On the possibility of mode-locking a dye laser by a fast saturable absorber

The problem of mode-locking a fully relaxing saturable (dye) laser medium by an instantaneously saturating (fast) absorber is theoretically considered when group velocity dispersion and Kerr-type nonlinearity are present. Off-resonant chirped solutions are found whose minimum duration is determined by the relative losses (saturable and nonsaturable) and by the saturation depth of the absorber. The addition of nonlinear elements can only broaden the stability range of the solution with respect to the group velocity dispersion.     

Time-resolved experiments on the photoablation of polystyrene and PMMA by ArF-laser radiation

The photoablation of polystyrene (PS) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) was studied in real-time during the uv laser pulse at 193 nm. The transmission and total reflection of thin polymer layers on quartz glass substrates was measured time-resolved. From the results for the strongly absorbing PS it can be concluded that the emission of material starts within the first few nanoseconds of the laser pulse. Photoablation of PMMA, which is a relatively weak absorber at 193 nm, is accompanied by strong modifications of the transmission by the first several ten laser pulses.     

Effects of the embedding kinetics on the surface nano-morphology of nano-grained Au and Ag films on PS and PMMA layers annealed above the glass transition temperature

The morphology evolution of nano-grained Ag and Au films deposited on polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymeric layers were studied, using the atomic force microscopy technique, when annealed above the polymers glass transition temperature. The main effects on the morphology changes were identified with those concerning the embedding kinetics of the Ag and Au nanoparticles in the PS or PMMA layers. The embedding process of the nanoparticles follows as a consequence of the long-range mobility of the polymeric chains above the glass transition temperature. In particular, the dependence of the nanoparticles mean height and surface density on the annealing time at various temperatures was quantified. The analyses of these behaviors allowed us: (1) to distinguish the overall embedding process in a first stage in which a thin wetting layer of the polymer coats the nanoparticles followed by a true embedding process of the nanoparticles into the polymer layer; (2) to evaluate the characteristic coating time for the Ag and Au nanoparticles in the PS and PMMA in the first stage; (3) to evaluate the characteristic embedding velocity for the Ag and Au nanoparticles in the PS and PMMA in the second stage; (4) to derive the activation energies for the embedding process of the Ag and Au nanoparticles in PS and PMMA; (5) to identify the embedding statistics of the Ag and Au nanoparticles in PS and PMMA with a “failure” Weibull statistics.     

Er-doped all-fiber laser mode-locked by graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets

Few-layer graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_3N_4) nanosheets were fabricated and utilized as a saturable absorber for mode-locking in an Er-doped fiber laser with net normal dispersion. The g-C_3N_4/polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) hybrid-film-based saturable absorber has a modulation depth of 4.01% and a saturation intensity of 7.5 MW/cm~2. By integrating g-C_3N_4-PVA mode-locker into the laser cavity, a mode-locked operation could be obtained. The achieved mode-locking pulse centered at 1530.3 nm has a pulse width of 530 ps. Its repetition rate is 40.8 MHz, and the corresponding signal-to-noise ratio is about 55 dB.     

Solid-state Er:Yb:glass laser mode-locked by using single-wall carbon nanotube thin film

We design single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) thin-film saturable absorbers (SAs) integrated onto semiconductor distributed Bragg reflectors for mode-locking solid-state Er:Yb:glass lasers. We characterize the low nonsaturable loss, high-damage-threshold SWNT SAs and verify their operation up to a pulse fluence of 2 mJ/cm(2). We demonstrate passive fundamental continuous-wave mode locking with and without group-delay dispersion compensation. Without compensation the laser produces chirped 1.8 ps pulses with a spectral width of 3.8 nm. With compensation, we obtain 261 fs Fourier-transform-limited pulses with a spectral width of 9.6 nm.     

The timescale of spinodal dewetting at a polymer/polymer interface

We investigate the dynamics of spinodal dewetting in liquid-liquid polymer systems. Dewetting of poly(methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA) thin films on polystyrene (PS) “substrates” is followed in situ using neutron reflectivity. By following the development of roughness at the PS/PMMA interface and the PMMA surface we extract characteristic growth times for the dewetting process. These characteristic growth times are measured as a function of the molecular weight of the two polymers. By also carrying out experiments in the regime where the dynamics are independent of the PS molecular weight, we are able to use dewetting to probe the scaling of the PMMA thin film viscosity with temperature and molecular weight. We find that this scaling reflects bulk behaviour. However, absolute values are low compared to bulk viscosities, which we suggest may be due in part to slippage at the polymer/polymer interface. Received 25 June 2001 and Received in final form 5 December 2001     

Fabrication of segmented nanofibers by template wetting of multilayered alternating polymer thin films

Segmented polystyrene (PS) and poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA) nanofibers were fabricated by wetting nanoporous alumina templates with multilayered polymer thin films. The order and thickness of the polymers within the thin films affected the resulting nanofiber morphology, PS and PMMA segment properties, and created unique core-shell structure in the PMMA segments. The core-shell structure suggests a complex wetting phenomenon. Fabrication of polymer nanostructures by wetting of layered thin films opens the arena of multifunctional, one-dimensional, polymer nanostructures with segments having individual and specific functionalities.     

