Efficient, high-power, ytterbium-fiber-laser-pumped picosecond optical parametric oscillator

We report a high-power picosecond optical parametric oscillator (OPO) synchronously pumped by a Yb fiber laser at 1.064 μm, providing 11.7 W of total average power in the near to mid-IR at 73% extraction efficiency. The OPO, based on a 50 mm MgO:PPLN crystal, is pumped by 20.8 ps pulses at 81.1 MHz and can simultaneously deliver 7.1 W of signal at 1.56 μm and 4.6 W of idler at 3.33 μm for 16 W of pump power. The oscillator has a threshold of 740 mW, with maximum signal power of 7.4 W at 1.47 μm and idler power of 4.9 W at 3.08 μm at slope efficiencies of 51% and 31%, respectively. Wavelength coverage across 1.43-1.63 μm (signal) and 4.16-3.06 μm (idler) is obtained, with a total power of ~11 W and an extraction efficiency of ~68%, with pump depletion of ~78% maintained over most of the tuning range. The signal and idler output have a single-mode spatial profile and a peak-to-peak power stability of ±1.8% and ±2.9% over 1 h at the highest power, respectively. A signal pulse duration of 17.3 ps with a clean single-peak spectrum results in a time-bandwidth product of ~1.72, more than four times below the input pump pulses.     

Generation of sub-mJ terahertz pulses by optical rectification

Recent theoretical calculations predicted an order-of-magnitude increase in the efficiency of terahertz pulse generation by optical rectification in lithium niobate when 500 fs long pump pulses are used, rather than the commonly used ~100 fs pulses. Even by using longer than optimal pump pulses of 1.3 ps duration, 2.5× higher THz pulse energy (125 μJ) was measured with 2.5× higher pump-to-THz energy conversion efficiency (0.25%) than reported previously with shorter pulses. These results verify the advantage of longer pump pulses and support the expectation that mJ-level THz pulses will be available by cooling the crystal and using large pumped area.     

High-repetition-rate near-infrared noncollinear ultrabroadband optical parametric amplification in KTiOPO4

We report efficient noncollinear optical parametric amplification (NOPA) of ultrabroadband near-IR pulses tunable in the 1.1-1.5 μm range at a repetition rate of 250 kHz. Improved generation of smooth near-IR continua (extending over ~1.0-1.6 μm) at 250 kHz was achieved by weakly focusing ~20% of the 1 W driving laser beam into a sapphire plate with longer focal length lenses than previously reported. Using bulk potassium-titanyl phosphate (KTiOPO(4)) pumped at 800 nm, powers as high as 11 mW (14% pump conversion efficiency) and signal pulse durations as short as 23 fs were obtained after a single white-light seeded NOPA stage.     

Picosecond pulse generation in the infrared by stimulated Raman scattering in atomic vapours

We report the generation of high-power picosecond infrared pulses by stimulated electronic Raman scattering in an atomic vapour. Single 30 ps pulses at 532 nm were Raman-shifted in caesium vapour to produce 0.4 mJ pulses at 2.38 μm, with 20% quantum efficiency. This technique can be extended to cover a wide range of infrared wavelenghts by using various Raman transitions.     

Passive Q-switching of the diode-pumped Er:YAG laser cavity with the Q-switch based on the Fe<Superscript>2+</Superscript>:ZnSe crystal

Repetitive-pulse generation of the diode-pumped Er:YAG laser (λ = 2.94 μm) in the free mode and in the mode of cavity passive Q-switching was achieved using a Q-switch based on the Fe²⁺:ZnSe crystal. When using pump pulses 3 ms long, the pulse-average output power of the Er:YAG laser in the free generation mode was 0.5W. In the passive Q-switching mode, giant pulses 180 ns long with an energy of 3 μJ were obtained.     

LD抽运Nd:Gd1-xYxVO4连续波激光器的实验研究

报道了一种半导体二极管(LD)抽运Nd:Gd1-xYxVO4晶体,采用简单、结构紧凑的平-平腔设计,实现了1.06 μm连续波激光输出,在8 W的注入功率下,获得3.25 W的1.06 μm连续波激光输出,光-光转换效率为41%,斜效率为45%.KTP腔内倍频实现了稳定的连续波532 nm绿光激光运转,当注入功率为8 W时,单向获得了621 mW的单模绿光输出.     

