Mode-locked semiconductor disk lasers with weakly saturated absorbers

The effect of absorber saturation on pulse shaping was studied both numerically and experimentally in a semiconductor disk laser. It was found that steady-state mode locking can be achieved even with very weak saturation of the absorber when the pulse energy is well below the saturation energy of absorption. The study discloses for the first time the direct impact of absorber modulation depth on the pulse width. Numerical analysis confirms that partial bleaching of absorption is adequate for formation of stable mode locking in SDLs. The fast gain dynamics of the semiconductor medium approach the dynamics of a slow gain medium at low pulse energies and high repetition rates with a pulse period much shorter than the gain recovery time. The presented results are of practical importance for multigigahertz repetition rate lasers, indicating that sufficient pulse shaping can occur when the saturable absorber is not fully bleached.     

High‐brightness long‐wavelength semiconductor disk lasers

A review on the recent developments in the field of long‐wavelength (λ >1.2μm) high‐brightness optically‐pumped semiconductor disk lasers (OPSDLs) is presented. As thermal effects have such a crucial impact on the laser performance particular emphasis is given to modelling the thermal behaviour and optimisation of the heat‐sinking. Selected OPSDL devices, realized in different III‐V and IV‐VI semiconductor material systems, with corresponding emission wavelengths between 1.2 μm and 5.3 μm are presented. Specific applications in this broad spectral range are addressed and methods to obtain high output power are discussed in terms of the underlying material properties and device operating principles.     

Ultrashort-pulse generation by lasers with saturable absorbers

A theoretical model for the ultrashort-pulse (USP) generation by lasers with saturable absorbers is presented. The gain medium is assumed to be a two-level system whereas the absorber is described by a four-level system which is characterized by a two-stage absorption process and the pertinent relaxation times. Laser dynamical equations are developed in the rate-equation approximation and boundary conditions appropriate for an unidirectional ring cavity are established. Evolution of USP is investigated for different combinations of parameter values appropriate for solid-state laser systems by computer simulation, employing a finite difference approximation for the dynamical equations. It is shown that USP output is attainable even if the cross-section of the excited-state absorption isgreater than that of the ground-state absorption and the laser is operating just above threshold. In fact, it is found that through the participation of a strong excited-state absorption the discrimination against satellite pulses is enhanced so that single-pulse output is more achievable. Furthermore, it is proposed that single picosecond pulses may be obtainable from relatively broad initial peaks by utilizing the high pulse-selection and pulse-shortening efficiency of the absorber due to the contribution of the excited-state absorption. The applicability of the present model to singlet-triplet crossing and photoisomer formation is also discussed. Work supported in part by the National Research Council of Canada under grant No. A6005. A preliminary version of this paper was presented at the Joint Congress of CAP-APS-SMF, Université Laval, Québec, Canada, 14–17 June 1976. This author is now with Welwyn Canada Limited, London, Ontario, Canada.     

Chaos synchronization in injection-locked semiconductor lasers with optical feedback

Based on the rate equations, we have investigated three types of chaos synchronizations in injection-locked semiconductor lasers with optical feedback. Numerical simulation shows that the synchronization can be realized by the symmetric or asymmetric laser systems. Also, the influence of parameter mismatches on chaos synchronization is investigated, and the results imply that these two lasers can achieve good synchronization, with smaller tolerance of parameter mismatch existing.     

氧化石墨烯被动调Q掺铒光纤激光器

报道了基于氧化石墨烯的被动调Q掺铒光纤激光器。激光器采用环形腔结构,调Q器件为自制的氧化石墨烯可饱和吸收镜。泵浦功率在81~505 mW范围内时,得到了重复频率68~124 kHz的稳定的调Q脉冲输出,脉宽为0.47~1.60 s。由于泵浦功率限制,激光器最大输出功率为10 mW, 相应单脉冲能量为80.6 nJ。此种基于氧化石墨烯可饱和吸收体的被动调Q光纤激光器体积小、成本低廉、结构简单、稳定性高、光束质量高,具有广阔的应用前景。     

