全频域下窄线宽激光器光谱线宽的分析

窄线宽激光器的线宽表征方式通常采用延时自外差法测量技术。该技术是通过延时光纤差拍产生一个与待测激光线宽相关的洛伦兹频谱,因此该频谱只具有单一的线宽表现形式。为了能够观察到激光器的线宽和频率噪声在其傅里叶频率分布下的完整特性,报道了一种基于β算法计算窄线宽激光器线宽的方法。该方法是结合频率噪声中的白噪声和1/f噪声分别诱导不同激光线型的理论,从而确定激光线宽。首先,对β算法的基本原理进行了详细的分析说明。通过基于维纳-辛钦定理,分析了窄线宽激光器不同频率范围内的频率噪声和激光线宽的依赖关系。阐明了在截止频率趋于0和无穷大的两个范围条件时,激光频谱特性从高斯线型向洛伦兹线型演变。同时推导出使两种线型转换的截止频率表达式,并将其转换为频率噪声函数,该函数定义为β分子线。此时频率噪声分量中高斯线型的总和即为激光线宽计算公式;其次,对窄线宽激光器的频率噪声和激光线型进行数值仿真。将通过OEwaves公司的OE4000互相关零差相位/频率噪声自动测试系统测得的频率噪声谱密度,带入β算法理论公式中。结果显示：1/f噪声导致激光呈现高斯线型,线宽随截止频率的增加而增大。而白噪声将导致洛伦兹线型,线宽不再随截止频率而改变。此外,在低频区域,频率噪声电平远大于其傅里叶频率,噪声调制系数较高,该部分噪声可以决定线宽大小。因此,高斯线型区域对应的频率噪声的积分,即为待测激光器的线宽;在高频区域,频率噪声电平与其傅里叶频率相差较小,频率波动较快,噪声对线宽影响可以忽略。并且频率带宽在截止频率范围内,计算的线宽误差较小。最后,实验上运用β算法对RIO公司的1 550 nm低噪声窄线宽激光器的频率噪声功率谱密度进行积分计算,成功获得了其不同傅里叶频率分布下对应的激光线宽值。其中β分子线将频率噪声中的白噪声和1/f噪声分隔两部分：当频率噪声谱密度大于β分子线时,激光即为高斯线型,线宽随频率积分带宽的增加而减少;而频率噪声谱密度小于β分子线时,激光呈现洛伦兹线型,线宽为定值不再改变。同时为了对β算法进行实验验证,搭建了延迟光纤为50 km、移频频率为60 MHz的延时自外差法测量系统。对注入电流为110 mA的RIO 1 550 nm低噪声窄线宽激光器的线宽进行实验测量,测量结果表明激光线宽为1.8 kHz,与上述β算法中2.8 kHz的频率带宽积分结果一致。充分证明了此算法的准确性。β算法可以对任意类型的窄线宽激光器进行线宽表征,对窄线宽激光器的研究具有重要意义。     

Long-external-cavity distributed Bragg reflector laser with subkilohertz intrinsic linewidth

We report on a simple, compact, and robust 780 nm distributed Bragg reflector laser with subkilohertz intrinsic linewidth. An external cavity with optical path length of 3.6 m, implemented with an optical fiber, reduces the laser frequency noise by several orders of magnitude. At frequencies above 100 kHz the frequency noise spectral density is reduced by over 33 dB, resulting in an intrinsic Lorentzian linewidth of 300 Hz. The remaining low-frequency noise is easily removed by stabilization to an external reference cavity. We further characterize the influence of feedback power and current variation on the intrinsic linewidth. The system is suitable for experiments requiring a tunable laser with narrow linewidth and low high-frequency noise, such as coherent optical communication, optical clocks, and cavity QED experiments.     

Frequency noise of free-running 4.6 μm distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers near room temperature

The frequency noise properties of commercial distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers emitting in the 4.6 μm range and operated in cw mode near room temperature (277 K) are presented. The measured frequency noise power spectral density reveals a flicker noise dropping down to the very low level of <100 Hz(2)/Hz at 10 MHz Fourier frequency and is globally a factor of 100 lower than data recently reported for a similar laser operated at cryogenic temperature. This makes our laser a good candidate for the realization of a mid-IR ultranarrow linewidth reference.     

