Noncollinear phase-matching geometries in ultra-broadband quasi-parametric amplification

Optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) shows great potential in producing ultrashort high-intensity pulses because of its large gain bandwidth. Quasi-parametric chirped pulse amplification (QPCPA) may further extend the bandwidth. However, behavior of QPCPA at a limited pump intensity (e.g., ≤ 5 GW/cm² in a nanosecond pumped QPCPA) has not yet been investigated fully. We discuss detailedly the ultra-broadband amplification and the noncollinear phase-matching geometry in QPCPA, model and develop a novel noncollinear geometry in QPCPA, namely triple-wavelength phase-matching geometry, which provides two additional phase-matching points around the phase-matching point at the central wavelength. Our analysis demonstrates that the triple-wavelength phase-matching geometry can support stable, ultra-broadband amplification in QPCPA. The numerical simulation results show that ultrashort pulse with a pulse duration of 7.92 fs can be achieved in QPCPA when the pump intensity is limited to 5 GW/cm², calculated using the nonlinear coefficient of YCa₄O(BO₃)₃.     

基于双抽运参量放大中的信号波和闲频波特性

根据信号波和闲频波所满足的耦合非线性薛定谔方程,导出了双抽运参量放大增益系数g、信号波的放大因子和闲频波转换效率,并在输入总抽运功率不变的情况下,仅改变双抽运功率P1,P2的比值s,对参量放大增益系数g、信号波的放大因子和闲频波转换效率理论研究和数值模拟;数值模拟结果表明：相位匹配条件下,通过改变双抽运功率的比值 ,可获得适当的放大的信号波和一定转换效率的闲频波。     

基于双抽运参量放大中的信号波和闲频波特性

根据信号波和闲频波所满足的耦合非线性薛定谔方程,导出了双抽运参量放大增益系数g、信号波的放大因子和闲频波转换效率,并在输入总抽运功率不变的情况下,仅改变双抽运功率P1,P2的比值s,对参量放大增益系数g、信号波的放大因子和闲频波转换效率理论研究和数值模拟;数值模拟结果表明：相位匹配条件下,通过改变双抽运功率的比值 ,可获得适当的放大的信号波和一定转换效率的闲频波。     

Broadband noncollinear optical parametric amplification without angularly dispersed idler

We report a new scheme for direct generation of broadband angular-dispersion-free mid-IR idler pulses via noncollinear optical parametric amplification when group-velocity matched wavelengths cannot be found and the traditional noncollinear geometry fails to increase the phase-matching bandwidth. The scheme does not require any post-amplification idler angular dispersion compensation. We derive and interpret the condition for broadband amplification and absence of idler angular dispersion. A broadband angular-dispersion-free 2.15 μm idler pulse is generated as an experimental demonstration. We identify the potential of the scheme to generate a broadband 3.5 μm idler, with a bandwidth supporting a sub-two-cycle pulse.     

Continuous-wave operation of a single-frequency optical parametric oscillator at 4-5 microm based on periodically poled LiNbO3

We present a cw, Nd:YAG-pumped singly resonant single-frequency narrow-linewidth high-power optical parametric oscillator with idler tuning from 3.7 to 4.7 microm. In this spectral range the absorption of the idler wave in the LiNbO3 crystal is significant, causing the oscillation threshold to increase with a subsequent decrease in output power from 1.2 W at 3.9 microm to 120 mW at 4.7 microm. The optical parametric oscillator's cavity was stabilized and mode-hop tuned with a rotatable solid etalon but with a subsequent reduction in idler power of as much as 50%. We demonstrated the usefulness for spectroscopy by recording the photoacoustic spectrum of a strong CO2 absorption, using a 24-GHz continuous idler scan.     

Design Method for Ultrabroadband Optical Parametric Chirped Pulse Amplification

Multiple amplification stages with different phase-matching angles were designed to yield stable and ultrabroadband amplification in optical parametric chirped pulse amplification by optimally controlling the idler laser pulses. Numerical results showed that the overall temporal duration of the amplified seed laser pulse and subsequently the spectral bandwidth can be amplified by using multiple amplification stages in comparison with those of the initial seed pulse laser, which is suitable to generate a high-energy pulse with ultrashort pulse duration in a simple manner.     

