脉冲形状对脉冲经光纤放大器传输后功率增益的影响

基于描述脉冲放大过程的时间相关非线性辐射迁移方程,对不同形状脉冲经掺镱光纤放大器传输后的功率特性进行了分析,该方程同时考虑了光与介质的相互作用.数值结果表明,在相同的脉冲能量下,不同形状脉冲经放大器放大后的功率增益随入射脉冲形状不同而不同,并且功率增益的差异在脉冲前沿比较大.这使得放大器输出脉冲峰值向前沿的偏移量以及峰值功率的放大倍数都与脉冲形状有关.尤其是当入射脉冲的能量较大时,不同形状脉冲的峰值功率的放大倍数明显不同,以超高斯脉冲为最大,高斯脉冲、双曲正割脉冲次之,洛伦兹脉冲最小.     

高功率脉冲在大模场掺Yb3+光纤中的自相似传输放大特性

分析了高功率脉冲在增益光纤中传输放大时非线性薛定谔方程的自相似解,得出注入光的脉宽和能量满足一定关系时,优化增益光纤的长度,才能满足种子光脉冲在增益光纤中的自相似传输放大.揭示了高功率种子光脉冲在光纤中自相似演化的特征参量.此外,模拟了注入能量为400 pJ,脉宽为200 fs,波形分别为正割、高斯以及3阶超高斯的种子光脉冲在纤芯为30μm的大模场增益光纤中的传输放大特性.结果表明3种波形的种子光脉冲的时间波形与光谱均演化为抛物形,时间波形与光谱均发生展宽,但光谱两侧均发生抖动.自相似传输放大后,脉冲为线性啁啾,易于压缩,对实现全光纤高功率超短脉冲产生系统具有重要意义.     

High-power, passively mode-locked Nd:GdVO₄ laser using single-walled carbon nanotubes as saturable absorber

We use a new (to our knowledge) fabrication method of a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) absorber without polymer to sustain high-power illumination. Using a series of saturable absorbers (SAs) incorporating different amounts of SWCNTs, we demonstrate mode-locking for a Nd:GdVO? laser in the 1 μm spectral range. Continuous-wave mode-locking (CWML) pulses with a maximum output power of 3.6 W at 1063 nm and high noise extinction of 61 dB has been achieved to give the highest pulse peak power of 3.6 kW and pulse energy of 30 nJ under 15 W pumping. To our knowledge, this is the highest CWML output power with SWCNT-SAs reported. The measured nonlinear absorption of the SWCNT-SAs shows a modulation depth of ~3% with subpicosecond recovery time.     

1 MHz repetition rate hollow fiber pulse compression to sub-100-fs duration at 100 W average power

We report on nonlinear pulse compression at very high average power. A high-power fiber chirped pulse amplification system based on a novel large pitch photonic crystal fiber delivers 700 fs pulses with 200 μJ pulse energy at a 1 MHz repetition rate, resulting in 200 W of average power. Subsequent spectral broadening in a xenon-filled hollow-core fiber and pulse compression with chirped mirrors is employed for pulse shortening and peak power enhancement. For the first time, to our knowledge, more than 100 W of average power are transmitted through a noble-gas-filled hollow fiber. After pulse compression of 81 fs, 93 μJ pulses are obtained at a 1 MHz repetition rate.     

Femtosecond coherent seeding of a broadband Tm:fiber amplifier by an Er:fiber system

We generate broadband pulses covering the Yb: and Tm:silica amplification ranges with a passively phase-locked front end based on Er:fiber technology. Full spectral coherence of the octave-spanning output from highly nonlinear germanosilicate bulk fibers is demonstrated. Seeding of a high-power Tm:fiber generates pulses with a clean spectral shape and a bandwidth of 50 nm at a center wavelength of 1.95 μm, pulse energy of 250 nJ, and repetition rate of 10 MHz.     

Change of gain characters for short pulses with third order dispersion in a fiber amplifier

The effect of the third order dispersion (TOD) induced into pulses before entering an Yb-doped fiber amplifier on their power gain characters is investigated using a model of which the pulse amplification process is described by nonlinear time-dependent radiation transfer equations. Numerical results show that peak power gain for the pulse with positive TOD is larger than that with zero and without TOD while the improvement of the peak power gain varies as the obtained output pulse energy changes. The improvement also depends on the ratio of dispersion lengths for group velocity dispersion and TOD.     

11-W average power Ti:sapphire amplifier system using downchirped pulse amplification

We demonstrate a high-power laser system that employs a new scheme in which pulses with negative chirp are amplified and then recompressed by dispersion in a block of transparent material. This scheme has significant advantages for amplification of intermediate energy pulses at high average power, including insensitivity to small misalignments of the pulse compressor, elimination of compressor gratings and their thermal loading issues, low compressor energy and bandwidth throughput losses, and a simplified optical design. Using this scheme, we demonstrate what we believe is the highest-average-power single-stage Ti:sapphire amplifier system with 11-W compressed output.     

