Mode-hop-free electro-optically tuned diode laser

A tunable external-cavity Littrow diode laser, with an intracavity electro-optical crystal, which combines a large mode-hop-free tuning range with high tuning speeds and high tuning accuracy, has been designed. A mode-hop-free single-mode tuning range of 50 GHz at 793 nm with an output power of 60 mW and tuning speeds of 1.5 GHz/micros is demonstrated. The instantaneous linewidth is smaller than 300 kHz. Generally mode-hop-free tuning is obtained when the elongation of the cavity is proportional to the cavity length measured anywhere across the beam. This elongation is achieved with an intracavity crystal in which the thickness, and thus the electric field inside it, varies across the beam.     

Mode-hop-free fine tuning of an external-cavity diode laser with an intracavity liquid crystal cell

A planar nematic liquid crystal (NLC) cell is incorporated into a Littman-type external cavity as the wavelength-tuning device for a semiconductor laser diode. By varying the driving voltage of the NLC cell and laser diode bias current simultaneously, we demonstrate single-mode oscillation and mode-hop-free tuning over 19.2 GHz at 775 nm. The result is in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.     

500 GHz mode-hop-free idler tuning range with a frequency-stabilized singly resonant optical parametric oscillator

A 1064 nm pumped continuous-wave, mid-IR (3-4 μm), signal-wave resonant optical parametric oscillator is frequency stabilized at the kilohertz jitter level to the transmission peak of an external high-finesse Fabry-Perot cavity. Owing to the high stability of the resonator length against acoustical perturbation, fine pump tuning of the idler wave around 3.3 μm results in an unprecedented mode-hop-free continuous scan over 500 GHz (17 cm?1).     

Mode-hop-free tuning over 135 GHz of external cavity diode lasers without antireflection coating

We report an external cavity diode laser (ECDL), using a diode whose front facet is not anti-reflection (AR) coated that has a mode-hop-free (MHF) tuning range greater than 135 GHz. We achieved this using a short external cavity and by simultaneously tuning the internal and external modes of the laser. We find that the precise location of the pivot point of the grating in our laser is less critical than commonly believed. The general applicability of the method, combined with the compact portable mechanical and electronic design, makes it well suited for both research and industrial applications.     

Frequency-tunable 500-mW continuous-wave all-solid-state single-frequency source in the blue spectral region

A compact source of stable cw single-frequency radiation at 473 nm has been realized by second-harmonic generation of a diode-pumped miniature Nd:YAG ring laser operating on the (4)F(3/2) - (4)I(9/2) laser transition. By use of potassium niobate (KNbO(3)), single-longitudinal-mode output powers of 500 mW cw with high stability and maximum optical-to-optical conversion efficiencies >81% are achieved. An external semimonolithic cavity permits mode-hop-free frequency tuning of blue radiation over as much as 20 GHz.     

基于光学参量振荡器的可调谐红外激光的强度噪声特性

红外激光光源在微量气体、高分辨率光谱分析和量子光学研究等领域具有重要的应用.本文利用锁定单共振光学参量振荡器内腔标准具的方案获得了无跳模连续调谐的红外激光输出,理论和实验研究了红外激光的强度噪声特性,分析了影响强度噪声的因素.通过控制非线性晶体的温度和标准具调制信号实现了对红外激光强度噪声的抑制.当控制非线性晶体工作温度为60℃,内腔标准具调制信号为8 kHz时,单共振光学参量振荡器输出信号光和闲置光的强度噪声分别降低了11和8 dB.     

Fast mode-hop-free acousto-optically tuned laser with a simple laser diode

A mode-hop-free tunable external-cavity Littrow diode laser with intracavity acousto-optic modulators (AOMs) has been built. The modes of the red laser diode without a special antireflection coating are shifted by varying the injection current. The external resonator modes and the grating selectivity are independently electrically alterable by two AOMs. Thus, a tuning of the external resonator over up to 1900 GHz is possible. A precise computer control of laser diode and AOMs allowed a single-mode tuning of the whole laser with a tuning range of 225 GHz in 250 s. Additionally, we demonstrated fast tuning over 90 GHz in 190 micros and a repetition rate of 2.5 kHz.     

Extension of the mode-hop-free tuning range of an external cavity diode laser based on a model of the mode-hop dynamics

We report on a universal method to achieve and sustain a large mode-hop-free tuning range of an external cavity diode laser based on a model of its mode-structure dynamics. Using this method, we were able to scan 73 GHz mode-hop free by using an uncoated off-the-shelf laser diode with a central wavelength of 785 nm. Our model applies to any laser system requiring synchronization of more than one optical element.     

