Stacking chirped pulse optical parametric amplification

Stacking chirped pulse optical parametric amplification based on a home-built Yb³⁺-doped mode-locked fiber laser and an all-fiber pulse stacker has been demonstrated. Energic 11 mJ shaped pulses with pulse duration of 2.3 ns and a net total gain of higher than 1.1 × 10⁷ at fluctuation less than 2% rms are achieved by optical parametric amplification pumped by a Q-switched Nd:YAG frequency-doubled laser, which provides a simple and efficient amplification scheme for temporally shaped pulses by stacking chirped pulse.     

基于光束偏转的扫描式宽带光参量啁啾脉冲放大

光参量啁啾脉冲放大(OPCPA)是超短激光脉冲领域的重要技术之一,增大增益带宽对提高OPCPA的转换效率、实现宽带光参量放大具有重要的意义.本文将光束偏转和非共线OPCPA有机结合,提出了基于光束偏转的扫描式宽带OPCPA模型.分析了通过光束偏转来时刻改变非共线角,以保证各频率成分的相位匹配,从而增大增益带宽的基本原理.采用提出的扫描式宽带OPCPA,针对800 nm中心波长、带宽约为100 nm信号光的光参量放大进行了数值计算.结果表明:经过扫描式OPCPA后,信号光的带宽与放大之前几乎相同,光谱没有窄化;扫描式OPCPA比固定非共线角方式的放大极大地增加了增益带宽和转换效率,实现了宽带的光参量放大;要满足信号光各频率成分的相位匹配,达到最大的增益带宽和转换效率,需要尽量减小加载到钽铌酸钾(KTa_(1-x) Nb_xO_3, KTN)电光晶体上的电压抖动和电压延时.     

35 J broadband femtosecond optical parametric chirped pulse amplification system

We report on what is believed to be the first large-aperture and high-energy optical parametric chirped pulse amplification system. The system, based on a three-stage amplifier, shows 25% pump-to-signal conversion efficiency and amplification of the full 70 nm width of the seed spectrum. Pulse compression to 84 fs achieved after amplification indicates a potential of 300 TW pulse power for 35 J amplified pulse energy.     

Trends in ultrashort and ultrahigh power laser pulses based on optical parametric chirped pulse amplification

Since the proof-of-principle demonstration of optical parametric amplification to efficiently amplify chirped laser pulses in 1992,optical parametric chirped pulse amplification(OPCPA)became the most promising method for the amplification of broadband optical pulses.In the meantime,we are witnessing an exciting progress in the development of powerful and ultrashort pulse laser systems that employ chirped pulse parametric amplifiers.The output power and pulse duration of these systems have ranged from a few gigawatts to hundreds of terawatts with a potential of tens of petawatts power level.Meanwhile,the output pulse duration based on optical parametric amplification has entered the range of fewoptical-cycle field.In this paper,we overview the basic principles,trends in development,and current state of the ultrashort and laser systems based on OPCPA,respectively.     

Numerical studies of optical parametric chirped pulse amplification

Based on the coupled wave equations, optical chirped-pulse parametric amplification (OPCPA) is simulated and its characteristics are investigated under the conditions of small-signal and pump depletion. The influence of the group-velocity mismatch and the phase mismatch among the three waves on the process of the amplification are discussed, respectively. Compared with the conventional chirped-pulse amplification system, synchronization between pump and signal-pulses is a crucial issue in OPCPA. The requirement on Δτ_p–s as well as the stability of the system is investigated.     

光参量啁啾脉冲放大的逆问题

针对光参量啁啾脉冲放大的逆问题,即如何在给定输出信号光脉冲波形的前提下,通过计算得到输入信号光脉冲波形,提出了相应的计算模型和方法.以分步傅里叶变换和四阶龙格-库塔法为基础,通过数值拟合等方法,建立了输入-输出信号光强之间的定量关系.分别以预期输出信号光脉冲为啁啾高斯脉冲以及具有特定形状的整形脉冲为例,通过逆算得到了相应的输入信号光脉冲波形.研究结果表明,该逆算方法具有原理简单、计算快速准确等优点,可为激光脉冲整形设计提供参考. 关键词： 光参量啁啾脉冲放大 逆问题 啁啾脉冲 脉冲整形     

