温度对飞秒激光脉冲在NaCl溶液中成丝产生的超连续谱的影响

利用飞秒激光脉冲在NaCl溶液中成丝,研究了溶液温度对飞秒激光成丝过程中产生的超连续谱的影响.发现在激光脉冲能量较低时,溶液温度对超连续谱的影响几乎可以忽略;而在激光脉冲能量较高时,随着NaCl溶液温度的升高,超连续谱呈现出被压缩的趋势.此外,在激光脉冲能量较高的情况下, NaCl中会产生大量的气泡.通过分析,得出了飞秒激光在溶液中成丝产生的气泡是影响超连续谱发射的主要因素.     

Self-transformation of a powerful femtosecond laser pulse into a white-light laser pulse in bulk optical media (or supercontinuum generation)

We present experimental and theoretical results on white-light generation in the filamentation of a high-power femtosecond laser pulse in water and atmospheric air. We have shown that the high spatio-temporal localization of the light field in the filament, which enables the supercontinuum generation, is sustained due to the dynamic transformation of the light field on the whole transverse scale of the beam, including its edges. We found that the sources of the supercontinuum blue wing are in the rings, surrounding the filament, as well as at the back of the pulse, where shock-wave formation enhanced by self-steepening takes place. We report on the first observation and demonstration of the interference of the supercontinuum spectral components arising in the course of multiple filamentation in a terawatt laser pulse. We demonstrate that the conversion efficiency of an initially narrow laser pulse spectrum into the supercontinuum depends on the length of the filament with high intensity gradients and can be increased by introducing an initial chirp. PACS 42.65.Jx; 42.65.Re; 42.25.Bs; 42.50.Hz     

激光大气成丝中的非线性光频转换

超快强激光在光学介质（如空气）中传播时由于克尔自聚焦效应和等离体散焦效应动态平 衡会发生一种独特的非线性激光成丝现象。激光成丝过程会诱导一些独特的物理现象,如非线性 光频转换产生超连续光谱、等离子体诱导高压放电、锥形辐射等,在大气传感、天气控制等研究 领域具有重要的应用前景。本文针对飞秒激光大气成丝过程中与传输介质相互作用所诱导的非线 性发光过程,介绍了激光大气成丝所产生的超连续光谱（白光）激光、谐波产生和太赫兹波辐射 三种非线性光频转换现象,并着重探讨了太赫兹波辐射的物理机理、研究现状和应用前景。     

生物医学领域中超连续激光光谱技术的研究进展

超连续谱激光指的是当泵浦激光穿过特殊光波导时,一系列的非线性效应引起入射激光束的光谱展宽,从而输出宽光谱激光束。随着超快激光和光子晶体光纤技术的发展,利用超短脉冲在光子晶体光纤中的传播链产生相干的且亮度高的超连续谱激光成为了一种理想的白光源。自从超连续谱激光源投入应用以来,其应用领域越来越广。尤其在生物医学的细胞、血液等样品分析当中,荧光光谱学、流式细胞仪、共焦显微、光学相干层析等技术都是强有力的分析工具,在采用这些先进技术的科学仪器中,超连续谱激光源成为了一种主要光学部件。首先对超连续谱激光源的国际研究进展作了详细介绍,然后对超连续激光光谱技术在显微成像、流式细胞仪、荧光寿命成像显微、荧光共振能量转移、光学相干层析、共焦显微生物医学分析等生物医学领域中的发展及应用作了综合阐述。对超连续激光光谱技术在非接触式血液制品鉴别的需求、方案及研究进展进行了重点论述,包括覆盖400～2 000 nm光谱范围的光纤化轻型超连续谱激光光源研究;采用超连续谱激光光谱方法探索不同物种血液的种属特征;根据大数据的血液样品光谱特征元数据库分析建立数学模型,利用数学模型实现对血液样品种属光谱学判定;血液鉴别光谱分析便携式整机系统研发等。对超连续激光光谱技术在生物医学领域的应用前景作了展望。     

Two-photon-excited photoluminescence and heating of gold nanorods through absorption of supercontinuum light

Most of lasers used for imaging and heating gold nanorods are single-wavelength lasers and their efficiency to interact with different gold nanorods is limited. In this study, we demonstrated that supercontinuum light could be a fast, effective and energy efficient excitation source for heating of gold nanorods. The photothermal effect and the heating speed of gold nanorods illuminated by a supercontinuum light and femtosecond pulses through two-photon excitation are experimentally studied through using transmission electron microscopy images and photoluminescence images of gold nanorods. It is found that the supercontinuum light improves the heating speed by 39 %, and melts 30 % more of gold nanorods compared with the femtosecond pulse excitation approach. The heating speed of gold nanorods by supercontinuum light depends not only on its polarization states, but also on the pulse width and numerical aperture of its focused beam. It has been found that the supercontinuum is more efficient in heating of gold nanorods, making it potentially valuable for clinical applications.     