Widely tunable single-frequency pulsed optical parametric oscillator

The spectral output of a nanosecond dual-cavity doubly resonant optical parametric oscillator has been investigated versus the relative length of the signal and idler cavities. Regions of stable single-frequency operation are determined by use of a type II phase-matched KTP crystal and compared with the predictions of a mode-overlap model. A wide mode-hop-free tuning range is obtained over 40 GHz, limited only by piezoelectric biases. Furthermore, discrete tuning is investigated over the full parametric gain curve. For demonstration purposes, experiments are performed in the domain that is most inclined to multifrequency emission, i.e., near degeneracy.     

High-resolution photoacoustic and direct absorption spectroscopy of main greenhouse gases by use of a pulsed entangled cavity doubly resonant OPO

An entangled cavity doubly resonant optical parametric oscillator (ECOPO) has been developed to provide tunable narrow line width (<100 MHz) pulsed (8 ns) radiation over the 3.8–4.3 μm spectral range at a multi-kilohertz repetition rate with up to 100-W peak power. We demonstrate that coarse single mode tuning is obtained over the full spectral range of oscillation (300 cm⁻¹), while automated mode-hop-free fine tuning is carried out over more than 100 GHz. High-resolution spectra of main greenhouse gases (CO₂, N₂O, SO₂ and CH₄) have been obtained in good agreement with calculated spectra from the HITRAN database. These experiments outline the unique capabilities of the ECOPO for multi-gas sensing based on direct absorption as well as photoacoustic spectroscopy.     

Single-frequency ytterbium-doped fiber laser stabilized by spatial hole burning

We have exploited spatial hole burning to achieve remarkably stable single-frequency operation and mode-hop-free tuning over 300 free spectral ranges in an ytterbium-doped fiber laser with a sample standing-wave geometry. This approach makes possible stable and narrow-linewidth single-frequency fiber lasers that do not require components such as Faraday isolators, fiber couplers, and Fabry-Perot filters.     

External-cavity quantum cascade lasers with fast wavelength scanning

Fast wavelength scanning of an external-cavity quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) has been developed using a modified Littrow-type cavity configuration. Scan rates up to 5 kHz and tuning ranges up to 7 cm⁻¹ have been realized using folded cavity arrangement with a fast piezoactuated intracavity mirror to vary the effective diffraction grating angle. High-resolution molecular spectroscopy, limited primarily by the effective laser linewidth, has been demonstrated in pulsed and CW mode using direct absorption spectroscopy of ammonia and ethylene in the 10-μm wavelength region. A high-resolution broadband spectral scan employing mode-hop-free tuning of a set of discrete laser modes within the fast frequency scan has been developed. The method has been demonstrated by performing high-resolution broadband spectrum of ethylene under atmospheric and reduced pressures.     

Optical parametric oscillator based off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy for rapid chemical sensing

An optical parametric oscillator (OPO), pumped by a fiber-amplified diode laser, is combined with off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (OA-ICOS). The cw OPO (power 1.2 W, tunability 3-4 μm, 5 cm(-1) mode-hop-free tuning) has a tuning speed of 100 THz/s, which is ideal for rapid and sensitive trace gas detection. Combined with OA-ICOS, a detection limit of 50 parts per trillion by volume (1×10(12)) of ethane (C(2)H(6)) in nitrogen was obtained in 0.25s at 2997 cm(-1), corresponding to a noise equivalent absorption sensitivity of 4.8×10(-11) cm(-1) Hz(-1/2). The system demonstrates real-time measurements of methane and water in exhaled human breath.     

An external cavity diode laser using a volume holographic grating

This study presents an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) system, utilizing a volume holographic grating (VHG) and a microfabricated silicon flexure as the VHG holder. The laser design is aimed for easy assembly, controllability, and better stability of the laser cavity. The laser frequency was stabilized to a D₂ transition of rubidium at 780.247 nm, with a mode-hop-free tuning range of 16 GHz and 9.6 GHz with and without feed-forward on the diode injection current. The measured linewidth was 850 kHz in 500 s, qualified for laser cooling experiments.     

Atmospheric observations of multiple molecular species using ultra-high-resolution external cavity quantum cascade laser heterodyne radiometry

We demonstrate a widely tunable laser heterodyne radiometer operating in the thermal IR during an atmospheric observation campaign in the solar occultation viewing mode. An external cavity quantum cascade laser tunable within a range of 1120 to 1238 cm(-1) is used as the local oscillator (LO) of the instrument. Ultra-high-resolution (60 MHz or 0.002 cm(-1) transmission spectroscopy of several atmospheric species (water vapor, ozone, nitrous oxide, methane, and dichlorodifluoromethane) has been demonstrated within four precisely selected molecule-specific narrow spectral windows (～1 cm(-1). Atmospheric transmission lines within each selected window were fully resolved through mode-hop-free continuous tuning of the LO frequency. Comparison measurements were made simultaneously with a high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer to demonstrate the advantages of the laser heterodyne system for atmospheric sounding at high spectral and spatial resolutions.     

