Mode selection in CW laser with homogeneously broadened gain

The gain calculated for a laser with ring and Fabry-Perot resonators respectively is given in a general formulation which shows clearly the influence of the spatially inhomogeneous saturation due to the standing wave pattern and the resulting Bragg scattering. When selecting a single mode in a Fabry-Perot resonator, the losses necessary to quench the modes are equal to those losses which the selected mode suffers due to the self-induced Bragg grating in the active medium. In a unidirectional ring laser, the losses only need exceed the gain of additional separate gain reservoirs of the modes. Also possible reasons are dealt with which cause stable bidirectional operation in a ring laser with homogeneously broadened gain.     

To narrow laser linewidth by utilizing dispersion characteristics of Gires-Tournois etalon

A longer laser resonator length is benefit for laser linewidth, but harmful for single-frequency operation. A novel way is suggested to narrow the bandwidth of a Fabry-Perot （FP） cavity through increasing the derivative of one round-trip phase shift with respect to the frequency. It can be implemented by replacing one of two FP mirrors with a Gires-Tournois etalon （GTE）, called FPCT, as a dispersion element. FPGT resonator has additional axial modes due to the GTE reflection phase shift. Theoretical analyses show that the bandwidth of additional axial modes can be 1% of that of a conventional FP cavity. A distributed feedback （DFB） laser diode can employ FPGT resonator to achieve ultra-narrow linewidth laser. It is shown that the effect of refractivity fluctuation in the gain medium on the linewidth is little, and kilohertz linewidth is achievable for such a device.     

A simple method for single-frequency operation and stabilization of a He−Ne laser

A simple method for single-frequency operation and stabilization of a low power He–Ne laser has been described and used. With a proper resonator length very weak sideband modes on each side of the strong mode produce a feedback signal to a piezoelectric pusher which controls the resonator length. The long-term frequency stability was estimated to be about ±10 MHz.     

光纤光栅F-P标准具选模单频环形腔光纤激光器

 讨论了光纤光栅法布里-珀罗(F-P)标准具选模光纤激光器的单频运转原理，并研制了全光纤结构单频掺Er³⁺光纤环形激光器。实验中采用两个976 nm激光二极管双向泵浦作为泵浦源，高掺杂浓度掺Er³⁺光纤作为增益介质，以行波腔消除空间烧孔效应，利用光纤光栅F-P标准具窄带选模特性，当泵浦光功率为36 mW时，得到了稳定的单频激光输出。实验中使用了长5和3 m的掺杂光纤，在泵浦光功率为145 mW时输出功率分别为19和42 mW，光-光转换效率分别为13%和29%，斜率效率分别达到了16%和33%。输出谱线3 dB带宽0.01 nm，无跳模现象。     

Temporal criterion for single-frequency operation of passively Q-switched lasers

An analytical expression for the difference in buildup time between two longitudinal modes in a passively Q -switched laser resonator is developed and compared with experimental laser data. The results support the following temporal criterion for single-frequency, passively Q -switched operation: The difference in buildup time between any two longitudinal modes of the laser resonator should be comparable with or greater than the laser pulse duration to ensure single-frequency operation.     

Single mode operation of a narrow bandwidth dye laser using a single prism, grazing incidence grating long cavity

The single mode pulsed dye laser is an attractive tool for many spectroscopic applications. Long cavity tunable dye lasers generally operate in multi-longitudinal modes within the bandwidth of gain profile. Single longitudinal mode oscillation can be obtained by either making the cavity short enough or introducing an additional loss mechanism, in which all modes but one have a gain less than their loss. A new technique to achieve single mode operation in a long cavity dye laser, based on Rhodamine 6G dye in ethanol and ethylene glycol solution, pumped by a high repetition rate copper vapor laser, is reported. This laser, which operates in three modes in grazing incidence grating configuration (cavity length of 16 cm), has been made to lase in single mode by increasing the loss in the resonator through beam walk-off.     

Passively Q-switched laser with single longitudinal mode based on the frequency selection of grating and F-P etalon in twisted-mode folded cavity

A passively Q-switched side-pumped laser with folded resonator is specially constructed for single- longitudinal-mode smooth pulse output. Nd：YAG is chosen as the laser active medium and Cr^4＋：YAG as the saturable absorber medium. Additionally, the method of frequency selection by grating with 1200 line/mm and Fabry-Perot （F-P） etalon is used in the twisted-mode cavity. The single-frequency smooth pulses are produced with 10-Hz repetition rate, 20-ns pulse width, and 1.064-μm wavelength. The proba- bility of single-frequency laser output measured is over 99% by using the methods of Fourier analysis and F-P etalon multiple-beam interferometry at the threshold voltage. The measured near-field and far-field angles of divergence are 1.442 and 1.315 mrad, respectively. The values of M^2 are 1.32 and 1.31 separately with the knife-edge method. Single pulse at 1.064 tim with the energy of 8.8 mJ is achieved in TEM00 mode.     