基于大基模体积的10mJ飞秒钛宝石激光再生放大器

文章报导了基于大基模体积的高能量飞秒钛宝石激光再生放大器的设计与实验研究,在重复频率10 Hz、抽运能量60 mJ的激励下,得到了单脉冲能量17.4 mJ的种子脉冲放大结果,压缩后的脉冲宽度为40.6 fs,能量为13.9 mJ.借助于此大基模体积再生腔,仅增加一级多通放大,实现了峰值功率达1.9 TW飞秒激光脉冲输出.结果表明,大模体积再生放大不仅降低了后续放大对抽运能量的要求,也可以单独压缩实现再生腔直接输出10 mJ量级的飞秒激光脉冲,是大能量高峰值功率飞秒激光系统的优质前端.     

利用非线性脉冲预整形实现脉冲快速自相似放大

报道了一种通过预先对信号光脉冲非线性整形, 进而在光纤放大器中实现自相似演化的方法. 利用透射光栅对和普通单模光纤组成被动脉冲整形装置, 预先优化脉冲的时域宽度和光谱质量, 使脉冲在光纤放大器中快速演化到自相似子. 研究中首先通过数值模拟对比, 说明了非线性整形对脉冲实现快速自相似放大的关键作用, 提高了放大器输出脉冲质量, 减小了去啁啾脉冲宽度. 实验中, 通过优化非线性整形输出, 在2.2 m 长的掺Yb³⁺光纤中, 在一定抽运功率范围内均实现了脉冲自相似放大, 去啁啾后得到脉冲宽度60 fs 的变换极限脉冲输出. 这种非线性脉冲预整形方法有效减小了 自相似演化所需光纤长度, 同时降低了自相似放大对种子源质量的要求, 首次将全正色散光纤锁模激光器成功用于自相似放大, 促进了当前自相似放大系统的全光纤化. 关键词： 非线性整形 光纤放大器 自相似放大 飞秒激光     

Microjoule-level all-polarization-maintaining femtosecond fiber source

We report on a high-power, high-energy femtosecond fiber source based on direct amplification of parabolic pulses from an environmentally stable passively mode-locked fiber oscillator in an Yb-doped single-polarization photonic crystal fiber. The special pulse shape allows for the generation of high-quality femtosecond pulses beyond nonlinearity limits. The system delivers a pulse energy of 1.2 microJ (21 W average power) at a repetition rate of 17 MHz and a pulse duration of 240 fs in a linearly polarized beam with diffraction-limited quality.     

High power all-fibered femtosecond master oscillator power amplifier at 1.56 μm

Direct amplification of output from chirped pulse oscillator (CPO) to 3.3?W of average power (pulse energy of 118?nJ in 20?ps pulse duration before compression) was achieved in a properly designed cladding pumped large mode area Er-doped fiber. Various configurations of CPO cavity with different FWHM of output spectrum and pulse duration were investigated. Fourier limit compression with 480?fs pulse duration and 32?kW peak power has been obtained for pulses with 14.8?nm FWHM spectrum. Subsequent nonlinear compression in a standard SMF-28 fiber yielded pulses as short as 145?fs.     

Simulations of petawatt-class few-cycle optical-parametric chirped-pulse amplification, including nonlinear refractive index effects

We present three-dimensional simulations of optical-parametric chirped-pulse amplification stages for a few-cycle petawatt-class laser. The simulations take into account the effects of depletion, diffraction, walk-off, quantum noise, and the nonlinear refractive index (n(2)). In the absence of n(2) effects, we show these stages can generate 3.67J pulses supporting 4fs transform-limited pulse durations. Adding the nonlinear refractive index to the simulation, the energy output is reduced by ~11% and the bandwidth narrows by ~129nm, increasing the Fourier limit by ~17.5%.     

Femtosecond oscillator on Yb:KYW crystal pumped by laser diode with fiber output

A femtosecond laser based on an Yb:KYW crystal with direct longitudinal pumping by a high-power semiconductor injection laser with a fiber output is described. Femtosecond pulses were generated in the self-longitudinal-mode-locking operating condition due to the use of a semiconductor saturable absorber. The average power of the oscillator was as high as 3.5 W at a central wavelength of 1035 nm, the pulse length and pulse repetition rate being 200 fs and 85.5 MHz, respectively. The product of the pulse length and the radiation spectrum width was 1.3 times higher than the theoretical limit for the pulse shape described by the function sech². The designed master oscillator can be also used as a stand-alone source of femtosecond radiation pulses for material microprocessing and primary source for femtosecond laser amplification systems.     

