimentally measured strong dependence of the supercontinuum spectral width (from 70 to 390 nm) on the pumping wavelength (1040–1049 nm) at a pulse energy of about 1 nJ and a pulse duration of 250 fs is qualitatively reproduced in the simulation.     

Frontend light source for short-pulse pumped OPCPA system

We present the development of a light source for generating optically synchronized seed pulses both for the parametric amplifier chain and the pump-laser chain of the Petawatt Field Synthesizer (PFS), which is currently under construction at MPQ. The PFS system aims at delivering waveform-controlled few-cycle laser pulses with PW-scale peak power using optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA). Methods of generating the broadband near-infrared (NIR) seed pulses for the OPCPA chain by spectral broadening using few-cycle pulses are presented. We also demonstrate the generation of a supercontinuum spanning up to three octaves (270–1500 nm) using cascaded hollow-core fibers which supports sub-cycle pulse duration.     

7 W all-fiber supercontinuum source

Combine a section of photonic crystal fiber and a picosecond fiber laser to realize an all-fiber supercontinuum source. The picosecond laser exhibits 20 W average output power, 14 ps pulse duration at 480MHz repetition rate. Approximately 7 W supercontinuum with over 1100 nm spectral range is obtained with an optical-optical conversion efficiency of 34%. Further improvements for higher average power are discussed in this paper.     

All-fiber picoseconds MOPA laser with a narrow spectrum output

we report an all-fiber picoseconds MOPA laser with a narrow spectrum output in this paper. The repetition rate of the seed source is increased to ??1 GHz with a unique all-fiber device to suppress nonlinear effects, and a small core gain fiber is used in the power amplifier to support the less transverse mode. Three cascaded amplifiers are adopted to amplify the signal light, and the maximum output power is 30 W with an optical conversion efficiency of 73.9%. The 6 dB spectral linewidth just extends from 0.89 nm of the seed to 1.34 nm at the max output.     

光纤色散对超连续谱产生的影响

对1550nm波长附近具有不同色散特性的光纤产生超连续谱进行了详细的计算和分析。结果表明，在反常色散区和零散区，由于内脉冲拉曼散射效应和三阶色散效应的影响，不能产生平坦、宽带的超连续谱。而在正常色散区，可以产生平坦光滑的超连续谱。进一步研究表明，具有较小正常色散的色散平坦光纤对于产生平坦、宽带的超连续谱极为有效。通过增强脉冲抽运功率，可以得到谱强起伏小于10dB、带宽达300nm以上的平坦超宽超连续谱。     

High-speed wavelength-swept semiconductor laser with a polygon-scanner-based wavelength filter

Ultrahigh-speed tuning of an extended-cavity semiconductor laser is demonstrated. The laser resonator comprises a unidirectional fiber-optic ring, a semiconductor optical amplifier as the gain medium, and a novel scanning filter based on a polygonal scanner. Variable tuning rates up to 1150 nm/ms (15.7-kHz repetition frequency) are demonstrated over a 70-nm wavelength span centered at 1.32 microm. This tuning rate is more than an order of magnitude faster than previously demonstrated and is facilitated in part by self-frequency shifting in the semiconductor optical amplifier. The instantaneous linewidth of the source is <0.1 nm for 9-mW cw output power and a low spontaneous-emission background of -80 dB.