Coherent-absorber mode locking of solid-state lasers

We study solid-state laser mode locking in the self-induced transparency regime of an intracavity absorber. Depending on the absorber dephasing, pulse energy, and resonator dispersion, we find stable coherent 2pi -pulse operation, pulse splitting, oscillatory pulse shapes, and smooth transition to incoherent saturable-absorber mode locking.     

Bistable operation and spatial hole burning in multimode lasers containing saturable absorbers

Continuous-wave operation of many longitudinal modes with randomly distributed phases in a Fabry-Perot cavity containing a laser medium and a saturable absorber is investigated theoretically. The atomic linewidths of both media are assumed to be homogeneously broadened. The system is described by a coupled set of rate equations including noise terms as well as the dependence of the population difference on the spatial coordinate (along the laser axis) due to standing-wave pattern. The minimum ratio of the saturation intensities of both media which is necessary to get bistability is calculated for different places of the amplifier and the absorber within the cavity and for different spectral widths of the laser field. Due to hole burning which influences the strength of saturation in the media this ratio can vary notably. Moreover, the intensities on the branches of the hysteresis cycles associated with bistable operation are evaluated.     

Cw oscillation at 1.05 and 1.32 μm of LiNd(PO3)4 lasers in external resonator and in resonator with directly applied mirrors

The room temperature cw oscillation at 1.05 and 1.32 μm of lithium neodymium tetraphosphate [LiNd(PO₃)₄, LNP] lasers in an external resonator and, for the first time, also in a Fabry-Perot resonator with directly applied mirrors is reported. The growth and fluorescence properties of the LNP crystals are briefly described. Laser parameters such as threshold pump power, output power, differential efficiency, optical gain, emission cross section and laser modes are both measured and calculated. Laser experiments show the threshold pump power to be lower for 1.05 μm than for 1.32 μm emission because of the smaller emission cross section; the pump power density is lower for the external resonator than for the Fabry-Perot resonator because of its higher mode losses.     

Stable single- and dual-wavelength fiber laser mode locked and spectrum shaped by a Fabry-Perot saturable absorber

We show that the spectral response of a Fabry-Perot semiconductor saturable absorber depends on laser beam focusing. We used this effect to achieve stable passive mode-locked operation in a simple and environmentally stable fiber laser by introducing spectral filtering and forcing near-resonant operation. By reducing the free spectral range and increasing the nonlinear response of the Fabry-Perot saturable absorber, we obtained dual-wavelength mode-locked operation.     

An Efficient Single-Frequency Yb-Doped All-Fiber MOPA Laser at 1064.3 nm

An efficient narrow-linewidth single-frequency(SF) Yb-doped all-fiber master oscillator power amplifier(MOPA)laser operating at 1064.3 nm is demonstrated experimentally.A ring cavity SF fiber laser is used as the seed source for the MOPA system and the Yb-doped fibers are employed as the gain medium or the saturable absorber.The SF operation is observed to be stable without mode hopping.The highest output power of 266 mW is obtained under the 400 mW pump power with the corresponding slope efficiency of 66.2%.The linewidth of the amplified output laser is approximately 1 kHz and its optical signal-to-noise ratio is over 45 dB.     

Single-frequency linearly-polarized 1083?nm all fiber nanosecond laser

Single-frequency linearly-polarized 1083?nm all fiber nanosecond master-oscillator power amplifier laser system is demonstrated. A ring laser, whose key components are one saturable absorber and two polarization controllers, delivers a single-frequency continuous wave laser. Using an electro-optic modulator as the modulator, the pulse laser seed is obtained by modulating the CW laser. By amplifying the pulse seed to the average power of 61.6?W in three stages, a single-frequency linearly-polarized laser with pulse duration of 16?ns, repetition rate of 10?MHz and pulse energy of 6.16???J is obtained. No nonlinear effect is observed in our experiment. Higher output power can be obtained by increasing LDs of the main amplifier.     