Switching speed effect of phase shift keying in SLED for generating high power microwaves

SLAC energy doubler(SLED) type radio-frequency pulse compressors are widely used in large-scale particle accelerators for converting long-duration moderate-power input pulses into short-duration high-power output pulses. Phase shift keying(PSK) is one of the key components in SLED pulse compression systems. Performance of the PSK will influence the output characteristics of the SLED, such as the rise-time of the output pulse, maximal peak power gain, and energy efficiency. In this paper, a high power microwave source based on power combining and pulse compression of conventional klystrons is introduced. The effects of nonideal PSK with slow switching speed and PSK without power output during the switching process are investigated, and the experimental results with nonideal PSK agree well with the analytical results.     

Optimized amplification of femtosecond optical pulses by dispersion management for octave-spanning optical frequency comb generation

We report a method for optimizing the amplification of femtosecond optical pulses by using dispersion management. The amount of dispersion provided to the seed optical pulse of an erbium-doped fiber (EBF) has an optimal region that enhances the output power of an amplifier. The power enhancement is accompanied by spectral broadening, which originates from adiabatic narrowing in the erbium-doped fiber. The amplified optical pulses can be used to generate an octave-spanning optical frequency comb (OFC) by employing a highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF).     

飞秒光脉冲光纤放大增益特性的实验研究

报道了掺Ｅｒ＾３＋光纤激光器输出１．５３１μｍ波长飞秒激光脉冲增益放大的实验研究结果,将自起振相加脉冲摹参Ｅｒ＾３＋光纤激光器输出的飞秒激光脉冲注入掺Ｅｒ＾３＋光纤放大器中进行放大,分别采用正向和逆向抽地这的方式,得到了最高放大倍数５５倍（１７．４ｄＢ）和６４倍（１８．１ｄＢ）的增益,对应的最大单脉冲能量（峰值功率）分别为０．３８４ｎＪ（７５２Ｗ）０．４５２ｎＪ（１２９５Ｗ）,脉冲重复率为２０．８     

高功率固体激光性能仿真模型

为实现高功率固体激光装置的能量平衡和功率平衡,开发了激光性能仿真模型为神光-Ⅲ原型装置的运行提供实时预测。模型能够确定系统参数设置(注入能量、注入脉冲波形和参数诊断衰减设置等)。注入能量的预测采用基于以往实验数据的放大曲线拟合方法。平顶脉冲的注入波形预测采用循环迭代算法,整形脉冲波形的预测采用增益-通量曲线法。参数诊断衰减设置是通过基于SG99光传输放大模型的全光路模拟计算实现。对原型装置的仿真表明,能量预测偏差在5%以内; 基频光束间能量分散度可控制在10%以内。模型已成为神光-Ⅲ原型装置运行仿真的有效工具。     

基于太赫兹光非对称解复用器结构的低开关能量、高线性度全光采样门实验研究

利用多量子阱结构的非线性半导体光放大器(SOA)构建的太赫兹光非对称解复用器(TOAD), 实验实现了一个开关能量低至25 fJ, 线性度高达0.99的全光采样门. 详细分析了采样脉冲功率和非对称偏移量分别对采样窗口形状、宽度和幅度的影响, 并研究了不同采样窗口宽度下TOAD的开关能量及线性度的变化规律.     

Long-cavity passively mode-locked fiber ring laser with high-energy rectangular-shape pulses in anomalous dispersion regime

We report on a long-cavity passively mode-locked fiber laser in the anomalous dispersion regime. The nonlinear polarization rotation technique is employed to achieve mode locking. The output pulse from the fiber laser has a rectangular shape and a corresponding gaussian-shape spectral profile. Stable mode-locked pulses at a repetition rate of 278 kHz with single pulse energy as high as 715 nJ are obtained under equal bidirectional pumping power of 500 mW in cavity. The experimental results demonstrate that the passively mode-locked fiber laser operating in the anomalous regime can also realize a high-energy pulse, which is different from the conventional low-energy soliton pulse.     

High-gain Tm-doped fluoride fiber amplifier

A diode-pumped Tm-doped fiber-optic amplifier that has a small-signal gain of >30 dB at 1870 nm is reported. Output pulses of up to 3-W peak power at a 1-60-kHz repetition rate can be generated by amplification of 20-40-ns laser diode pulses of up to 2-mW launched peak power. The output signal quality, i.e., the ratio of the output pulse energy and the total amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) output energy between two pulses, depends on the relative propagation direction of pump and signal and can be dramatically increased by choice of the correct propagation scheme. In the optimum pump geometry the pulse energy can be raised to as much as 20 times the ASE energy. This is the first report to the author's knowledge of fiber-optic amplification of short diode laser pulses near 1.9 microm with high repetition rates in Tm-doped fibers.