Impact of dispersion on amplitude and frequency noise in a Yb-fiber laser comb

We describe a Yb-fiber-based laser comb, with a focus on the relationship between the net-cavity dispersion and frequency noise on the comb. While tuning the net-cavity dispersion from anomalous to normal, we measure the relative intensity noise, offset frequency (f(CEO)) linewidth, and the resulting frequency noise spectrum on the f(CEO). We find that the laser operating at zero net-cavity dispersion has many advantages, including an approximately 100× reduction in free-running f(CEO) linewidth and frequency noise power spectral density when compared to the normal-dispersion regime. At the zero-dispersion point, we demonstrate a phase-locked f(CEO) beat with low residual noise.     

近距离激光外差探测光学极限位移分辨率

通过统计理论和维纳-辛钦定理推导出激光外差探测系统光电流的功率谱函数,分析了光电流谱线分布与激光光源线宽、中频信号频率以及信号光相对本振光传输延迟时间的关系,修正了相关文献中光电流功率谱的理论公式.根据信号与噪声理论建立了激光线宽引起的相位噪声的一维概率分布模型,并据此得到了基于激光波长、探测距离以及激光线宽的极限位移分辨率的数学模型.对光电流的功率谱和外差光学极限位移分辨率进行了相关的数值仿真,结果表明延迟时间与相干时间的关系决定光电流谱线分布的情况.当激光波长为532 nm,激光线宽在1 kHz,探测距离为100 m时,光学极限位移分辨率为0.266 nm,相关文献中的实验数据与理论推导结果相符合.     

Laser phase noise to intensity noise conversion by lowest-order group-velocity dispersion in optical fiber: exact theory

An exact result for the spectral density of intensity variations that occur after propagation of ergodic light in a medium having lowest-order-only group-velocity dispersion is obtained and applied to the problem of semiconductor laser phase noise to intensity noise conversion in a single-mode optical fiber. It is shown that the intensity spectrum after propagation formally approaches, for a large laser linewidth or a long (or high-dispersion) fiber, the intensity spectrum of a thermal source having the same line shape as the laser.     

1.06kW 13GHz线宽全光纤激光器

分析了高功率光纤激光器中受激布里渊散射(SBS)效应的抑制方法。研究表明,利用宽带噪声源高速相位调制展宽光谱的方法对于抑制SBS十分有效,可实现kW级用于光谱组束的数10GHz高功率光纤激光子束。通过理论计算线宽与SBS阈值的关系,并分析噪声相位调制各参数对SBS阈值提升的影响,优化了光纤激光器设计参数。通过宽带噪声高速相位调制的方法,展宽单频种子源线宽至13GHz,通过两级预放大至10 W后,使用20/400μm掺Yb光纤最终实现了中心波长1064nm、线宽13GHz、最高功率1.06kW的激光输出,光束质量M21.2,光-光转换效率86%,实验过程未观测到模式不稳定性现象。进一步扩宽噪声源频带,加大调制深度,有望实现更高功率的窄线宽光纤激光输出。     

基于时变功率谱的激光器调谐瞬时线宽测量方法研究

半导体激光器的线宽通常采用激光外差测量技术,通过差拍信号的功率谱密度函数来确定,受傅里叶变换方法的限制,得到的均是在一定时间段内的静态平均线宽。为了获得半导体激光器在电流调谐过程中的瞬时线宽特性,提出了利用时变功率谱获知调谐瞬时线宽的相干和非相干测量方法,并分别进行了理论分析和实验验证。首先对半导体激光器输出光信号及差拍信号进行了时间-频率域下的数学描述,确定了时变功率谱与调谐瞬时线宽的关系;其次,针对差拍信号的趋向性特征,提出了趋势局部均值分解方法,并研究了利用分解出的乘积函数建立差拍信号及激光器输出光信号的时变功率谱的方法;最后利用非相干和相干测量法分别获得了分布反馈式半导体激光器在50~51及50~100 mA锯齿波电流调谐过程中的瞬时线宽。     

用速率方程分析垂直腔面发射激光器的噪声

采用一种合理的噪声模拟方法，用速率方程对垂直腔面发射激光器的噪声特性进行了数值分析，在单模情况下计算了器件的自发辐射因子、输出功率、注入电流、阈值电流等参数与相对强度噪声、频率噪声以及线宽等特性的关系，计算结果与实验基本相符，对优化垂直腔面发射激光器的结构设计和应用条件有所裨益. 关键词：     