高效三通光参量啁啾脉冲放大器

为了提高信号光与抽运光在时域上的匹配,提高放大系统的增益,提出了三通光参量啁啾脉冲放大的方法。实验中,信号光在一块晶体内被一抽运光在完全相位匹配的条件下放大了三次,总放大增益为3.7×107,能量晃动小于3%rms,放大后的信号光谱宽为30nm,压缩后的信号光脉宽为82fs。实验结果表明:采用三通光参量啁啾脉冲放大方法,有效地抑制了放大过程中参量荧光对放大过程的影响,在抽运光强为350MW/cm2时,参量荧光仅占输出总能量的1%。     

Competing processes in optical parametric chirped pulse amplification

Optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) has the potential to revolutionise the generation of high power ultrashort optical pulses. In this paper, we present the results of a numerical investigation into processes that potentially compete with OPCPA. Specifically, we examine group velocity dispersion, non-degenerate operation, background noise, pump pulse fluctuations, and compressor error. We also discuss the “local approximation” and show that, in the case of OPCPA, it offers a substantial advantage in computational speed for minimal cost in accuracy. The overall conclusion is that OPCPA is fundamentally robust, and that the processes studied pose a less serious problem than might have been expected.     

光参量啁啾脉冲放大过程中脉冲特性理论研究

 通过数值求解非线性三波耦合方程组,并利用色散致啁啾引起的瞬时频率与时间的关系,模拟了啁啾脉冲在光参量放大过程中的脉冲波形和频谱形状的变化关系,以及通过压缩器的脉冲形状。模拟结果表明：啁啾脉冲在光参量放大过程中的时域宽度和频谱有很小程度的加宽,但基本上不影响放大后脉冲的压缩及信噪比。     

光参量啁啾脉冲放大过程中脉冲特性理论研究

通过数值求解非线性三波耦合方程组,并利用色散致啁啾引起的瞬时频率与时间的关系,模拟了啁啾脉冲在光参量放大过程中的脉冲波形和频谱形状的变化关系,以及通过压缩器的脉冲形状。模拟结果表明：啁啾脉冲在光参量放大过程中的时域宽度和频谱有很小程度的加宽,但基本上不影响放大后脉冲的压缩及信噪比。     

光参量啁啾脉冲放大增益特性研究

 通过对非线性三波耦合方程组进行数值求解，研究了光参量放大的增益特性及饱和放大特性。给出了泵浦光、信号光参数对参量增益的影响及其与晶体饱和长度的关系。且OPA具有传统CPA系统所不具有的优点，将有可能取代传统的CPA系统而作为超短超强激光系统的新型前端。     

Phase matched scanning optical parametric chirped pulse amplification based on pump beam deflection

Combined with the optical beam deflection, a novel approach of phase matched broadband scanning optical parametric chirped pulse amplification(OPCPA) was proposed. For this scheme, there was no superfluous operations to the chirped signal pulse which propagated in a changeless direction straightforward, but the pump beam were deflected in space with time by passing through a KTN crystal, which was applied with varied driving voltage. The theories of phase matching of each chirped signal frequency based on pump beam deflection was analyzed detailedly. And the type-I amplification of chirped signal with 800 nm central wavelength and 20 nm bandwidth pumped by 532 nm in BBO crystal was simulated as a case in point. The simulation results showed that the spectral distribution of chirped signal pulse was almost the same as the initial form, i.e., there was nearly no narrowing on the amplified spectrum by using of the scanning OPCPA based on pump beam deflection. In addition, the simulations demonstrated that it was worth minimizing the voltage deviation applied to KTN crystal as much as possible for the sake of better waveform, larger bandwidth and higher conversion efficiency of amplified signal pulse in the proposed scanning OPCPA.     

