Design and parametric amplification analysis of dispersion-flat photonic crystal fibers

In recent years, a new type of broadband amplifier, fiber optical parametric amplifier (FOPA) has been investi- gated, which utilizes four-wave mixing (FWM) to amplify the signals and offers a broadband amplification at arbi- trary wavelengths[1]. Though simple single-pump FOPA could offer a gain bandwidth of more than 200 nm, the gain spectrum is not flat over the amplifier bandwidth but has a difference as high as 15 dB between the lowest and the highest values, which brings to the diffi…     

Spectroscopy and efficient laser emission of Yb3+: LuAG single crystal grown by μ-PD

A LuAG shaped rod crystal, doped with Yb³⁺, has been grown by μ-PD technique. The crystal diameter was about 3 mm and the length around 130 mm. A complete spectroscopic investigation in the temperature range 10–300 K is reported and data has been utilized to model the laser behavior. In the laser experiment the Yb:LuAG sample was placed in an X cavity and pumped longitudinally obtaining an efficient CW laser emission. The Yb:LuAG laser yielded a maximum output power of 23 mW with a slope efficiency of 32% and a threshold around 35 mW, at lasing wavelength of 1030 nm. No significant depolarization effects were observed, indicating a crystal growth with negligible stress. The output beam profile was investigated, yielding M² ≈ 1.0 in both directions, further confirming the good optical quality of the sample.     

Study on energy up-conversion in Yb, Ho:YAG crystal

Optic parameters, such as the probabilities of radiative and non-radiative transition and the cross-relaxation probability between Yb3+ and Ho3+ ions in Yb,Ho:YAG crystal, are calculated on the basis of Judd-Ofelt and Dexter theories. The energy up-conversion process is analyzed by solving the transition rate-equations. The results show that (1) the intensity of the green fluorescence relates to the square of the concentration of the active ions; (2) the intensity increases with the concentration of sensitive ions as well, but the increasing rate goes rather too slow; (3) the efficiency of the energy up-conversion relates with the speed of the energy up-conversion and the quantum efficiency of the transiting from upper level to lower level.     

Generation of near transform-limited ultrashort laser pulses in kilohertz chirped-pulse amplification system by compensating high order phase distortions

The effects of gain narrowing and high order dispersions on the pulse duration in our kilohertz chirped-pulse amplification system have been compensated experimentally. Using an acousto-optic programmable dispersive filter (AOPDF), the spectral full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) is expanded from 30 to 50 nm. Stable laser pulses with the duration of 30 fs (FWHM), which is 1.07 times Fourier-transform-limitation, have been acquired by pre-compensating the high order phase distortions using the phase measured by spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction (SPIDER).     

High-gain fiber, optical-parametric, chirped-pulse amplification of femtosecond pulses at 1 μm

Fiber-based optical-parametric chirped-pulse amplification is reported at 1μm in a microstructured fiber in the femtosecond regime. The signal has been highly stretched by an ?ffner triplet and then amplified with an all-fiber, pulsed-pump, fiber optical-parametric amplifier. More than 30dB gain has been achieved over 8.3nm, and the amplified signal has been recompressed.     

Annealing effect on Cr,Yb:YAG laser crystal

The absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra, and lifetimes of as-grown and annealed Cr,Yb:YAG crystal grown by Czochralski technique have been measured. The broad absorption bands in the visible region increase in intensity and shift to long wavelength after annealing, and the additional absorption around 482 nm may be possibly due to new octahedral Cr4+ center in the crystal, and the increase in the infrared (IR) region is due to the increase of Cr4+. The increase of Cr4+ also results in the groud state absorption and the concentration quenching of Yb3+ in Cr,Yb:YAG crystal after annealing, the fluorescence intensity is reduced to 75% and the emission lifetime is shortened from 1.40 to 0.44 ms.     

