Noise amplification during supercontinuum generation in microstructure fiber

Supercontinua generated by femtosecond pulses launched in microstructure fiber can exhibit significant low-frequency (<1-MHz) amplitude noise on the output pulse train. We show that this low-frequency noise is an amplified version of the amplitude noise that is already present on the input laser pulse train. Through both experimental measurements and numerical simulations, we quantify the noise amplification factor and its dependence on the supercontinuum wavelength and on the energy and duration of the input pulse. Interestingly, the dependence differs significantly from that of the broadband white-noise component, which arises from amplification of the input laser shot noise.     

Measurement of pulse width and amplitude jitter noises of gigahertz optical pulse trains by time-domain demodulation

We propose a technique for measuring both pulse width and amplitude jitter noises of high-repetition-rate optical pulse trains and the cross correlation between these noises as well. The technique is based on time-domain amplitude demodulation of three harmonic components of the detected pulse train. We applied this technique to characterize noises of a gigahertz optical pulse train generated by an actively mode-locked Er-doped fiber laser. Correlation between pulse width jitter and pulse amplitude jitter was observed at low frequencies in this laser. Unlike relaxation oscillation noise, low-frequency noise is free from pulse energy jitter. Owing to its ability to measure pulse width jitter in addition to amplitude and phase jitters, this technique is of great interest for characterizing noises of a wide variety of optical pulse train sources.     

全光纤主动锁模2 μm掺铥脉冲激光器

报道了全光纤结构主动锁模掺铥脉冲激光器,中心波长为1950 nm。利用电光相位调制器对光纤激光器进行腔内相位调制,获得了重复频率为11.884 MHz的主动锁模脉冲输出,脉宽为816 ps。改变泵浦功率、调制信号的频率和幅度,获得了重复频率为4~18 kHz的弛豫振荡调制稳定脉冲输出。锁模和弛豫振荡调制获得的输出脉冲能量波动低于7%。     

Nonlinear phase noise generated in air-silica microstructure fiber and its effect on carrier-envelope phase

We present measurements of the nonlinear phase noise that is due to amplitude-to-phase conversion in air-silica microstructure fiber that is utilized to broaden the frequency comb from a mode-locked femtosecond laser to an optical octave. When the octave of the continuum is employed to phase stabilize the laser-pulse train, this phase noise causes a change in the carrier-envelope phase of 3784-rad/nJ change in pulse energy. As a result, the jitter on the carrier-envelope phase that is due to fiber noise, from 0.03 Hz-55 kHz, is ~0.5rad .     

有理数谐波主被动锁模掺铒光纤激光器

在理论上详细分析了利用非线性光学环形镜（NOLM）来减小输出脉冲幅度波动,消除噪声并对脉冲进行压缩整形的物理机制。在主动锁模掺铒光纤环形激光器中（AHML－EDFL）接入一个非线性光学环形镜,形成结构新颖的主被动锁模掺铒光纤激光器（APHML－EDFL）,利用非线性光学环形镜所具有的饱和吸收体功能,成功地制抑了4阶有理数谐波锁模（RHML）中较大的幅度噪声,在1GHz量级的调制频率下,由主被动锁模掺铒光纤激光器获产生重复频率为5．1GHz,幅度相当稳定的4阶有理数谐波锁模脉冲序列。     

相位对比读出三维光数据存储的实验研究

使用波长800 nm、脉冲宽度150f s的近红外激光脉冲紧聚焦到PMMA（聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯）和熔融石英中实现了三维逐位式光数据存储,分别记录下了5、10、 15和20层数据位点.利用相位对比光学显微原理对各层数据并行读出,实验分析了各层数据位点的读出对比度的变化.结果表明:各层数据位点的折射率对比度由内至外依次增加,记录层数越多,其内部层的对比度下降越明显.由于飞秒激光脉冲与透明介质相互作用中,熔融石英内部产生的残余应力比PMMA内大,因此数据位点参数相同的情况下,利用PMMA材料记录的层数更多.     

Ultralow-jitter and -amplitude-noise semiconductor-based actively mode-locked laser

We report a semiconductor-based, low-noise, 10.24 GHz actively mode-locked laser with 4.65 fs of relative timing jitter and a 0.0365% amplitude fluctuation (1 Hz to 100 MHz) of the optical pulse train. The keys to obtaining this result were the laser's high optical power and the low phase noise of the rf source used to mode lock the laser. The low phase noise of the rf source not only improves the absolute and relative timing jitter of the laser, but also prevents coupling of the rf source phase noise to the pulse amplitude fluctuations by the mode-locked laser.     

Excess noise generation during spectral broadening in a microstructured fiber

We observe that nanojoule femtosecond pulses that are spectrally broadened in a microstructured fiber acquire excess noise. The excess noise is manifested as an increase in the noise floor of the rf spectrum of the photocurrent from a photodetector illuminated by the pulse train from the laser oscillator. Measurements are made of the intensity dependence of the excess noise for both 100 fs and sub-10 fs pulses. The excess noise is very strong for 100 fs pulses, but barely measurable for sub-10 fs pulses. A rigorous quantum treatment of the nonlinear propagation of ultrashort pulses predicts that, for a fixed generated bandwidth, the amount of excess noise decreases with pulse duration, in agreement with the experimental results.     

基于谐波拟合产生周期性三角形光脉冲串的实验研究

实验研究了一种基于谐波拟合产生周期性三角形光脉冲串的方法,方案首先利用马赫曾德调制器的载波抑制调制,获得具有周期性起伏的连续光强度信号,然后利用光纤色散所致的射频功率衰落效应,对光强度表达式中四次谐波分量进行抑制,调节调制深度后,光强度表达式将向理想三角形傅里叶展开式的前三项进行逼近,最后以谐波拟合的方式获得重复频率为射频调制频率二倍的周期性三角形光脉冲串.结合实验,在9.862 GHz和7.678 GHz射频调制频率下,获得了脉冲重复频率19.724 Gb/s(脉冲全宽约50.7 ps)和15.356Gb/s(脉冲全宽约65.1 ps)的稳定三角形光脉冲串输出,改变色散量并反向调节调制频率,可进一步改变脉冲的重复频率,所获得的实验结果与理论预期基本符合.     

Parametric Amplification of Phase‐Locked Few‐Cycle Pulses and Ultraviolet Harmonics Generation in Solids at High Repetition Rate

A high‐power femtosecond Yb:fiber system is seeded by a phase‐locked Er:fiber source and drives an ultra‐broadband optical parametric amplifier that operates at 10 MHz repetition rate. The resulting pulses display precise control of the carrier‐envelope phase. Their 8.3 fs temporal duration corresponds to 2.3 optical cycles of the 1100 nm carrier wavelength. Focusing 200 nJ of pulse energy into widegap materials generates optical harmonics up to fifth order. Even in a perturbative regime, strong effects of the carrier‐envelope phase on the emitted spectra are observed.