飞秒激光成丝过程中由等离子体光栅引起的超连续谱增强与转移

在飞秒宽带激光脉冲成丝过程中, 由于双光束干涉效应而形成的空间等离子体光栅, 研究了空气中飞秒宽带激光脉冲成丝所产生的超连续谱增强效应, 并进一步观测到泵浦光脉冲成丝产生的超连续谱能量向较弱的未成丝的探测光脉冲转移, 有效拓展探测光脉冲带宽的新现象. 通过基于布拉格衍射特性的理论计算较好地解释了实验结果.     

Continuous-wave supercontinuum laser based on an erbium-doped fiber ring cavity incorporating a highly nonlinear optical fiber

We experimentally demonstrate a novel erbium-doped fiber based continuous-wave (cw) supercontinuum laser. The laser has a simple ring-cavity structure incorporating an erbium-doped fiber and a highly nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber (HNL-DSF). Differently from previously demonstrated cw supercontinuum sources based on single propagation of a strong Raman pump laser beam through a highly nonlinear fiber, erbium gain inside the cavity generates a seed light oscillation, and the oscillated light subsequently evolves into a supercontinuum by nonlinear effects such as modulation instability and stimulated Raman scattering in the HNL-DSF. High quality of the depolarized supercontinuum laser output with a spectral bandwidth larger than 250 nm is readily achieved.     

V型高双折射光子晶体光纤超连续谱产生的实验研究

高非线性高双折射光子晶体光纤是超连续谱产生的最有效介质之一, 因此本文选取V型光子晶体光纤作为研究对象. 通过多极理论数值模拟的结果, 确定V型光纤具有高双折射、高非线性等特性. 通过实验手段, 发现入射光中心波长和光纤的双折射效应对产生的超连续谱有很大的影响: 当入射光波长处于光子晶体光纤大的反常色散区时, 脉冲相对展得比较宽, 长轴要比短轴方向的超连续谱更宽, 频谱成分更加丰富. 在同一波长下光偏振方向越接近45°时, 超连续谱谱宽范围越大. 随着入射脉冲功率的增加, 超连续谱展得越宽, 但是当功率比较大时会达到功率饱和. 关键词： 光子晶体光纤 高双折射 多极理论 超连续谱     

Adaptive femtosecond pulse shaping to control supercontinuum generation in a microstructure fiber

Efficient confinement of laser radiation in the core of a photonic crystal fiber increases the nonlinear processes resulting in supercontinuum generation. The technique of adaptive pulse shaping using an evolutionary algorithm provides a method to gain control over such highly nonlinear processes. Adaptive pulse shaping of the driving laser radiation passing through the photonic crystal fiber is employed to modify the shape and composition of the output supercontinuum. Amplitude and phase shaping are used to optimize the broadband emission between 500 and 700 nm, as well as a soliton centered at 935 nm. The intensities of the emission and of the soliton driven by a shaped laser pulse increase in comparison to an unshaped pulse by factors of 4 and 3, respectively. The spectral width in the range of 500-600 nm is increased by approximately 40%. In addition, the suppression of self-steepening effects in supercontinuum spectra is demonstrated.     

飞秒平顶光束经微透镜阵列在熔融石英中的成丝及其超连续辐射

实验研究了平顶激光光束经微透镜阵列在熔融石英中成丝的演化以及超连续辐射的产生,并进一步与高斯光束的成丝和超连续辐射进行了对比研究.分别对这两种光束的多丝传输进行了横向和纵向成像.结果表明,使用平顶光束可以获得更为均匀的多丝分布,成丝的起点也更为一致;尤其重要的是,相对于高斯光束,平顶光束可以使用更高的入射激光脉冲能量而不会造成介质的损伤,从而可以获得更高脉冲能量和更高转换效率的超连续辐射.     