Several hundred kHz repetition rate nanosecond pulses amplification in Er–Yb co-doped fiber amplifier

We have experimentally investigated several hundred kHz repetition rate 1,550-nm nanosecond pulses amplification in Er–Yb co-doped fiber amplifier (EYDFA). The experimental setup has three stage fiber amplifiers. At the output of the second stage EYDFA, Yb³⁺ ions induced amplified spontaneous emission (Yb-ASE) is not observed owing to the low pump power. In the third stage EYDFA, a simultaneously seeded 1,064-nm continuous-wave laser is used to control Yb-ASE. Without any additional 1,064-nm signal, significantly backward Yb-ASE which caused loss-induced heat accumulation at the input port of the pump combiner can be observed. The monitored temperature at the input port of the pump combiner rapidly grows from 30 to 80 °C when the pump power is turned from 20 to 32 W. When a 196-mW forward 1,064-nm laser is added, the monitored backward Yb-ASE power is significantly declined, and the monitored temperature is kept below 35 °C. But, the additional signal caused a large power fraction at 1,064 nm in the output laser. In our experiment at the maximum pump power of 48.5 W, the total output power is 20 W with ~6.4-W 1,550-nm pulsed laser and ~13-W 1,064-nm continuous-wave laser.     

Coupling of two defect modes in photonic crystal fibers

The coupling characteristics of two defect modes in photonic crystal fibers are investigated theoretically by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The transmission spectrum and eigenmodes of optical wave are found to be very sensitive to the geometrical and physical parameters of the structure, as well as to the relative position of the two defects.     

Comparison of laser performance of electro-optic Q-switched Nd:YAG ceramic/single crystal laser

An electro-optic Q-switched Nd:YAG ceramic laser operating at kHz repetition rate was demonstrated. Thermal induced lens' focus of ceramic rod was measured and compensated by plano-convex cavity structure. Depolarization loss at different output powers was measured in Nd:YAG single crystal and ceramic lasers. High-energy high-beam-quality laser pulse output was obtained in both laser structures. Pulse energy of about 20 mJ and pulse width of less than 12 ns were achieved, and the average power reached 20 W. The divergence of output laser beam was less than 1.2 mrad, and the beam propagation factor M2 was about 1.4.     

Self-compression of 1.8-μm pulses in gas-filled hollow-core fibers

We numerically study the self-compression of the optical pulses centered at 1.8-μm in a hollow-core fiber(HCF) filled with argon. It is found that the pulse can be self-compressed to 2 optical cycles when the input pulse energy is 0.2-m J and the gas pressure is 500-mbar(1 bar = 10~5 Pa). Inducing a proper positive chirp into the input pulse can lead to a shorter temporal duration after self-compression. These results will benefit the generation of energetic few-cycle mid-infrared pulses.     

Blue light generation in photonic crystal fibers with 1-μm femtosecond laser pulses

Using 300-fs 1039-nm Yb-doped fiber laser, we experimentally demonstrate blue light generation in a high-△ and high nonlinear photonic crystal fiber (PCF). The zero dispersion wavelength of PCF is 793 nm, detuning 245.8 nm from the pump wavelength. PCF allows a frequency conversion exceeding the octave of pump wavelength. The visible component of the measured output spectrum occurs in the fundamental mode and spans from 391.3 to 492.3 nm. The peak wavelength of 441.8 nm has a frequency detuning of 390 THz from the pump wavelength of 1039 nm.     

Generation of 9-μJ 420-fs pulses by fiber-based amplification of a cavity-dumped Yb:KYW laser oscillator

We report on the fiber-based amplification of a cavity-dumped Yb:KYW laser oscillator. With this system, we were able to generate 420-fs pulses with pulse energies of 9 μJ at a 1-MHz repetition rate.     

Simultaneous generation of ultrashort pulses at 158 and 198?nm in a single filamentation cell by cascaded four-wave mixing in Ar

Ultrashort 198- and 158-nm pulses are generated simultaneously by cascaded four-wave mixing of the second and third harmonics of a 80-fs Ti:Sapphire laser in filamentation propagation through a single Ar gas cell. The energies of the 198- and 158-nm pulses are 7.6?μJ and 600?nJ, respectively. The duration of 198-nm pulse is determined to be ca. 45?fs by transient-grating frequency-resolved optical grating, which indicates that the pulse is intrinsically transform limited and chirped by the rear window of the gas cell. The spectral bandwidths of 198- and 158?nm support the transform limited pulse durations of 40 and 28?fs, respectively.     

