Temporal and spectral properties of picosecond two-photon pumped cavity lasing of an organic dye HEASPS

The operation of cavity lasing of a two-photon absorption (TPA) organic dye, trans-4-[p-(N-hydroxyethyl-N-ethylamino)styryl]-N-methylpyridinium p-toluene sulfonate (abbreviated as HEASPS), by using a picosecond infrared laser as the pump source, is reported. The lifetimes of TPA fluorescence of this dye in different solvents were measured. Temporal profiles of cavity lasing show obvious oscillations and magnification of the feedback light. By using the difference of re-absorption coefficients at different conditions, we explained the blue shift for cavity lasing and superradiance compared with TPA-induced fluorescence. The long lifetime of fluorescence is helpful to the generation of cavity lasing. Received: 18 June 2001 / Revised version: 5 November 2001 / Published online: 17 January 2002     

Linear and nonlinear optical properties of two-photon absorption dye doped linear copolymer

2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (abbreviated as HEMA) and acrylonitrile have been used as the monomers to form a trans-4-[p-(N-hydroxyethyl-N-methylamino)styryl]-N-methylpyridinium p-toluene sulfonate (abbreviated as HMASPS) doped linear copolymer. The spectra of one and two-photon excited fluorescence and two-photon pumped superradiance and two-photon pumped lasing of the polymer all shifted to short wavelengths compared with the solution sample of the dye. The copolymer shows much longer one- and two-photon excited fluorescence lifetimes of nanoseconds. When pumped by the picosecond Nd:YAG laser, the superradiance and lasing can be simultaneously obtained. The maximum two-photon pumped lasing conversion efficiency is 3.3%. The place of the maximum upconversion efficiency of the copolymer does not coincide with that of the maximum nonlinear absorption.     

Properties of two-photon absorption-induced cavity lasing of an organic dye HEASPI pumped by picosecond infrared laser beam

The first operation of cavity lasing of a two-photon absorption (TPA) organic dye, trans-4-[p-(N-ethyl-N-hydroxyethylamino) styryl]-N-methylpyridinium iodide (HEASPI), by using picosecond infrared laser as pump source is reported in this paper. Temporal profile of cavity lasing shows obvious oscillations, and magnification of the feedback light can be obtained. By using the difference of re-absorption coefficient at different conditions, we explained the blue shift for cavity lasing and superradiance compared with TPA-induced fluorescence. The lifetime of TPA-induced fluorescence is measured to be 134 ps.     

Spectroscopic and lasing characterisation of a dicarbazovinylene-MEH-benzene dye

The dye 1,4-bis(9-ethyl-3-carbazovinylene)-2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-benzene (abbreviated 2CzV-MEH-B) dissolved in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and as neat film is characterised by optical absorption and emission spectroscopy. The absorption and stimulated emission cross-section spectra, the fluorescence quantum distributions, fluorescence quantum yields, degrees of fluorescence polarisation, and fluorescence lifetimes are determined. A lasing characterisation is carried out by pumping with single second harmonic pulses of a mode-locked ruby laser (wavelength 347.15 nm, pulse duration 35 ps). The excited-state absorption at the pump laser wavelength is determined by saturable absorption measurements. Laser oscillation of the dye in THF in a rectangular cell is achieved by transverse pumping using the uncoated cell windows for light feedback. From the emission behaviour around threshold the excited-state absorption cross-section spectrum in the laser active spectral region is extracted. The wave-guided travelling-wave lasing behaviour of the dye as neat film is studied by analysis of the amplification of the transverse pumped spontaneous emission. Surface emitting distributed-feedback lasing was achieved with a neat film on corrugated second-order periodic gratings.     

Amplified spontaneous emission from nitrogen laser pumped dye lasers

The nitrogen laser pumped dye laser output has been studied with emphasis on the behaviour of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) with respect to the tuning wavelength, pump energy, dyes and their concentration and solvents. Spectral spread of ASE is narrower than fluorescence and its maximum is shifted towards the red side. However, lasing occurs beyond the ASE region. ASE is small at high gain wavelength and increases at the edges of the gain curve. Laser energy is highest at the ASE peak with minimum ASE present in the output. ASE is reduced with increased laser energy in the energy transfer dye lasers.     

Dual-wavelength-switching operation based on optical bistability in pump-bypassed ytterbium-doped fiber laser

The bistable feature of residual pump in a pump-bypassed Yb-doped fiber laser offers the potential to pump Er/Yb co-doped fiber in a bifurcated cavity for the lasing of the 1537 nm line. The results of our proof-of-concept demonstration show that the oscillations at 1040 nm and 1537 nm are operated in the wavelength-switching mode, and this suggests that the combination of optical bistability in a pump-bypassed fiber laser cavity with a bifurcated cavity could be one simple and efficient method for switchable dual-wavelength operation. PACS 42.55.Wd; 42.65.Pc; 42.79.Ta     

Observation of upconversion fluorescence and stimulated emission based on three-photon absorption

The observations of three-photon-induced frequency-upconversion fluorescence and the highly directional stimulated visible emission in two dyes, 4-[p-(dicyanoethylamino) styryl]-N-methylpyridinium iodide (abbreviated as CEASP) and the complex of CEASP and Ce(NO₃) (abbreviated as CEASP-Ce), are reported. The photographs of the forward amplified spontaneous emissions spots, pumped by an optical parametric oscillator idler with a pulse width of 8 ns and a wavelength of 1.3 μ m, are shown. The upconversion fluorescence produced both in dimethyl formamide solution and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) polymer spans from green to red, with a cubic dependence on the pump light intensity. The experimental results imply that the existence of the lanthanide ion Ce^{3 +} sensitizes the nonlinear absorption and emission.     