Axial mode tuning of a single frequency Yb:YAG thin disk laser

We describe an arrangement for an Yb:YAG thin disk laser, which enables narrow bandwidth operation in single-frequency mode at freely selectable wavelengths within the broad tuning range of the laser. This is facilitated by a combination of a double-stage birefringent filter and an etalon inside the laser cavity. We investigate the wavelength selection characteristics of the single elements as well as their combination. A simple procedure is implemented for a computer-based automation of wavelength tuning. The reflectivity of the partially reflecting resonator mirror is optimised, and the laser pump power is adapted for best tuning performance. Single-frequency emission is achieved in a frequency range of 9.75 THz (wavelength range 1020 nm to 1055 nm). Each axial laser mode in this range can be selected individually. The axial mode separation of 0.47 GHz corresponds to wavelength steps of 1.7 pm at 1030 nm. PACS 42.55.Xi; 42.60.Fc; 42.60.Lh     

Single mode oscillation of TEA CO2 laser with an interference resonator

An effective single-longitudinal mode (SLM) pulse TEA CO₂ laser operation was demonstrated using a Michelson’s type resonator with a tilting Fabry-Perot etalon. A modified numerical model of the interference resonator was investigated for designing the laser. The experimentally measured values were found to have good agreement with the numerical model. A pulse width of about 90 ns and the maximum pulse energy of about 300 mJ were achieved at 10.59 μm in SLM and TEM₀₀ mode. The reliability of producing SLM pulses was 100% and there was no damage on the etalon. By turning the interference resonator, the SLM output was tuned 44 lines of the CO₂ spectrum.     

Suppression of mode partition noise in a multiwavelength semiconductor laser through hybrid mode locking

We demonstrate the suppression of intensity fluctuations, which are known as mode partition noise, in a multiwavelength semiconductor laser by using a hybrid mode-locking scheme. The laser design incorporates a saturable absorber and a gain-modulated semiconductor optical amplifier, along with spectral filtering, in an external cavity to achieve multiwavelength hybrid mode locking. The mode-locked laser produces an error-free (pulse Q>13) 300-MHz optical pulse train in each of three wavelength channels.     

Influence of spatial mode matching in end-pumped solid state lasers

We present investigations on the influence of mode matching on the efficiency of longitudinally pumped solid state lasers. In a theoretical part we enhance an existing model for four level lasers from idealized cylindrical modes to arbitary pump and laser modes in a random relative position thereby neglecting beam deformation due to thermal effects. The theoretical predictions were confirmed experimentally with an end-pumped Nd:YAG rod operated at 1064 nm. To investigate the effect of misalignment on the efficiency we used a Ti-Sapphire pump laser which was displaced relative to the laser beam. To establish the influence of arbitary pump modes on laser performance a diode laser equipped with coupling optics served as pump source for the same resonator. The resulting decrease in slope efficiency compared to the Ti-Sapphire pumped system could be explained in terms of limited mode overlap due to the characteristic pump field distribution produced by the diode coupling optics.     

Self-suppression of axial mode hopping by intracavity second-harmonic generation

Intracavity second-harmonic generation (SHG) in a single-frequency laser has an associated loss for adjacent nonlasing modes, from sum-frequency generation, that is greater than the loss from SHG for the lasing mode. Mode hopping is thereby suppressed, as the lasing mode dominates neighboring modes. We have investigated this behavior in a Nd:YAG laser with LBO intracavity frequency doubler, obtaining frequency tuning over more than 80 axial mode spacings, without mode hopping.     

Bistable operation of a tunable laser with and without absorber coupled to an external resonator

The stationary states of a single-mode laser with feedback from a grating of high selectivity are investigated theoretically. The amplifying and absorbing media are contained in a Fabry-Perot cavity (FP) of lengthl. The grating and one of the FP end mirrors facing it are forming an external resonator (ER) of lengthL whereLl. The losses in the compound system consisting of the FP and ER depend on the refractive indices of both the media which change with light intensity. An inequality has been derived yielding conditions for unstable operation at lasing threshold connected with a transition of light intensity to the upper branch of a hysteresis cycle. It has been found that a hysteresis in a system without an absorber can arise by tuning the grating frequency towards a FP resonance from the high-frequency side provided that this resonance stands on the high-frequency side of the atomic transition. For the reversed tuning situation the FP resonance must be located on the low-frequency side of the atomic transition. If an absorber is present hysteresis cycles at both sides of a FP resonance can occur independently of its position with respect to the atomic resonances.     

Coupling Losses and Discrimination of Annular Waveguide Laser Resonators

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