Tunable mid-infrared optical parametric oscillator with intracavity parametric amplification based on a dual-grating PPLN crystal

Intracavity amplification of the idler radiation of a nanosecond optical parametric oscillator (OPO) is achieved within a single dual-grating PPLN crystal composed of a uniform-grating section followed by a fan-out grating section. While all the OPO wavelength-tuning capabilities are preserved, this configuration leads to a 60?% increase of the 4-??m idler power and a significant beam quality improvement when compared to a conventional singly resonant OPO.     

与794nm飞秒激光精确同步的无直流背底的1064nm脉冲光的产生

基于非共线光参量放大(NOPA)，以宽带794nm飞秒激光的倍频光为抽运光，以连续的He-Ne激光为信号光，产生了与宽带794nm飞秒激光精确同步的无直流背底的1064nm的脉冲光.实验结果显示该1064nm的光脉冲可作为光参量啁啾脉冲放大系统的抽运激光链的种子光，从而实现用全光学方法实现OPCPA系统抽运光和信号光的精确同步.还将非共线光参量放大器置于经特殊设计的He-Ne激光腔内，也同样成功得到了无直流背底的1064nm的光脉冲.经一次光参量放大后所得到的1064nm光的光谱和空间啁啾特性与非共线光参量放大器置于He-Ne激光腔外时得到的1064nm的光脉冲相同，而其单脉冲能量约为腔外NOPA的10倍. 关键词： 非线性光参量放大 光参量啁啾脉冲放大 时间同步     

Observation of twin-beam-type quantum correlation in optical fiber

We report generation of pulsed twin beams of light through optical parametric amplification in a fiber Sagnac loop. By pumping the Sagnac loop with picosecond pulses at a wavelength near the zero-dispersion wavelength of the fiber, we achieve phase-matched nondegenerate four-wave mixing with gain. For a gain of 2.2, the intensity noises of the amplified signal and the generated idler (conjugate) pulses are found to be correlated by 5.0 dB, and the subtracted noise drops below the shot-noise limit by 1.1 dB (2.6 dB when corrected for losses). We have investigated the gain dependence of the quantum-noise reduction as well as of the intensity noises of the amplified signal and idler pulses. As the gain increases, we observe the onset of excess noise on the idler pulses.     

Extended mode-hop-free tuning by use of a dual-cavity, pump-enhanced optical parametric oscillator

We report extended mode-hop-free tuning in a continuous-wave, pump-enhanced optical parametric oscillator (PE-OPO). We employ a dual-cavity configuration to allow independent control of the resonant pump and signal fields, and so we can suppress frequent mode hops in the signal as the pump is tuned in frequency. With the signal field clamped in frequency by an uncoated etalon, the idler field can be scanned smoothly through a range of 10.8 GHz. The PE-OPO outputs can also be tuned coarsely from 1.01 to 1.18 mum in the signal and from 2.71 to 3.26 mum and 4.07 to 5.26 mum in the idler. We find that increased idler absorption only slightly increases the oscillation threshold.     

Effect of idler absorption on efficiency of optical parametric oscillators

Idler wave absorption is important in optical parametric oscillators (OPOs). We show through both numerical simulation and experiment that proper idler wave absorption coefficient could make OPOs perform better in conversion efficiency. If the coefficient becomes larger or smaller than the proper value, the conversion efficiency would be lower. A periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) OPO is set to verify the numerical results. Moreover, different pump power is used in the experiment research. It shows that the proper value is changing with the pump power. It shows that idler wave absorption should be considered comprehensively with pump wave power in efficiency OPO designing.     

Boosting quantum efficiency using multi-stage parametric amplification

We develop a numerical simulation to demonstrate increased quantum efficiency that can be achieved by using a second stage, phase matched crystal to convert signal energy to the idler wavelength. A pair of ZnGeP₂ crystals with walkoff and pump absorption were simulated leading to a tripling of the idler output energy. The output beam characteristics are close to a Gaussian beam with an M² around 1.1.     

Classical theory of a free-electron laser

We present a completely classical analysis of the small-signal regime of a free-electron laser. It is explicitly shown that the amplification is due to stimulated scattering produced by a bunching of the electron distribution.     