Role of aggregation in the amplified spontaneous emission of [2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] in solution and films

The amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) spectra of the conjugated polymer [2-methoxy-5-(2′- ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) is investigated under different conditions such as thin film and solution, solvent type and concentration. Results indicate that aggregation has a pronounced effect on ASE spectra. In solution form, as concentration was increased and thus the proportion of aggregates, a decrease in the ASE emission bandwidth and a red shift of the ASE peak was observed. For the thin film samples, the ASE spectra show two emission bands which were assigned to the first and second vibronic transition of the polymer chains.     

准波导结构下染料薄膜的荧光光谱和放大自发辐射光谱特性

通过对RhB/PMMA和Rh6G/PMMA染料薄膜的荧光光谱和放大自发辐射(ASE)光谱的实验测量和理论分析,研究了准波导结构染料薄膜的荧光光谱和ASE光谱特性。实验上采用连续激光和脉冲激光照射,分别测量准波导结构RhB/PMMA和Rh6G/PMMA染料薄膜的荧光光谱和ASE光谱,发现荧光峰和ASE峰随着染料掺杂浓度和薄膜厚度的增加产生红移;理论上考虑准波导结构下薄膜中染料的自吸收效应,类比激光器谐振腔模型,分析低阶导模传输的增益特性,获得了荧光光谱与ASE光谱中荧光峰和ASE峰对应波长与染料掺杂浓度的关系,数值计算与实验测量相吻合。结果表明,准波导结构下薄膜中染料自吸收效应导致荧光峰及ASE峰发生红移,改变染料掺杂浓度,可以在较大调谐范围实现ASE。     

Photo-pumped lasing from low density self-assembled InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots within a high-Q vertical cavity

A high-Q cavity containing three layers of self-assembled InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots has been prepared. Emission occurs in the wavelength range 1275–1285 nm over the wafer surface. We have observed lasing thresholds in the power-in-versus-power-out characteristics, with associated changes in the angular emission profile, when the structure is optically pumped CW at 300 K. At high pump powers spectrally resolved lateral modes are seen in the emission spectra of a planar cavity and this is discussed in terms of the index change induced by the pump laser.     

Stable room-temperature multi-wavelength lasing oscillations in a Brillouin–Raman fiber ring laser

A stable room-temperature multi-wavelength Brillouin–Raman fiber laser with a ring cavity configuration was proposed and experimentally investigated. An obvious suppressant effect for unstable mode hopping of multi-wavelength lasing oscillations induced by deeply saturated effect was observed in the ring cavity configuration. Stable room-temperature multi-wavelength lasing oscillations with more than 30 lasing lines and wavelength spacing of 0.076 nm were obtained with only 250 mW Raman pump power and a section of high nonlinear fiber with a length of 1.5 km. The lasing output is so stable that the maximum power fluctuations for the foremost three Stokes lines over more than 20 min of observation were less than 0.30 dB. The lasing stability of the laser was also compared with a linear cavity configuration with the same gain components and pump conditions. While using the linear laser cavity configuration, obvious mode hopping was observed. The minimum value of the maximum power fluctuations at all lasing lines over more than 10 min of observation was more than 0.90 dB.     

Systematic investigation of the avalanche effect in highly thulium-doped fiber amplifiers

The avalanche energy transfer in highly thulium doped fiber amplifiers (TDFA) pumped at 1056 nm with laser diodes was investigated. Amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) at 800 nm and 1470 nm as well as the remaining pump power were measured as function of the pump power to explain the efficiency of the energy transfer between thulium ions. As proof of our theory, fiber amplifiers based on self-made fluoride fibers doped with 2000 and 5000 ppm thulium were realized and their gain and noise figure was measured. A gain of more than 25 dB and a noise figure of less than 4 dB was achieved at a pump power of 210 mW in a TDFA using the 5000 ppm thulium fiber, whereas a gain maximum of only 5.6 dB was observed with the 2000 ppm TDF. These investigations are of special importance since until now almost all TDFAs have used 2000 ppm fibers. PACS 83.80.Ab; 32.80.Bx; 42.65.Yj     

Q switching by saturable absorption in microdroplets: elastic scattering and laser emission

Laser-induced modification of cavity Q's has been achieved in a microdroplet containing a saturable absorber. The elastic-scattering spectra from such droplets for higher incident intensities show that cavity Q's are increased when the absorption is bleached. The lasing spectra from a droplet containing a saturable absorber and laser dye are modified when an intense bleaching field is injected into the droplet cavity after the pump field has initiated the lasing.     

