Characterization of the noise in continuously operating mode-locked lasers

An experimental and theoretical investigation of the fluctuations of the pulses from continuous-wave mode-locked lasers is presented. It is shown that these fluctuations can be detected and quantitatively characterized from measurements of the power spectrum of the light intensity. Such power spectra can be measured with great accuracy by shining the laser output on a suitable photodetector and by processing the detector signal with the use of an electronic spectrum analyzer. Different types of noise such as fluctuations of the pulse energy, pulse repetition time, and pulse duration, can be readily recognized from their characteristic spectral signature. Experimental results of noise measurements are presented for a synchronously mode-locked dye laser pumped by an acousto-optically mode-locked argon ion laser, and also for a colliding pulse passively mode-locked dye laser.     

Laser-induced self-phase modulation in polymeric films

Self phase modulation is observed in a polymeric thin film for the first time. It is found that this effect can occur at relatively low laser intensity. Experimental results obtained are compared with theoretical predictions.     

Picosecond and subpicosecon pulse generation in synchronously pumped mode-locked cw dye lasers

Generation of tunable near-infrared picosecond and subpicosecond pulses in a synchronously pumped cw mode-locked Oxazine-1-perchlorate dye laser has been investigated for different values of the important system parameters. The experimental results confirm the predictions of a simple theoretical model which describes the steady-state pulse duration in terms of gain modulation strength, pump power, intracavity bandwidth, pump pulse length and cavity detuning. For a pump-pulse length of 100 ps and a bandwidth of more than 500 Å for the intracavity tuning element dye-laser pulses as short as 0.35 ps have been obtained. Under these conditions up to 100 mW of average output power were provided. In addition, mode-locking of an Oxazine 750 dye laser by synchronous pumping with the cw train of pulses obtained from the Oxazine-1-Perchlorate laser is reported.     

Analysis of temporal pulse development in passively mode-locked lasers

Pulse-shortening and pulse broadening effects in passively mode-locked lasers are analysed. A steady-state pulse duration limit is calculated and compared with round-trip simulations. The numerical calculations apply to a picosecond Nd: glass laser. Methods of short-pulse generation are discussed.     

Free-electron lasers and masers on curved paths

The possibility of building free-electron lasers and masers with quasi-circular undulators is considered. The two-mirror cavity is replaced by a suitable waveguide. The magnetic field along the orbit has a continuous component superimposed on the alternating one. Besides allowing large freedom for electron guiding and focusing, the structure allows effective negative mass conditions, which may enhance the electron beam modulation when space charge effect are important. Furthermore the radiation frequency can be higher than that in a linear undulator with the same electron energy, and long interaction times are possible in a compact structure. Work partially supported by the CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Italy), contract n. 78.00915.02 and n.78.00916.02.     

A magnetic tuning system for dye lasers

A new device for magnetically displacing the output mirror of a laser resonator and synchronously tilting an etalon in order to obtain single-mode tuning of a dye laser over a tuning range of at least 10 GHz is described. Comparatively large displacements with good linearity of a coil mounted on a membrane and placed inside the strong magnetic field of a ring magnet are obtained for currents in the order of several hundred milliamperes. Together with etalon flats of appropriate thickness and reflection mounted in the resonator of the laser a versatile instrument for application in intra and extra cavity spectroscopy has been developed.     

Numerical analysis of pulse generation in synchronously mode-locked cw dye lasers

We present theoretical results on the characteristics of pulses generated by a synchronously pumped dye laser. Our analysis indicates the important influence of spontaneous emission on shape and frequency chirp of the pulse. Dye-laser operation is possible within a wide range of cavity mismatch. A large mismatch of the lengths of the dye and the pump-laser cavity results in the generation of noise bursts caused by the influence of spontaneous emission. At small cavity mismatch pulse profile and frequency chirp of the pulse are directly generated in the steady-state regime by algebraic equations. Our formulas indicate that the sign of the pulse chirp depends only on the sign of the shift between laser frequency and centre frequency of the amplifying transition.     

Temporal analysis of a mode-locked Nd-glass laser by four-wave mixing

The duration, shape, and background intensity level of pulses of a passively modelocked Nd-glass laser are determined by noncollinear phase-matched four-photon frequency mixing of time-separated fundamental and second-harmonic pulses in a KI crystal. The pulse shape is found to be slightly asymmetric with slower trailing than rising parts. The background intensity level before and behind the main pulse is about 5¢10^–6 the peak pulse intensity.     

On the opto-voltaic measurements in CO and CO2 lasers

We observed and compared the opto-voltaic signals in CO and CO₂ lasers. The signals are obtained capacitively from the water cooling jacket as a low voltage source not influencing the current circuit. We observed from measurement that the output power and the so-called optovoltaic input power have a distinct relationship depending on laser current and cavity parameters. It will be shown that opto-voltaic detection is a very sensitive method especially for CO lasers.     