飞秒脉冲在硅波导中产生超连续谱的研究

利用非线性薛定谔方程对飞秒脉冲在硅波导中的传输以及超连续谱的产生进行了研究,计算和分析了色散参量及非线性损耗在超连续谱的产生过程中的影响.结果表明,孤子分裂是飞秒脉冲在硅波导中产生超连续谱的主要机理.飞秒脉冲中心波长与波导零色散点的相对位置对超连续谱的产生有极大影响.当中心波长位于近零色散点的反常色散区时,孤子分裂现象最明显,谱宽远大于在零色散波长及正常色散处入射时的情况,并且达到稳定展宽所需波导长度最短.其次,高阶色散的大小也会影响光谱展宽,三阶色散绝对值较小时,能够获得较大的展宽.另外,由于双光子吸收效应带来大量损耗,限制了谱宽,并且随着初始脉冲功率的逐渐增大,展宽出现饱和现象. 关键词： 超连续谱 孤子分裂 色散 硅波导     

Pulse collapse and blue-shifted enhanced supercontinuumin photonic crystal fiber

The blue-shifted supercontinuum generation in a photonic crystal fiber pumped by high peak power femtosecond pulses with wavelength located in the anomalous dispersion region is investigated experimentally and numerically. The formation of a blue-shifted enhanced supercontinuum due to the pulse collapse is demonstrated. The process of the pulse collapse is measured by using the grating-eliminated no-nonsense observation of ultrafast incident laser light e-fields technique (GRENOUILLE). Numerical simulations in spectral and temporal domains are conducted. The data from numerical simulations are in good agreement with the experimental results. Our experimental results and numerical simulations show that the pulse collapse is the determining factor in the generation of blue-shifted supercontinuum.     

Circularly polarized sub-1.5 cycle laser pulses at 1.8 μm

The generation of intense carrier-envelope-phase-stabilized sub-1.5 cycle circularly polarized pulses at 1.8 μm is reported. After changing the polarization of the pulses produced by an optical parameter amplifier to circular, selected nonlinear medium parameters are found to be able to expand the spectrum to supercontinuum (1,300–2,100 nm) with a extremely high transmittance (>65 %). Using such laser pulses, polarization control of terahertz emission is demonstrated.     

Femtosecond supercontinuum characteristics control

Supercontinuum generation in the spectral range 530–1100 nm in series of photonic-crystal fibers pumped by femtosecond Ti:S laser Mira Oprima 900-F is achieved. The evolution of spectral characteristics of femtosecond supercontinuum is proofed to be dependent on pump pulse wavelength and power radiation. Polarization characteristics of supercontinuum spectral components are analyzed. We demonstrated experimentally the possibility of control of femtosecond supercontinuum generation.     

Physical factors limiting the spectral extent and band gap dependence of supercontinuum generation

Based on simulations of femtosecond pulse propagation in water we elucidate the physical factors that limit the attainable spectral extent of supercontinuum generation in bulk media. In contrast to the standard scenario, where arrest of self-focusing collapse by multiphoton absorption and plasma defocusing are viewed as imposing a limit to supercontinuum broadening, we show that linear chromatic dispersion also plays a major role. This insight provides an intuitive explanation of the observed band gap dependence of the attainable supercontinuum generation in condensed media.     

Broadband supercontinuum generation in a single potassium di-hydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystal achieved in tandem with sum frequency generation

We present here an enhanced broadband supercontinuum generation in a potassium di-hydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystal. The enhancement in the bandwidth of the white light is obtained towards the shorter wavelength regime (<400 nm) by employing supercontinuum generation and sum frequency generation in tandem. The tunability in the blue region of the spectrum with angle is demonstrated. The bandwidth of supercontinuum achieved spans from 350 nm to 1300 nm. Further, we show the excellent polarization maintenance of continuum generated in KDP in comparison to that generated in water and BK-7 glass. PACS 42.65.Ky; 42.65.Jx; 42.65.Re; 42.25.Ja     