Optimization of pulse width of double passively Q-switched lasers with GaAs and Cr-doped saturable absorbers

Compared with a single passively Q-switched laser, a double passively Q-switched laser with a GaAs saturable absorber and a Cr⁴⁺-doped saturable absorber can produce more symmetric and shorter pulses with high pulse peak power. New normalized coupled rate equations for a double passively Q-switched laser with both a GaAs saturable absorber and a Cr⁴⁺-doped saturable absorber are solved numerically, where the single-photon absorption (SPA) and two-photon absorption (TPA) processes of GaAs are combined. The Gaussian spatial distributions of the intracavity photon density and the initial population-inversion density are considered. The optimization of a double passively Q-switched laser to obtain the shortest pulse width is performed, and a group of general curves are generated for the first time. The curves clearly show the dependence of the optimal normalized parameters on the parameters of the gain medium, the GaAs saturable absorber, the Cr⁴⁺-doped saturable absorber and the spatial distributions of the intracavity photon density. Sample calculations for a diode-pumped Nd³⁺:YVO₄ laser with both a GaAs saturable absorber and a Cr⁴⁺:YAG saturable absorber are presented to demonstrate the use of the curves and the related formulas.     

Suppression of the amplified spontaneous emission in ultraintense and ultrashort lasers by a highly efficient saturable absorber

For ultraintense and ultrashort laser facilities, there are few efficient and reliable methods for suppressing the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) generated in the last several amplifiers. In the paper, we applied a highly efficient saturable absorber to suppress the ASE. Experiments were carried out to study the absorption property of the saturable absorber and the enhancement of temporal contrast with it in the front-end system of the SILEX-I laser facility with a central wavelength of 800 nm. We also analyzed the effects of the saturable absorber on other laser parameters, such as the spectrum, the spatial beam profile, and energy stability. The results show that the saturable absorber is highly efficient and the transmissivity is as high as 90%. The temporal contrast is improved by more than one order of magnitude. Meanwhile, the saturable absorber has little impact on other parameters. With these advantages, the saturable absorber is an efficient, appropriate and convenient solution to suppressing the ASE generated in the front-end system and also in the last several amplification stages for ultraintense and ultrashort lasers.     

Spectral optimisation of a synchronously mode locked femtosecond dye laser

Through optimisation of the spectrum and dispersion parameters of a synchronously mode locked Rhodamine B dye laser, pulses as short as 270 fs have been directly generated without using any saturable absorber or pulse compressor. In addition a system of tunable output coupling with well characterised dispersion has been demonstrated.     

Selection of isolated and individual single-walled carbon nanotube from a film and its usage in nanodevices

Individual and isolated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are important for fabricating relevant nanode- vices and studying the properties of the SWNT devices. In this work, we demonstrate that individual and isolated SWNT can be selected and obtained from a film containing a huge number of SWNTs. By using both the polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) as a negative resist and the electron beam lithography, the selected SWNT can be fixed on a substrate, while the other SWNTs in the film can lift off. The selected SWNT can be used to fabricate nanodevice and a gas sensor of oxygen is demonstrated in this work.     

压缩CO2中聚合物玻璃化转变温度的实验研究

 玻璃化转变温度（T_g）是聚合物重要的特性参数，压缩CO₂环境中聚合物的玻璃化转变温度的测定，更是超临界流体技术在聚合物科学领域中成功应用的前提条件。根据蠕变柔量实验原理，自建一套测定高压环境下玻璃化转变温度的实验装置。利用该装置对聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯（PET）、聚苯乙烯（PS）、聚氯乙烯（PVC）以及聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯（PMMA）在大气中及压缩CO₂环境中的T_g进行了测定。设定实验的平衡吸附温度为室温，平衡吸附压力范围分别为：PET，0~3.5 MPa；PS，0~11.0 MPa；PVC，0~9.0 MPa；PMMA，0~4.5 MPa。在大气中测定的结果与文献中的结果相吻合，表明所设计的实验方法及实验装置是可靠并有效的，可用于高压环境下聚合物的玻璃化转变温度的测定。从压缩CO₂中的聚合物T_g测定结果可以看出，CO₂对聚合物具有较明显的溶胀、增塑作用，可显著降低聚合物的T_g。     