A comprehensive study of Nd:YAG,Nd:YAlO<Subscript>3</Subscript>, Nd:YVO<Subscript>4</Subscript> and Nd:YGdVO<Subscript>4</Subscript> lasers operating at wavelengths of 0.9 and 1.3 μm. Part 2: passively mode locked-operation

This paper reports on the generation of picosecond (ps) laser pulses by self-phase-adjusting additive-pulse-mode-locking (PSA) at wavelengths of 0.9 and 1.3 μm. The main objective of this work was to investigate and compare the characteristic optical properties of ps lasers based on different Nd-doped laser crystals like Nd:YAG, Nd:YAlO₃, Nd:YVO₄ and Nd:GdVO₄. As a result of these investigations a mode-locked Nd:YVO₄ laser for example, generated, ps pulses at 1.3 μm with a duration of 7 ps, a repetition rate of 160 MHz and an average power of 4.7 W. At 0.9 μm pulses with a duration of 1.9 ps were obtained at a repetition rate of 158 MHz and an average power of 2.8 W. PACS  42.70.Hj; 42.65.Re; 42.65.Ky     

Analysis of a laser-diode end-pumped intracavity frequency-doubled passively Q-switched and mode-locked Nd:GdVO<Subscript>4</Subscript>/KTP laser with a semiconductor saturable absorber

A diode-pumped passively Q-switched mode-locked (QML) intracavity frequency-doubled Nd:GdVO₄/KTP green laser with a semiconductor saturable absorber is presented. Nearly 100% modulation depth for the mode-locked green pulses can be achieved at any pump power over 1.92 W. The width of the mode-locked green pulse was estimated to be about 150 ps. The mode-locked pulse interval within the Q-switched envelope of 320 ns and the repetition rate of 97.5 kHz were obtained, at an incident pump power of 4.4 W. The repetition rate of the mode-locked green pulses inside the Q-switched envelope was 140 MHz.     

Diode-pumped passively Q-switched mode-locking Nd:Y0.5Gd0.5VO4 laser at 1.34 μm with Co2+:LaMgAl11O19 saturable absorber

We reporte a passively Q-switched and mode-locked Nd:Y_0.5Gd_0.5VO₄ laser at 1.34 μm with Co²⁺:LaMgAl₁₁O₁₉(Co:LMA) crystal as the saturable absorber. With the incident pump power of 6.56 W, a maximum output power of 242 mW was obtained. Q-switched mode-locking pulses with modulation depth nearly 100% were obtained. The width of the mode-locked pulse was estimated to be less than 600 ps.     

亚纳秒光脉冲抽运光子晶体光纤产生的瓦级超连续谱

研究了亚纳秒脉冲抽运光子晶体光纤产生高功率超连续谱的机理.采用掺镱锁模光纤激光器产生的脉宽570ps光脉冲,抽运1.8m光子晶体光纤,得到了平均功率为1.15W、光谱覆盖范围为750nm的超连续谱.通过实验和模拟结果的对比和分析,证实了亚纳秒脉冲抽运1.8m PCF产生超连续谱时,调制不稳定性效应起了重要作用.在研究了不同抽运功率下输出的超连续谱变化后,发现随着抽运功率的提高,输出功率也更高且超连续谱覆盖波段也更宽,在瓦级输出功率下依然未达到饱和展宽状态,还有进一步提高功率和展宽光谱的空间.     

Actively Q-switched and mode-locked Tm3+-doped silicate 2 μm fiber laser for supercontinuum generation in fluoride fiber

A diode-pumped actively Q-switched and actively mode-locked Tm3+-doped double-clad silicate fiber laser is reported providing up to 5 W of average output power at ~60 kHz Q-switch envelope repetition rate and ~8 μJ subpulses with up to 2.4 kW peak power. Using this source as a pump laser for supercontinuum generation in a ZBLAN fiber, over 1080 mW of supercontinuum from 1.9 μm to beyond 3.6 μm was obtained at an overall efficiency of 3.3% with respect to the diode pump power.     

Direct Generation of Tunable UV Picosecond Laser Pulses Using Spectrotemporal Selection

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高功率宽调谐输出的多周期极化铌酸锂晶体光学参量振荡器

利用掺杂浓度为5 mol%的掺氧化镁多周期极化铌酸锂晶体实现了高效单谐振的准相位匹配光参量振荡器,所使用的周期极化铌酸锂晶体有6个周期,且以1 μm为间隔,从26.5~31.5 μm. 该光参量振荡器以脉宽为150 ns,重复频率为10 kHz的声光调Q Nd∶YAG激光器为泵浦源,且泵浦光波长为1.064 μm. 通过控制晶体的温度（50~200℃）以及改变晶体的极化周期（26.5~31.5 μm）,可由该光参量振荡器获得2.83~2.89 μm,3.10~3.38 μm,3.57~3.78 μm,3.95~4.12 μm, 4.28~4.46 μm,4.65~4.79 μm的闲频光连续调谐输出. 且当泵浦功率为8.15 W时,在闲频光输出波长为3.33 μm处,获得了最大输出功率2.17 W.     