Control and active stabilization of the linewidth of an ECDL

The linewidth of a polarization-locked external cavity diode laser (ECDL) is explored employing heterodyne as well as self-heterodyne measurements. We use a model capable of providing the individual contributions of white, pink and red noise to the overall linewidth to analyze the measured beat spectra. These spectra are obtained while tuning the external cavity as well as a function of pump current and feedback level. By virtue of our locking technique, we find that the linewidth can be adjusted and minimized by simply altering the setpoint of the closed-loop control. This control of the linewidth is applicable for any ECDL using polarization locking. For our particular ECDL, we are able to tune the overall linewidth from ??8?kHz to 20?kHz. Moreover, we achieve a lower white noise level of the ECDL compared to a free running one.     

Coherent optical OFDM scheme with inter-carrier interference self-cancellation and common phase error compensation

Schemes integrating inter-carrier interference （ICI） self-cancellation and common phase error （CPE） com- pensation for coherent optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing （CO-OFDM） systems are investi- gated. The purpose of our research is to counteract the impacts of laser phase noise and fiber nonlinearity. We propose two ICI self-cancellation-based CO-OFDM schemes, and adopt a pilot-aided decision feedback （DFB） loop for CPE compensation. The proposed schemes are compared with conventional CO-OFDM schemes at the same spectral efficiency. Simulations show that our schemes can not only enhance laser linewidth tolerance of the CO-OFDM system, but also present strong robustness against fiber nonlinearity.     

Analysis of the spectral linewidth of three-cavity semiconductor laser diodes

The spectral linewidth for a semiconductor laser diode coupled to two external cavities (known as a three-cavity laser diode) is studied in the article. A closed-form expression for the linewidth of this laser is derived by analyzing the number of photons in the laser cavity. It is found that, because of the optical feedback provided by the external cavities, the photon lifetime becomes longer than that of a solitary Fabry-Perot (FP) laser, hence reducing the value of the spectral linewidth. Our theoretical investigations reveal that the linewidth of a three-cavity laser can be reduced further by using external mirrors with high reflectivities and using anti-refection (AR) coatings on the laser diode facets. We have also studied the effects of uncertainties in the linewidth enhancement factor a due to optical feedback and found that such uncertainties have negligible effects on the validity of our results.     

低噪声光纤激光器的实验研究

光传感和光通信领域的迅速发展迫切需要相位噪声和强度噪声都很低的激光光源,为满足这一需求,设计出一种新型低噪声光纤激光器。激光器采用复合腔结构,以掺铒光纤作为工作物质,通过在未被抽运的掺铒光纤中形成的瞬态自写入光纤光栅的窄带滤波特性进行选模和压窄线宽,产生稳定的单频激光输出;经过光路改进,激光输出光谱信噪比优于62 dB;利用光电负反馈电路,弛豫振荡峰下降了约25 dB,低频段强度噪声也大为改善,有效地抑制了光源的强度噪声。激光器的输出光功率大于1 dBm,线宽小于1 kHz,边模抑制比超过50 dB。优异的低噪声特性使得该激光器在光传感和光通信领域具有重要的应用价值。     

Multi-parametric function of differential backscattering in 3D biological media with heterogeneities

A model scheme for spectral visualization of biological media macrostructure is presented. Superficial tissue with heterogeneities was chosen as a basic investigation object. 3D Monte Carlo simulation of laser radiation propagation in multiple scattered media was used for computation of differential spectral backscattering density which may characterize the state of the irradiated tissue. Numerical results allow to determine differential backscattering intensity as the multi-parametric function of media and heterogeneities features. The data are basic for diagnostic scheme software implementation.     

Ultraviolet laser ionization studies of 1-fluoronaphthalene clusters and density functional theory calculations

This paper studies supersonic jet-cooled 1-fluoronaphthalene(1FN) clusters by ultraviolet(UV) laser ionization at 281 nm in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer.The(1FN) + n(n=1-3) series cluster ions are observed where the signal intensity decreases with increasing cluster size.The effects of sample inlet pressures and ionization laser fluxes to mass spectral distribution are measured.Using density functional theory calculations,it obtains a planar geometric structure of 1FN dimer which is combined through two hydrogen bonds.The mass spectra indicate that the intensity of 1FN trimer is much weaker than that of 1FN dimer and this feature is attributed to the fact that the dimer may form the first "shell" in geometric structure while the larger clusters are generated based on this fundamental unit.     