Ultrafast noncollinear optical parametric chirped pulse amplification in KTiOAsO4

Amplification of femtosecond pulses at 1.56 microm based on noncollinear parametric chirped pulse amplification in a potassium titanyl arsenate (KTA) crystal with pumping at 1.05 microm is reported. The 100 fs pulses of an erbium fiber laser are parametrically amplified while synchronously pumped by an amplified mode-locked Nd:YLF laser. This amplifier has a saturated gain of 65 dB with 30% conversion efficiency and has produced 160 fs pulses with peak powers of up to 0.75 GW. The system produced 380 mW before compression and can be readily scaled to the multiwatt range with bandwidths to support sub-100 fs pulses.     

啁啾脉冲参量放大特性的数值模拟研究

根据啁啾脉冲激光参量放大技术,数值模拟了光参量放大在啁啾脉冲放大中的应用。研究啁啾脉冲参量放大增益及时间特性,特别是在大信号注入与小信号注入两种有代表意义的情况下,详细地分析了群速度失配、相位失配对放大过程的影响。研究了泵浦光脉冲与信号光脉冲的时间同步要求,讨论了放大系统的稳定性。     

Optical parametric chirped pulse amplification based on photonic crystal fibre

A compact two-stage optical parametric chirped pulse amplifier based on photonic crystal fibre is demonstrated.A 1064-nm soliton pulse is obtained in a home-made photonic crystal fibre (PCF) with femtosecond pulse pumping and then amplified to 2 mJ in an Nd:YAG regenerative amplifier.After the amplified pulses pass through the LBO crystal,the 532-nm double-frequency light with an energy of 0.8 mJ and a duration of over 100 ps at 10-Hz repetition rate is generated as a pump source in the following two-stage optical parametric amplification (OPA).The 850-nm chirped signal light gain from the stretcher is 1.5×10 4 in the first-stage OPA while it is 120 in the second-stage OPA.The total signal gain of optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) can reach 1.8×10 6.     

Generation of synchronized signal and pump pulses for an optical parametric chirped pulse amplification based multi-terawatt Nd:glass laser system

Synchronized signal (650 ps) and pump (1.3 ns) pulses were generated using 4-pass geometry in a grating pair based pulse stretcher unit. The pump pulse has been further amplified in a high gain regenerative amplifier. This amplified pulse was used as the pump in an optical parametric chirped pulse amplification based Nd:glass laser system. As the chirped signal pulse and the pump pulse originated from the same oscillator, the time jitter between the pump pulse and the signal pulse can be <50 ps.     

Contrast limitation due to pump noise in an optical parametric chirped pulse amplification system

The contrast ratio of the recompressed output pulses in an optical parametric chirped pulse amplification system can be limited by temporal noise on the pump pulse. We present a simple analysis which can be used to estimate both the contrast ratio of this background noise and the duration of its pedestal. The estimated values compare well quantitatively with values derived using a more accurate computer simulation code.     

Optimization of optical parametric chirped pulse amplification with different pump wavelengths

Optical parametric chirped pulse amplification with different pump wavelengths was investigated using LBO crystal, at signal central wavelength of 800 nm. According to our theoretical simulation, when pump wavelength is 492.5 nm, there is a maximal gain bandwidth of 190 nm centered at 805 nm in optimal noncollinear angle using LBO. Presently, pump wavelength of 492.5 nm can be obtained from second harmonic generation of a Yb:Sr₅(PO₄)₃F laser. The broad gain bandwidth can completely support ∼6 fs with a spectral centre of seed pulse at 800 nm. The deviation from optimal noncollinear angle can be compensated by accurately tuning crystal angle for phase matching. The gain spectrum with pump wavelength of 492.5 nm is much better than those with pump wavelengths of 400, 526.5 and 532 nm, at signal centre of 800 nm.     

高功率全光纤啁啾脉冲放大激光系统

采用基于非线性偏振旋转原理的光纤被动锁模激光器作为主振荡器。输出信号脉冲的重复频率为30 MHz,脉冲半高全宽为265 fs。信号脉冲通过全光纤啁啾脉冲激光放大系统展宽至100 ps后,经过1级芯径10 m的光纤预放大器和1级芯径50 m的光纤功率放大器将脉冲平均功率放大至10 W,斜率效率41.5%。输出脉冲经光栅压缩器将脉宽压缩至594 fs。