Fiber-coupled diode end-pumped Q-switched Tm,Ho:YLiF4 laser

At liquid-nitrogen temperature, at 10-kHz pulse repetition rate, Q-switched 36-ns pulses with average output power of 4 W at 2.05 μm and 4.5-W continuous wave output power with a total optical-optical conversion efficiency of 30%, were achieved from a 6% Tm, 0.5% Ho:YLiF4 laser. This laser was endpumped by a fiber-coupled laser diode emitting up to 15 W around 792 nm. The 1-m-long optical fiber carrying the pump radiation has a core diameter of 700 μm with a numerical aperture of 0.22.     

8字形主被动锁模掺Er3+光纤激光器

在理论上分析了利用非线性光学环形镜作为等效可饱和吸收体压缩脉冲进行锁模的物理机制。利用8字形主被动混合锁模的结构在调制频率2．498749GHz下，在1．543μm处获得了12ps的锁模脉冲输出，对应谱宽0．22nm，时间脉宽积0．33。在抽运功率50mW情况下，输出脉冲平均功率3．715mW。在调制频率2．499344GHz、2．499114GHz和2．498999GHz时分别并获得了2～4阶幅度较为均衡的有理数谐波锁模脉冲序列。     

1.5 mJ, 6.4 fs parametric chirped-pulse amplification system at 1 kHz

We demonstrate an optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) system with the pulse energy of 1.5 mJ at a 1 kHz repetition rate. The newly developed 100 ps Ti:sapphire pump laser system, which was optically synchronized with OPCPA seed pulses, delivered 10 mJ, 400 nm pump pulses. After three-stage parametric amplification, recompression of the amplifier output from 45 ps to 6.4 fs was performed. The pulse width of 6.4 fs is, to our knowledge, the shortest ever obtained by OPCPA, and the average power of 1.5 W (1.5 mJ, 1 kHz) is believed to be the highest among few-cycle OPCPA systems.     

基于多层石墨烯可饱和吸收体的被动调Q Ho∶YAG激光器

报道了2μm被动调Q的Ho∶YAG激光器,该激光器采用Tm~(3+)光纤激光器作为泵浦源,使用多层石墨烯作为可饱和吸收体。在连续波激光输出模式下,当泵浦功率为4.2 W时,获得了750 mW激光输出,输出激光中心波长为2.09μm,斜率效率为29.6%。在连续波激光器谐振腔中插入多层石墨烯可饱和吸收体并调整谐振腔,获得了脉冲激光输出。当泵浦功率为4.2 W时,获得最小脉冲宽度3.1μs、重复频率66.6 kHz的脉冲激光输出,其最大平均输出功率为170 mW,斜率效率为12.6%,光束质量因子M_x~2=1.15,M_y~2=1.12。     

二极管端面泵浦的附加脉冲锁模的Nd：YLF激光器

研究了二极管端面泵浦的附加脉冲锁模的Ｎｄ：ＹＡＧ激光器并分析了脉冲压缩原理及自启动机制,在最大泵浦功率为２．４Ｗ时,得到重复频率为１３４ＭＨｚ、脉宽为２ｐｓ、有效输出功率７６ｍＷ、相应峰值继２８３Ｗ、波长为１．０５３μｍ、波长为１．０５３μｍ的稳定的连续模脉冲序列。     

Generation of a mid-infrared broadband polarized supercontinuum in As₂Se₃ photonic crystal fibers

A simplified structure of birefringent chalcogenide As 2 Se 3 photonic crystal fiber(PCF) is designed.Properties of birefringence,polarization extinction ratio,chromatic dispersion,nonlinear coefficient,and transmission are studied by using the multipole method,the finite-difference beam propagation method,and the adaptive split-step Fourier method.Considering that the zero dispersion wavelength of our proposed fiber is about 4 μm,we have analysed the mechanism of spectral broadening in PCFs with different pitches in detail,with femtosecond pulses at a wavelength of 4 μm as the pump pulses.Especially,mid-infrared broadband polarized supercontinuums are obtained in a 3-cm PCF with an optimal pitch of 2 μm.Their spectral width at 20 dB reaches up to 12 μm.In the birefringent PCF,we find that the supercontinuum generation changes with the pump alignment angle.Research results show that no coupling between eigenpolarization modes are observed at the maximum average power(i.e.,37 mW),which indicates that the polarization state is well maintained.     

1.3μmDFB半导体激光超短脉冲的产生及其压缩

本文首次报道１．３μｍ单模超短脉冲产生及压缩实验。通过梳状波电脉冲直接调制ＤＣＰＢＨ－ＤＦＢ半导体激光器，获得２２ｐｓ单模光滑脉冲；然后利用Ｇ－Ｔ干涉仪压缩得到近变换极限超短脉冲。脉宽为９．３ｐｓ，峰值功率超过２００ｍＷ，重复频率１ＧＨｚ，时间带宽乘积为０．３９，脉冲压缩比为２．４。最后对实验结果进行了讨论。