A 1550-nm linearly tunable CW single-mode external cavity diode laser based on a single-cavity all-dielectric thin-film Fabry–Pérot filter

A 1550-nm linearly tunable CW single-mode external cavity diode laser (ECDL) based on a single-cavity all-dielectric thin-film Fabry–Pérot filter (s-AFPF) is proposed and realized in this paper. Its internal optical components as well as their operation mechanisms are introduced first, and then its longitudinal mode output characteristic is theoretically analyzed. Afterwards, we set up the experimental platform for the output characteristic measurement of this tunable ECDL; under different experimental conditions, we execute accurate and real-time measurements for the output central wavelength, output optical power, output longitudinal mode distribution, and the line-width of the tunable ECDL in its tuning process. By summing up the optimal experimental condition from the measured data, we obtain the optimal tunable relevant parameters ECDL of the tunable ECDL has a linear mode-hop-free wavelength tuning region of 1547.203 nm-1552.426 nm, a stable output optical power in the range of 40 μW-50 μW, and a stable output longitudinal mode distribution of a single longitudinal mode with a line-width in the range of 100 MHz-150 MHz. This tunable ECDL can be used in environmental gas monitoring, atomic and molecular laser spectroscopy research, precise measurements, and so on.     

Efficient skew-angle cladding-pumped tunable narrow-linewidth Yb-doped fiber laser

A skew-angle cladding-pumped tunable Yb-doped fiber laser is presented. The laser was tunable over more than 30 nm, from 1022 to 1055 nm, by employing a volume Bragg grating in a retroreflector configuration as one of the cavity delimiters. Output powers in excess of 4.3 W were recorded with a spectral bandwidth of 5 GHz and an M(2) value below 1.3 over the whole tuning range.     

Widely tunable mode-hop free external cavity quantum cascade lasers for high resolution spectroscopy and chemical sensing

Recent progress in the development of room temperature, continuous wave, widely tunable, mode-hop-free mid-infrared external cavity quantum cascade laser (EC-QCL) spectroscopic sources is reported. A single mode tuning range of 155 cm^-1 (∼ 8% of the center wavelength) with a maximum power of 11.1 mW and 182 cm^-1 (∼ 15% of the center wavelength) with a maximum power of 50 mW was obtained for 5.3 and 8.4 μm EC-QCLs respectively. This technology is particularly suitable for high resolution spectroscopic applications, multi species trace-gas detection and spectroscopic measurements of broadband absorbers. Several examples of spectroscopic measurements performed using EC-QCL based spectrometers are demonstrated. PACS  42.55.Px; 42.60.-v; 42.62.Fi; 07.07.Df     

High repetition-rate wavelength tuning of an extended cavity diode laser for gas phase sensing

A method for rapid wavelength tuning of an extended cavity diode laser (ECDL) is presented providing for high resolution, narrow bandwidth output over limited spectral regions. The method permits tuning over isolated spectroscopic features at repetition rates of tens of kHz, greatly exceeding conventional ECDL tuning speeds. In this paper we present high repetition rate laser induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy of the 5²P_1/2 to 6²S_1/2 transition in indium at 410 nm, to demonstrate the technique. The presented ECDL design is very easy to implement, cheap and robust, as it employs no moving parts and can be used over all wavelength regions where FP diode lasers are available. This extends the usefulness of standard FP diode lasers to high speed sensing applications. Advantages and disadvantages of the technique are discussed. PACS 42.55.Px; 42.60.Fc; 42.62.Fi; 32.50.+d     

L波段线型腔波长可调谐掺铒光纤激光器

报道了工作波长在L波段的由两个光纤环境构成线型谐振腔的掺铒光纤激光器，通过调整环境中偏振控制器的状态来改变环境对不同波长的反射率以实现某些波长的激光输出。线型腔内的激光工作介质为两段不同掺杂浓度的掺铒光纤，其中一段铒光纤由一980nm激光器抽运，其产生的放大自发辐射谱在腔内再同时对两段掺铒光纤进行抽运，使它们的增益谱移位到L波段。实验中观察到了波长从1566．4nm到1592.4nm范围内可调的稳定的连续激光输出，其波长调谐范围达26nm。