基于石墨烯的半导体光电器件研究进展

石墨烯自从被发现以来,由于其零带隙、低电导率、常温下的高电子迁移率及量子霍尔效应和独特的光吸收等优良特性,引发了世界各国科研人员的重视,研究人员对其物理性质及应用的研究越来越多并且进展迅速．本文以光纤通信用光电器件中的探测器、调制器为主,综述了石墨烯在光电探测器、调制器以及超快锁模激光器和用于发光二级管、触摸屏透明导电薄膜等方面的应用．     

Repetitive passive Q-switching and bistability in lasers with saturable absorbers

We report detailed experimental data on the passive Q-switching operation in a CO₂ laser with CH₃I saturable absorber, and on the transient behaviour in the near-Q-switching situation. Under suitable operating conditions, we found bistability in the output power. In some cases, we observed the simultaneous presence of bistability and passive Q-switching. The theoretical part of the paper starts from the four-level model of laser with saturable absorber, as formulated by other authors. By adiabatically eliminating the variables of the resonant levels, we reduce the problem to a set of three differential equations, from which we derive explicit analytical conditions for the rise of passive Q-switching. These conditions turn out to be in good qualitative and partially quantitative agreement with our experimental findings as well as with other experimental data previously obtained by other authors. Finally we classify the possible combinations of passive Q-switching and bistability that one can find in this type of experiments.     

激光引信中半导体激光器的准直及其测试

在理论上分析了单级单透镜光学系统对激光高斯光束发散角的影响。用单个平凸透镜对激光引信中的半导体激光器进行了准直，达到了激光引信光束准直的要求。通过CCD成像方法对准直后的光束发散角进行了测量，利用二阶矩算法计算出光束发散角。实验测得2个方向的发散角分别为θx=7.03°和θy=0.69°，验证了准直系统达到激光引信要求的θx＜10°和θy＜1°技术指标。     

Generation of Terahertz radiation with two color semiconductor lasers

We discuss and analyze concepts for the generation of tuneable continuous wave terahertz (THz) radiation with two color diode lasers. First, different geometries of two color lasers are reviewed. We show that the THz power of two color lasers in combination with external photomixers becomes sufficient for scanning THz imaging applications when optical amplification with a tapered amplifier is implemented. Then, the concept of direct emission of THz radiation out of a two‐color semiconductor laser is reviewed and the potential of this concept with respect to THz bandwidth and achievable THz power is critically analyzed.     

850nm锥形半导体激光器的温度特性

采用激射波长为850 nm的AlGaInAs/AlGaAs梯度折射率波导分别限制增益量子阱结构的外延片,分别制备了具有锥形结构和条形结构的半导体激光器,并对比分析了两者的温度特性。结果显示,测试温度为20～70℃时,锥形结构器件的特征温度为164 K,远高于条形结构器件的96 K;占空比为0.5%（t=50μs,f=100 Hz）,1 000 mA脉冲电流注入条件下,锥形激光器和条形激光器的波长漂移系数分别为0.25和0.28 nm/K;测试温度〈50℃时,锥形激光器和条形激光器的光谱半高宽分别约为1.12和1.24 nm。实验结果表明：相同外延层结构条件下,锥形激光器比条形激光器拥有更高的特征温度。     

Applications of a dielectric coating to semiconductor lasers

Experimental studies and theoretical analyses on the effect of dielectric coatings on semiconductor laser performance are presented. It is demonstrated that the dielectric coating technique is a powerful means of controlling the laser threshold current, external quantum efficiency, maximum output power, longitudinal mode behaviour, lasing wavelength and spectral linewidth.     

半导体激光器线宽压窄及其特性研究

本文从理论上分析了外腔半导体激光器的线宽压窄原理,用延时自外差法对外腔半导体激光器的线宽特性进行了测量研究,得到了线宽反比于激光器输出功率及外腔反馈率的实验结果.     