Photophysical properties and laser performance of rubrene

The potential of rubrene as a laser dye was investigated in deaerated solutions with a XeCl excimer laser as pump source. Laser tuning range, quantum efficiency and photostability as well as excited singlet state absorption (ESA) spectra were measured. The (S₁-S₂) absorption band strongly overlaps with the fluorescence spectrum and thus ESA constitutes an important loss factor in the lasing process while triplet absorption can be neglected in the wavelength region of interest. Laser performance of rubrene is superior compared to other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which can be considered as model compounds of the lasing process in organic dyes.     

Statistics of random lasing modes in weakly scattering systems

We investigated the statistics of random lasing modes in colloidal solutions with local pumping. The ensemble-averaged spectral correlation function of single-shot emission spectra exhibits regular oscillations. The statistical distribution of laser emission intensity follows a power-law decay, in comparison with an exponential decay of the statistical distribution of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) intensity. The dramatic difference between the statistics of lasing peaks and that of the stochastic ASE spikes illustrates their distinct mechanisms.     

Low-loss and highly polarized emission from planar polymer waveguides

The waveguiding properties and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) of a blend of light-emitting gain-conjugated polymers were investigated. ASE-induced line narrowing occurs for excitation fluences larger than 100 microJ cm(-2), with a maximum optical-gain coefficient of 8 cm(-1). Energy transfer between the host and guest polymers, significantly reducing the self-absorption, leads to a loss coefficient of the waveguide as low as 0.3 cm(-1), which is believed to be the lowest value reported for active organic gain slabs and a highly polarized emission, with a polarization contrast up to 0.65. These results indicate that gain-conjugated polymer blends are state-of-the-art organic materials for lasing devices.     

Infrared two-photon-excited visible lasing from a DNA-surfactant-chromophore complex

Infrared two-photon-pumped and cavity-enhanced frequency upconversion lasing has been achieved in a novel DNA-surfactant-chromophore complex (DSCC) gel system, which is a new step toward producing a biological laser. Once the focused intensity of the 150 fs and approximately 775 nm pump laser beam is higher than a certain threshold level, highly directional stimulated emission at approximately 582 nm wavelength can be observed from a 1 cm long DSCC complex gel cell. With cavity feedback provided by the two optical windows, the pump threshold can be further reduced, the highly directional output lasing can be greatly enhanced, and the output spectral linewidth can be reduced to less than 1/5 of the spontaneous fluorescence spectral bandwidth.     

Two-photon absorption-induced optical properties of a new lasing dye in two solvents

Pumped by an infrared lasing and its frequency-doubling source, the fluorescence and superradiance emission properties of a new lasing dye trans-4-[4^′-(N,N-diethylamino)styryl]-N-methyl pyridinium methyl sulfate (abbreviated DEASPS), have been studied in benzyl alcohol and chloroform. The two-photon absorption (TPA) and emission properties of DEASPSare influenced by the solvents used. The emission wavelength of the dye in benzyl alcohol is redshifted relative to that in chloroform. The lifetime of two-photon absorption-induced fluorescence is about 529 ps in benzyl alcohol, whereas it is 340 ps in chloroform. Correspondingly, the one-photon-excited fluorescence lifetimes in the two solvents are also given. The upconversion efficiency of DEASPS in chloroform is higher than in benzyl alcohol. Finally, the effective molecular two-photon absorption cross-sections were measured by the nonlinear transmittance method. It is found that the optical limiting effect of the dye in benzyl alcohol is stronger than that in chloroform. Received: 3 May 2001 / Revised version: 6 July 2001 / Published online: 19 September 2001     

Effect of pump power on the tuning range of a filterless erbium-doped fiber ring laser

In this paper, we establish the influence of pump power on the tuning characteristics of a filterless erbium-doped fiber laser, operating in the L band. Tunable action is achieved with the control of intra cavity loss. The explicit dependence of tunability on the average inversion levels is brought out. The shift in the lower limit of tuning range and the non-linear dependence of lasing wavelength on the intra cavity loss are analytically deduced using the gain spectra and experimentally interpreted using amplified spontaneous emission spectra. Continuous tunability is achieved with the careful control of pump power. PACS 42.55.Wb; 42.60.Da; 42.55.-f     

Extractable energy from erbium-ytterbium co-doped pulsed fiber amplifiers and lasers

An analytic model is developed for evaluating the extractable energy from high energy pulsed erbium-ytterbium co-doped fiber amplifiers and lasers. The energy extraction capabilities under the limitation of spurious lasing, due to amplified spontaneous emission (ASE), are mapped for various numerical apertures, single and multi transverse mode evolution and operating wavelengths. The model provides an assessment for the maximum pulse energy that can be extracted from a given erbium-ytterbium co-doped fiber. In addition, the model can be used to determine the repetition rate and optimal length, under which the laser source will be optimally operated in order to achieve a required extracted energy, without spurious lasing. The results show a clear advantage in using 915 nm wavelength pump source over 975 nm, at high average power operation, due to augmented 1 μm ASE at 975 nm pump wavelength, as a result of the Yb³⁺ population inversion.