High-power tunable IR Raman lasers

Physical principles, new ways and means of creation, schemes, characteristics and features of efficient high-power tunable pulse Raman lasers, operating in the near and middle ir are reviewed. The paper includes: tunable dye and Nd lasers as pump sources; promising active media and their optimal excitation methods; optical systems for producing spatially homogeneous pumping; the physics of Raman oscillators and their practical schemes, efficient high pulse energy liquid N₂ and compressed H₂ Raman oscillators, covering several bands in the range between 1.4 and 9.2 μm; the physics and construction of efficient tunable Raman amplifiers-convertors, amplifying in the saturation regime of spontaneously scattered or beforehand produced and collimated external Stokes signals, obtained in the spectral range between 0.83 μm and 18 μm. Raman laser using a, so-called, broadband pump where the linewidth of pumping light is broader than the spontaneous scattering linewidth, are also discussed. Features of both amplification and oscillation regimes of such broadband pumped Raman lasers are reported, and conditions for the efficient frequency conversion are determined.     

Modulation behavior of semiconductor injection lasers

GaAs double heterostructure semiconductor injection lasers which now exhibit more than 25000 h cw room temperature lifetime are of great interest for future use as directly modulated transmitters for high bit-rate fiber optical communications. The effects limiting this application are modulation distortions, spectral width and additional spectral broadening in the case of modulation and spontaneous fluctuations of the output power. The dynamic and spectral behavior of injection lasers, the methods of high bit-rate modulation and the improvement of the high bit-rate modulation capability by coupling two lasers are discussed.     

Numerical analysis of pulse formation in solid-state lasers mode-locked with a linear external cavity

We analyse pulse formation in solid-state lasers mode-locked with a linear external cavity with translating mirror. Based on a numerical simulation the mode-locking mechanism is found to be that of an active mode-locking due to the explicitly time-dependent phase shift by the external cavity involving a slowly moving mirror and a non-zero temporal mismatch to the master cavity. Additional pulse shortening and stabilization is performed by the additive pulse mode-locking mechanism arising from self-phase modulation due to a Kerr-type non-resonant nonlinearity in the host crystal of the laser amplifier.     

Automatic impedance matching and opto-Hertzian effect in RF excited CO2 waveguide lasers

We report the successful operation of a novel automatic impedance matching technique (AIMing) and observations of the opto-Hertzian effect. The AIMing system is capable of maintaining efficient RF power delivery to a CO₂ waveguide laser over a wide range of operating conditions. The opto-Hertzian signal, produced by circulating laser power fluctuations and detected in the RF reflected power, has some interesting properties and may be used for laser frequency stabilisation.     

Application of pressure-tuned diode lasers to high-resolution spectroscopy

The application of the high-pressure chamber with a pressure transmitting medium (liquid at room temperature) to diode-laser tuning was found to be a useful method for high-resolution spectroscopy. Ammonia absorbtion spectra in the 10 μm region were recorded with a resolution approaching the Doppler limit.     

Origin of laser-output noise of cataphoretic HeSe+ lasers

We investigated noise and fluctuations of the output power of cataphoretic HeSe⁺ lasers in positive column plasma. Direct coupling of laser output power noise and fluctuations of the local population inversion was found. An investigation of the positive column plasma showed moving striations being responsible for the gain fluctuations. Whereas the local plasma properties are dominated by high frequency striations in the 100 kHz range, integrated quantities such as laser gain per pass are most strongly influenced by low-frequency waves with a continuous noise spectrum below 200 kHz. External modulation of the discharge voltage or current at a frequency near thehf striations reduces laser noise and increases laser output power.     

Combined self-phase modulation and amplification of femtosecond light pulses

The influence of depletable amplification, group velocity dispersion and self-phase modulation due to Kerr-type nonlinearity on pulse shaping in femtosecond pulse amplification has been calculated. With gain depletion which is typical for the last stage of multi-stage amplifiers, spectral broadening occurs which, under certain conditions, can be utilized for pulse compression. This spectral broadening as well as a predicted spectral shift is compared with experimental results.     

Theory of passively mode-locked cw dye lasers

The circulation of an ultrashort light pulse in a continuously pumped modelocked dye laser with a linear cavity configuration containing the active dye, the saturable absorber and a bandwidth-limiting elements is treated. The steady-state condition that the pulse shape reproduces after each cavity round-trip leads to a nonlinear integro-differential equation for this pulse shape. An approximate method for the solution of this equation not limited to the case of low laser gain and small pulse energies is given. The stable single pulse region and characteristic pulse parameters, as energy, duration, intensity and asymmetry, are considered in dependence on the laser parameters.     

Experimental study of pulse compression in a side-pumped Yb-doped double-clad mode-locked fiber laser

We have developed a side-pumped passively mode-locked Yb-doped double-clad fiber laser emitting sub-picosecond pulses at around 1.05 μm. Mode locking is achieved through a polarization additive-pulse mode-locking technique and compression is obtained with a grating pair inserted in the cavity. We have investigated the compression properties of this laser. High-energy pulses are emitted and different behaviors are observed, such as sideband generation, secant-like or Gaussian-like pulse emission. Received: 7 May 2001 / Revised version: 13 November 2001 / Published online: 17 January 2002