双微环谐振腔耦合的双波长半导体激光器（英）

提出一种新颖的单片集成双微环耦合的双波长半导体激光器结构。集成于激光腔内的2个微环谐振腔作为模式选择滤波器,通过游标效应选择谐振模式,同时还可作为等效的反射镜面以形成行波腔。这种无需解理的行波激光腔代替了需要解理面的法布里-珀罗驻波腔。理论仿真表明,跟驻波腔结构相比,行波腔双微环激光器结构简单,可获得约34 mA的较低的阈值电流和大于31 dB的边模抑制比。合理地控制有源区的增益峰值和谐振模式分布,该激光器能提供一致性和稳定性较好的双波长激光输出。     

外腔半导体激光器中激光二极管端面反射率的谱特性分析

考虑到端面反射率与波长有关 ,且带宽有限的实验事实 ,以及增益谱随载流子密度变化的因素 ,着重分析了激光二极管 (L D)镀膜端面反射率带宽、极小波长位置参量对光栅外腔激光器 (ECL D)调谐范围的影响。分析表明 ,除了 L D镀膜端面剩余反射率值、外腔反馈效率等因素之外 ,增大反射率带宽、精确控制极小波长位置是进一步挖掘 ECL D调谐范围的有效措施。增大反射率带宽 ,可更有效地提高参考载流子密度 ,延伸长波长端调谐区域 ,抑制 F- P腔影响。在确定的条件下 ,优化后的极小波长位置对应于调谐范围的极大值。理论分析结果较好地解释了实验现象     

Quasi-soliton generation in solid-state lasers with semiconductor saturable absorber

Recent advances in ultrafast, ultra-short solid-state lasers have resulted in sub-6 fs pulses generated directly from the cavity of Ti:sapphire lasers. The generation of extremely short pulses is possible due to the formation of a quasi-Schrodinger soliton. Our investigation is directed to the peculiarities of the transition between femtosecond to picosecond generation. We found that the above transition is accompanied by the threshold and hysteresis phenomena. On the basis of soliton perturbation theory, the numerical simulation studying two different experimental situations has been performed, the first situation corresponds to the study of the lasers field's parameters under variation of control parameters (dispersion or pump power), the second one is for continuous variation of control parameter within a single generation session. Physically it corresponds to not repeated laser session but the variation of control parameter when the pulse has formed already.     

脉冲半导体激光器时基脉冲的实验对比测量

以脉冲半导体激光器为例，对3种测量激光脉冲时基抖动技术进行了对比实验。这3种测量技术分别是：基于宽带取样示波器的时基抖动测量技术;基于相位比较检相器的相位噪声测量技术和基于频谱仪的谐波频谱分析技术。对比研究发现：基于宽带取样示波器的时基抖动测量技术适用于脉冲宽带及脉冲抖动较大的光脉冲；基于频谱仪的谐波频谱分析技术适用于低重复频率光脉冲的抖动测量；基于相位比较检相器的相位噪声技术测量精度高、动态范围大、结果可靠，对于高重复频率的超短光脉冲，建议选用相位噪声测量技术测量激光脉冲的时基抖动。     

基于石墨烯的1064nm连续锁模超短脉冲激光器

介绍了利用沉积在增透镜上的石墨烯薄膜作为可饱和吸收体、808 nm激光二极管端面泵浦Nd∶YVO4晶体的1 064 nm连续锁模激光输出特性。采用W型折叠谐振腔结构,在808 nm泵浦功率为80 W时,有稳定的连续锁模脉冲输出,平均输出功率达到185 mW;当抽运功率增加到160 W时,获得了中心波长1 0634 nm、脉冲宽度为518 fs、重复频率为667 MHz、最大平均输出功率为323 mW的百飞秒量级超短脉冲激光输出。实验结果表明：石墨烯具有优良的可饱和吸收性,在1 064 nm波段能够实现高功率、百飞秒量级连续锁模脉冲激光输出。     

Theoretical analysis of broad-area semiconductor lasers with laterally shifted modal reflectors

Broad-area (BA) semiconductor lasers enable the achieving of high output power. However, the beam quality is low because of the vast number of lateral modes supported by the wide structure. A solution to this problem can be to produce BA lasers with modal reflectors. In this paper a theoretical analysis of the near-threshold behavior of such lasers is provided. The emphasis is put on the geometrical precision of producing of the inhomogeneous mirror. Consequences of asymmetry, with regard to the low-ohmic contact center, and localization of the reflecting part of the mirror on laser operation is discussed.