1040nm泵浦的光子晶体光纤超连续光谱产生性能退化研究

光子晶体光纤已经被广泛应用于由飞秒脉冲激光源产生超连续光谱。当激光源的重复频率较低时,由光子晶体光纤产生的超连续光谱随时间的变化过程较为缓慢,通常不被注意到。而在天文光谱仪定标等应用中,需要使用GHz至几十GHz量级的高重复频率激光源。此时,可观察到光子晶体光纤的超连续光谱产生性能在有限时间内产生显著的退化。在1 040 nm飞秒激光泵浦条件下,通过测试三种不同气孔占空比的光子晶体光纤的超连续光谱产生性能演化,发现超连续光谱的退化进程随光纤气孔占空比的增大而加速。观察发生光谱退化后的光子晶体光纤样品,发现在光纤上超连续光被产生的区段出现多个不同颜色的亮点,呈现有方向性的光泄露现象。针对光泄露现象,通过测量光纤的吸收光谱线,证实了实验中超连续光谱退化的主因并非是光纤熔融石英材料中大量非桥氧色心产生。针对光泄露具有方向性这一特征,提出了经由多光子吸收作用在光纤纤芯中形成长周期光栅的理论。为探究影响光子晶体光纤超连续光谱产生性能的退化的因素,以达到光谱退化抑制的目的,首先通过改变了光纤的拉锥参数,期望增强光纤熔融石英材料的光子耐受性。实验结果证实了该方法的有效性较为有限。其次,从保持激光源的平均功率,降低激光脉冲的峰值功率和保持激光脉冲的峰值功率,降低激光源平均功率两个方面入手,对激光源进行调制。实验结果证明,光纤单位时间内接受的高峰值功率脉冲总量是影响其超连续光谱产生性能的最重要因素。在天文光谱仪定标的应用中,对超连续光谱光功率的需求并不高,使用斩波器降低光子晶体光纤入射光的平均功率是减缓超连续光谱产生性能退化过程的有效且简单可行的方法。     

Sensitivity Advantage of QCL Tunable-Laser Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy Over FTIR Spectroscopy

Abstract

Interest in mid-infrared spectroscopy instrumentation beyond classical FTIR using a thermal light source has increased dramatically in recent years. Synchrotron, supercontinuum, and external-cavity quantum cascade laser light sources are emerging as viable alternatives to the traditional thermal black-body emitter (Globar), especially for remote interrogation of samples (“stand-off” detection) and for hyperspectral imaging at diffraction-limited spatial resolution (“microspectroscopy”). It is thus timely to rigorously consider the relative merits of these different light sources for such applications. We study the theoretical maximum achievable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of FTIR using synchrotron or supercontinuum light vs. that of a tunable quantum cascade laser, by reinterpreting an important result that is well known in near-infrared optical coherence tomography imaging. We rigorously show that mid-infrared spectra can be acquired up to 1000 times faster—using the same detected light intensity, the same detector noise level, and without loss of SNR—using the tunable quantum cascade laser as compared with the FTIR approach using synchrotron or supercontinuum light. We experimentally demonstrate the effect using a novel, rapidly tunable quantum cascade laser that acquires spectra at rates of up to 400 per second. We also estimate the maximum potential spectral acquisition rate of our prototype system to be 100,000 per second.     

纳米光纤中超连续谱的研究

利用分步傅里叶变换法对飞秒激光脉冲在纳米光纤中产生超连续谱的过程进行了数值模拟,分析了纳米光纤直径、输入脉冲的峰值功率以及脉冲宽度等对纳米光纤中超连续谱产生的影响。通过模拟分析发现：输入脉冲脉宽越窄,光谱展宽越为明显;输入脉冲峰值功率越高,超连续谱(SC)过程越明显;当输入脉冲一定时,纳米光纤的直径与超连续谱的产生有着至关重要的作用：超连续谱的产生与光纤半径并不成线性关系,当输入脉冲的中心波长与纳米光纤的直径相匹配时,超连续谱产生最为明显。以上结论对进一步研究和利用纳米光纤中的超连续谱有着非常重要的意义。     

Pulse collapse and blue-shifted enhanced supercontinuum in a photonic crystal fiber

The blue-shifted supercontinuum generation in a photonic crystal fiber pumped by high peak power femtosecond pulses with a wavelength located in the anomalous dispersion region is investigated experimentally and numerically.The formation of a blue-shifted enhanced supercontinuum due to the pulse collapse is demonstrated.The process of the pulse collapse is measured by using the grating-eliminated no-nonsense observation of ultrafast incident laser light e-fields technique(GRENOUILLE).Numerical simulations in spectral and temporal domains are conducted.The data from the numerical simulations are in good agreement with the experimental results.Our experimental results and numerical simulations show that pulse collapse is the determining factor in the generation of a blue-shifted supercontinuum.