固体推进剂燃烧驱动CO2气动激光小信号增益测量

 介绍了固体推进剂燃烧驱动CO₂气动激光小信号增益测量的原理、方法及实验系统,重点说明小信号增益测量光路设计、热敏电阻红外探测器工作原理、增益输出信号滤波和放大电路设计及数据采集系统的硬件配置和软件编制原则,给出典型实验测量结果。实验证明,采用放大法可较为准确的测量固体推进剂燃烧驱动CO₂气动激光小信号增益。     

Optical parametric amplification beyond the slowly varying amplitude approximation

The coupled-wave equations describing optical parametric amplification (OPA) are usually solved in the slowly varying amplitude (SVA) approximation regime, in which the second-order derivatives of the signal and idler amplitudes are ignored and in fact the electromagnetic effects due to exit face of the medium is not involved. Here, an analytical plane-wave solution of these coupled-wave equations in a non-absorbing medium is presented. The solutions are derived beyond the SVA approximation up to order of κ/k (coupling constant over the wave number). The intensity distributions of the signal and the idler waves show a periodic behavior about their corresponding distributions of SVA-adapted solution. This behavior can be explained by the interference of the forward propagating signal (idler) wave and the corresponding backward one resulted from the reflection by the end face of the medium. Furthermore, this interference pattern in the medium can in turn serve as a periodic source for the next generations of the signal and idler waves. Therefore, the superposition of the waves, generated from different points of this periodic source, at the exit face of the medium shows an oscillatory behavior of the transmitted signal (idler) wave in terms of normalized coupling constant, κL. This study also shows that this effect is more considerable for high intensity pump beam, high relative refractive index and short length of the nonlinear medium.      

Diode-pumped singly resonant continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator with wide continuous tuning of the near-infrared idler wave

We demonstrate wide, continuous tuning of the single-frequency idler wave of a cw singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (SRO). The SRO consists of a periodically poled LiNbO(3) crystal for quasi-phase matching in a four-mirror signal-resonant ring cavity. The SRO, excited by 2.25 W of 924-nm radiation from an InGaAs diode laser, generates as much as 200 mW of single-frequency 2.1-mum idler radiation. We tune the idler frequency continuously within a range as large as 56 GHz by changing the wavelength of the diode pump laser. The versatility of this continuously tunable single-frequency infrared source is demonstrated by recording of N(2)O rovibrational absorption lines near 2.1 mum.     

New scheme of a petawatt laser based on nondegenerate parametric amplification of chirped pulses in DKDP crystals

The ultra-broadband phase matching was experimentally observed in a DKDP crystal upon parametric amplification of signal radiation with a wavelength of 911 nm in a pump field with a wavelength of 527 nm. The original scheme was used to excite the first parametric amplification stage by chirped pulses of idler radiation with a wavelength of 1250 nm. The saturated gain of a three-stage parametric amplifier was equal to 10⁸.     

固体推进剂燃烧驱动CO_2气动激光小信号增益测量

介绍了固体推进剂燃烧驱动 CO2 气动激光小信号增益测量的原理、方法及实验系统 ,重点说明小信号增益测量光路设计、热敏电阻红外探测器工作原理、增益输出信号滤波和放大电路设计及数据采集系统的硬件配置和软件编制原则 ,给出典型实验测量结果。实验证明 ,采用放大法可较为准确的测量固体推进剂燃烧驱动 CO2 气动激光小信号增益     

Degenerate four-wave mixing based all-optical wavelength conversion in a semiconductor optical amplifier and highly-nonlinear photonic crystal fiber parametric loop mirror

The idler is separated from the co-propagating pump in a degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) with a symmetrical parametric loop mirror (PALM), which is composed of two identical SOAs and a 70 m highly-nonlinear photonic crystal fiber (HN-PCF). The signal and pump are coupled into the symmetrical PALM from different ports, respectively. After the DFWM based wavelength conversion (WC) in the clockwise and anticlockwise, the idler exits from the signal port, while the pump outputs from its input port. Therefore, the pump is effectively suppressed in the idler channel without a high-speed tunable filter. Contrast to a traditional PALM, the DFWM based conversion efficiency is increased greatly, and the functions of the amplification and the WC are integrated in the smart SOA and HN-PCF PALM.     

Signal amplification by sensitive control of bifurcation topology

We describe a novel amplification scheme based on inducing dynamical changes to the topology of a bifurcation diagram of a simple nonlinear dynamical system. We have implemented a first bifurcation-topology amplifier using a coupled pair of parametrically driven high-frequency nanoelectromechanical systems resonators, demonstrating robust small-signal amplification. The principles that underlie bifurcation-topology amplification are simple and generic, suggesting its applicability to a wide variety of physical, chemical, and biological systems.