Shot noise in Fabry-Perot interferometers based on carbon nanotubes

We report on shot noise measurements in carbon nanotube based Fabry-Perot electronic interferometers. As a consequence of quantum interference, the noise power spectral density oscillates as a function of the voltage applied to the gate electrode. The quantum shot noise theory accounts for the data quantitatively and allows us to determine directly the transmissions of the two channels characterizing the nanotube. In the weak backscattering regime, the dependence of the noise on the backscattering current is found weaker than expected, pointing either to electron-electron interactions or to weak decoherence.     

Radiation noise of an active interferometer

 An investigation of the behaviour of amplitude and frequency noise of radiation of an active interferometer in the regime of amplified optical bistability is presented. The phenomenon of non-amplification of external signal noise at sharp amplification of the external signal is established. The impact of strong amplitude fluctuations is studied. Our results have shown that the active interferometer allows an effective separation of the valid signal from the amplitude noise. The spectral density of a fluctuation of the field frequency in the active interferometer is shown to fall sharply in comparison with the “quantum limit”. The linewidth of radiation is determined by the spectral density at zero frequency and is equal to the natural linewidth of the external signal. The influence of quantum noise of the amplifying and absorbing media of the active interferometer is discussed. Received: 26 January 1996     

Measurements of the laser linewidth due to quantum phase and quantum amplitude noise above and below threshold. I

The natural linewidths and line shapes due to quantum phase and quantum amplitude noise have been investigated above, within and below the threshold region of laser operation using a Fourier spectroscopic technique. Outside the threshold region the linewidths of the laser spectrum were found to be inversely proportional to the laser power, and measurements confirm the “factor of two” difference in the linewidth equation. Within the threshold region the results are in agreement with calculations of Hempstead, Lax and Risken. A Mach-Zehnder interferometer with optical path differences up to 1500 meters was used for the measurements. The method of investigation combines a high spectral resolution with a good signal-to-noise ratio. The method is suited to linewidth measurements of a laser both above and below threshold and allows the technical and natural linewidths to be clearly distinguished.     

电负反馈半导体激光器半经典理论

本文建立了电负反馈半导体激光器的半经典速率方程模型,导出此类激光器的FM噪声功率谱密度,从而证明电负反馈技术可压窄激光器线宽。在反馈带宽之内激光器的频偏功率比(CPR)减小(1+H)倍,而带宽以外则不受影响,因此这类激光器可用作直接调制FSK相干传输系统光源。由于激光器直接频率调制时相位延迟的限制,l/f型FM噪声是限制谱线压缩的主要因素。 关键词：     

Noise properties of an optical frequency comb from a SESAM-mode-locked 1.5-μm solid-state laser stabilized to the 10?13 level

We present a detailed investigation of the noise properties of an optical frequency comb generated from a femtosecond diode-pumped solid-state laser operating in the 1.5-??m spectral region. The stabilization of the passively mode-locked Er:Yb:glass laser oscillator, referred to as ERGO, is achieved using pump power modulation for the control of the carrier envelope offset (CEO) frequency and by adjusting the laser cavity length for the control of the repetition rate. The stability and the noise of the ERGO comb are characterized in free-running and in phase-locked operation by measuring the noise properties of the CEO, of the repetition rate, and of a comb line at 1558?nm. The comb line is analyzed from the heterodyne beat signal with a cavity-stabilized ultra-narrow-linewidth laser using a frequency discriminator. Two different schemes to stabilize the comb to a radio-frequency (RF) reference are compared. The comb properties (phase noise, frequency stability) are limited in both cases by the RF oscillator used to stabilize the repetition rate, while the contribution of the CEO is negligible at all Fourier frequencies, as a consequence of the low-noise characteristics of the CEO-beat. A?linewidth of ??150?kHz and a fractional frequency instability of 4.2×10^?13 at 1?s are obtained for an optical comb line at 1558?nm. Improved performance is obtained by stabilizing the comb to an optical reference, which is a cavity-stabilized ultra-narrow linewidth laser at 1558?nm. The fractional frequency stability of 8×10^?14 at 1?s, measured in preliminary experiments, is limited by the reference oscillator used in the frequency comparison.