氧化石墨烯被动锁模掺镱光纤激光器多脉冲现象的实验研究

利用氧化石墨烯作为可饱和吸收体,在被动锁模全正常色散掺镱光纤激光器中研究了多脉冲的现象,在同一抽运功率不同偏振态下,实验获得了矩形脉冲谐波锁模、耗散孤子谐波锁模、准谐波锁模,脉冲峰值周期性调制,脉冲簇、脉冲束、混沌多重脉冲的多脉冲现象,插入激光腔内的2nm窄带滤波器具有限制增益带宽、对脉冲塑形、诱导多脉冲产生的作用,调节偏振控制器相当于改变腔内增益,是实现不同类型多脉冲现象的主要原因,本实验研究有利于加深对多脉冲动力学行为在正常色散区域氧化石墨烯锁模掺镱光纤激光器中的理解。     

The passively mode locked and dispersion compensated Rhodamine 110 dye laser

The passive mode locking of a CW Rhodamine 110 dye laser in various dispersion compensated cavities is reported. Using the dye 1, 1, 3, 3, 3', 3'-hexamethylindocarbocyanine iodide (HICI) as the saturable absorber, pulses as short as 80 fs have been obtained from a CPM ring laser operating at a wavelength of 581 nm.     

High-energy pulses from a figure 8 fiber laser with normal net dispersion

In this paper we show numerically that high-energy pulses can be obtained with a figure-eight Erbium-doped fiber laser with large normal net dispersion, and in which an anomalous-dispersion Nonlinear Optical Loop Mirror (NOLM) is used as the effective saturable absorber. One advantage of this configuration over the ring cavity is the possibility to adjust the length of the NOLM loop to avoid overdriving the saturable absorber. The ring section of the laser includes a bandpass filter to balance the combined effects of Kerr nonlinearity and normal dispersion. Strict polarization control is performed in the NOLM as well as in the ring section of the laser. The NOLM is a power-symmetric scheme whose switching relies on nonlinear polarization rotation. This architecture allows a precise control of the low-power NOLM transmission through the orientation of a quarter-wave retarder, whose adjustment is shown to be critical for stable pulsed operation. Pulse formation appears to depend critically on the filter width. If it is wide enough, ps pulses with a large positive linear chirp are produced. After dechirping outside the laser, nearly transform-limited pulses with durations down to 240 fs, energies up to 10 nJ and peak powers beyond 40 kW are predicted.     

同步泵浦飞秒激光锁模理论研究

考虑到饱和增益、饱和吸收、群速弥散和自相位调制等效应对光脉冲的作用,我们给出了一个适用于飞秒脉冲激光系统的锁模方程。并且用这个方程初步地研究了同步泵浦被动锁模的染料激光器。结果表明,染料光脉冲的输出特性将极大地取决于腔内色散、S参数、饱和吸收体的浓度、腔长失谐量等因素。     

Observation of multipulse bunches in a graphene oxide passively mode-locked ytterbium-doped fiber laser with all-normal dispersion

We give a systematic experimental study of multipulse bunches in a graphene oxide saturable absorber (GOSA) passively mode-locked all-normal dispersion ytterbium-doped fiber laser (YDFL). Some special phenomena such as harmonic multipulse bunches, harmonic mode-locking, and chaotic multipulse states are also obtained. Our experiment reveals that the inserted 2.5-nm narrow bandwidth filter plays an important role in the formation of multipulse in all-normal dispersion fiber lasers. Because of the effective gain bandwidth depends on both the 2.5-nm narrow bandwidth filter and the artificial fiber birefringence filter, the multipulse operation states are sensitive to the polarization. It is the first demonstration of multipulse evolution in a GOSA passively mode-locked all-normal dispersion YDFL.     

用微模塑直接在聚合物曲面上制备微图形

用聚二甲基硅氧烷制备的 ,表面复制有微图形的“弹性印章”直接在聚乙烯 ,聚丙烯 ,聚苯乙烯和聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯等热塑性聚合物表面上进行热微模塑 ,无需复杂设备并可在普通实验室条件下 ,复制微图形 ,甚至在小试管外壁的曲面上或在用毛细管形成的微突起表面上也能制备出微曲面图形 .讨论了不同聚合物对生成微图形的影响 ,认为结晶性聚合物以及在温度变化时有较大收缩率的聚合物在微模塑中难以获得清晰图形 .无定形聚合物如聚苯乙烯和聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯等能够获得清晰的微结构     

High-aspect-ratio microdrilling in polymeric materials with intense KrF laser radiation

UV laser microdrilling of high-aspect-ratio holes has been studied by using an intense beam with a low numerical aperture (KrF laser). The UV laser ablation produces a minimum of thermal or mechanical damage on the target. Under some particular experimental conditions (many high-fluence pulses), it is shown that long deep holes are obtained with reproducible aspect ratio (up to K/d길) in a variety of materials. Experiments with polymers (PMMA, PC, PET, PI, PS, PEEK) show that the more absorbing the polymer is, the better the resolution. However highly absorbing materials exhibit a low ablation rate. These promising results on laser microdrilling can be extended to new applications, for example, when the beam/target relative movement is computer driven. For instance this approach can be applied to cutting micro-objects with complicated shape or to machining fragile or brittle materials.