Influence of atomic densities on propagation property for ultrashort pulses in a two-level medium

The influence of atomic densities on the propagation property for ultrashort pulses in a two-level atom (TLA) medium is investigated. With higher atomic densities, the self-induced transparency (SIT) cannot be recovered even for 2πultrashort pulses. New features such as pulse splitting, red-shift and blue-shift of the corresponding spectra arise, and the component of central frequency gradually disappears.     

Experimental implementation of ultrashort laser pulses in the von Neumann picture

The characterization and interpretation of ultrashort laser pulses is most intuitive in the joint time–frequency domain, where structures like multiple pulses become immediately apparent. For practical reasons, ultrafast femtosecond laser pulse shaping, however, is commonly carried out in the frequency domain. Here we implement pulse shaping of optical fields defined in the von Neumann representation, which is a joint time–frequency distribution with complex-valued Gaussian basis functions. We discuss the feasibility as well as the principal limitations of this technique, show illustrative examples, and propose possible applications in coherent control.     

Noise induced amplification of sub-threshold pulses in multi-thread excitable semiconductor ‘neurons’

We report on the transmission of electrical pulses through a semiconductor structure which emulates biological neurons. The ‘neuron’ emits bursts of electrical spikes whose coherence we study as a function of the amplitude and frequency of a sine wave stimulus and noise. Noise is found to enhance the transmission of pulses below the firing threshold of the neuron. We demonstrate stochastic resonance when the power of the output signal passes through a maximum at an optimum noise value. Under appropriate conditions, we observe coherence resonance and stochastic synchronization. Data are quantitatively explained by modelling the FitzHugh–Nagumo equations derived from the electrical equivalent circuit of the soma. We have therefore demonstrated a physically realistic neuron structure that provides first principles feedback on mathematical models and that is well suited to building arborescent networks of pulsing neurons.     

Fabrication of fiber-embedded multi-core photonic crystal fibers

A novel fabrication method of multi-core photonic crystal fibers is proposed on the basis of a fiber- embedded technique.A taper tower is used to modify the structures of the fiber preform,and four steps of fiber fabrication and different structures of fiber samples are given.The mode structures and beating characteristics of a photonic crystal fiber sample with two successive cores are investigated in detail with the help of a supercontinuum light source,a charge-coupled device(CCD)camera,and an optical spectrum analyzer.The test results show a clear beating phenomenon between two orthotropic polarization modes with a 2.8-nm peak interval in wavelength.     

?erenkov-based radiation from superluminal excitation in microdroplets by ultrashort pulses

We demonstrate from a generalized Lorenz-Mie theory that ultrashort pulses can induce superluminal excitation in microdroplets. A ?erenkov-like effect can thus be expected for sufficiently intense ultrashort pulses.     

Yb:YAG及Cr,Yb:YAG晶体的发光特性

研究了室温下YbYAG的上转换荧光光谱,此荧光归因于Yb3+离子的"合作"发光和Yb3+离子到稀土杂质离子的能量转移.测试了YbYAG晶体的X射线荧光,发光峰对应于电荷迁移态到Yb3+离子的基态、激光态间的跃迁.研究了Cr,YbYAG晶体的荧光光谱,讨论了Cr4+激光输出的可能性.     

Polarization-maintaining photonic crystal fibers with near-zero flattened dispersion in 1.06 μm waveband for medical applications

In this paper we present the design of a modified hexagonal photonic crystal fiber (PCF) having high birefringence and a near-zero flattened dispersion. Using the finite-difference method (FDM), it is shown that the proposed multiple Gedoped core hexagonal PCF exhibits a high birefringence of order 10⁻³ and a nearly zero flattened dispersion in the optical coherence tomography (OCT) waveband. In addition, the proposed PCF has a confinement loss of less than 10⁻⁸ dB/m at 1.06 μm. PCFs with such properties are considered suitable for both endoscopic OCT and other experimental setups employing 1.06 μm lasers.