Higher order processes in random Raman lasing

Random Raman lasers offer a unique opportunity to study many exciting dynamics of light propagation in turbid media. One of the most notable features observed to exist in the recently discovered random Raman laser is the presence of higher order stimulated Raman scattering processes. The higher order Stokes generation likely comes from photons that have the longest pathlengths, thus have the most gain. This makes these photons particularly likely to offer interesting insight into wave propagation effects such as coherent backscattering and optical Anderson localization. In this work, we use Monte Carlo simulations to investigate how these higher order processes occur and what properties they are expected to exhibit when considering only transport equation dynamics. This knowledge will allow us to look for deviations from this theory in future experiments to determine whether wavelike properties play an active role in random Raman lasing.     

Albedo and gain threshold of a diffusive Raman random laser

The diffuse reflectance (albedo) and transmittance of a Raman random gain medium are derived from a diffusion equation with power dependent gain. The results show good agreement with the experimental data for barium nitrate powder. Both the Raman albedo A_R and Raman transmittance T_R diverge at a critical gain γ_c, interpreted as the threshold for diffusive Raman laser generation. The parametric dependence of the albedo and threshold gain on the scattering characteristics of the random medium is analysed and the feedback effect of Fresnel reflection at the gain boundaries evaluated. The addition of external mirrors, particularly at the pumped surface, significantly reduces the generation threshold.     

Applications of stimulated Raman scattering

The applications of stimulated Raman scattering reviewed in this paper include: determination of spontaneous Raman parameters and nonlinear susceptibilities by gain measurements and coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy, excitation of molecular vibrations and lattice waves and measurement of their relaxation times, generation of intense tunable light in the infrared region of the spectrum. The main results of the theory of stimulated Raman scattering relevant to the understanding of these applications are discussed.     

Noise performance analysis of bi-directionally pumped distributed fiber Raman amplifiers with consideration of fiber nonlinearity and its impact on EDFA output OSNR

Under small-signal assumption, equivalent noise figure normalized by fiber nonlinearities (NENF) of bi-directionally pumped distributed fiber Raman amplifiers (BiDFRA) is derived. Amplified spontaneous Raman scattering noise and double Rayleigh scattering noise are both included. The relation between NENF and Raman gain, forward Raman gain percentage is investigated under different polarization factor and Rayleigh scattering coefficient. It agrees well with numerical simulation results. Based on the analytical expression, the optical signal-to-nose ratio (OSNR) improvement of hybrid pre-BiDFRA/erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) compared with sole EDFA is studied. It is shown that there is an optimum Raman gain and forward Raman gain percentage to maximize the OSNR improvement. Finally, some guidelines on BiDFRA design are proposed.     

Continuous-wave Raman generation in a diode-pumped Nd3+:KGd(WO4)2 laser

Continuous-wave Raman generation in a compact solid-state laser system pumped by a multimode diode laser is demonstrated. The Stokes radiation of stimulated Raman scattering at 1.181 microm is generated as a result of self-frequency conversion of the 1.067 microm laser radiation in Nd3+:KGd(WO4)2 crystal placed in the cavity. The Raman threshold was measured at 1.15 W of laser diode power. The highest output power obtained at the Stokes wavelength was 54 mW. The anomalous delay of Raman generation relative to the start of laser generation (the oscillation buildup) due to slow accumulation of Stokes photons in the cavity at low Raman gain and Raman threshold dependence not only on the laser intensity but also on the time of laser action are observed.     

拉曼效应和参量放大共同作用下增益谱特性

根据激光脉冲在双折射光纤中传输时, 拉曼效应和参量放大共同作用下所所遵循的耦合模方程, 基于平行拉曼增益的洛伦兹模型, 给出了输入抽运波偏振方向沿相互正交的双折射轴时, 拉曼效应和参量放大共同作用所导致的增益. 讨论并分析了在不同色散区相关参量对增益谱特性的影响. 结果表明, 拉曼效应改变了非线性和色散的相互平衡, 使得参量放大斯托克斯波与反斯托克斯波增益谱彼此不对称; 当输入功率一定时, 其增益谱结构确定, 非线性系数和色散系数两者之间相对变化时, 增益谱的强度和展宽有所改变.     

Fiber parametric oscillator for the 2 μm wavelength range based on narrowband optical parametric amplification

We describe a widely tunable synchronously pumped coherent source based on the process of narrowband parametric amplification in a dispersion-shifted fiber. Using an experimental fiber with a zero-dispersion wavelength of 1590 nm and pump wavelengths of 1530 to 1570 nm yields oscillations at 1970 to 2140 nm-the longest reported wavelength for a fiber parametric oscillator. The long-wavelength oscillations are accompanied by simultaneous short-wavelength oscillations at 1200 to 1290 nm. The parametric gain is coupled to stimulated Raman scattering. For parametric oscillations close to the Raman gain peak, the two gain processes must be discriminated from each other. We devised two configurations that achieve this discrimination: one is based on the exploitation of the difference in group delay between the wavelengths where Raman and parametric gain peak, and the other uses intracavity polarization tuning.     

Synchronisation effects in broadband FIR raman scattering in NH3

By using a short pulse broad band (2 GHz) CO₂ laser around a single well detuned line (15 GHz), it is possible to analyse, with sub-ns resolution, the dynamics of a broadband FIR Raman scattering. When the Raman gain is large, well modulated ns emissions are detected also for resonant lines. Generally the pseudo cavity effects, are always present. They have important effects on the gain, in particular an aligned input window has a large positive effect on the Raman gain and on the generation of mode-locked FIR forward emissions     

氘含量对DKDP晶体横向受激拉曼散射增益系数的影响

本文测量了不同氘含量K(H_1-xD_x)₂PO₄晶体(DKDP晶体)在Z(XX)Y散射配置下的自发拉曼散射光谱, 并详细分析了氘含量对与横向受激拉曼散射(TSRS)增益系数有关的拉曼频移、半峰宽和散射强度的影响. 然后通过与去离子水拉曼散射对比得出了不同氘含量DKDP晶体的TSRS增益系数. 结果表明随着氘含量的增加DKDP晶体的TSRS增益系数先减小至KDP晶体的40.1%, 后增大至68.9%; 本文认为掺氘后拉曼半峰宽的变化是引起TSRS增益系数随氘含量变化的主要原因.     

Quantum theory of the Raman effect

A quantum mechanical analysis is made of higher order processes in Raman scattering. In particular the examples of coupled Stokes and Antistokes radiation and the generation of 1st and 2nd Stokes radiation are considered. All fields, electromagnetic and phonons, are quantized and the Schrödinger equation for the system is solved exactly. This completely quantum mechanical approach eliminates discrepancies which occur when linearization procedures such as the parametric approximation are employed. The theory applies to both stimulated and spontaneous Raman scattering.     

Raman gains of ADP and KDP crystals

In this paper, the Raman gain coefficients of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate(ADP) and potassium dihydrogen phosphate(KDP) crystals are measured. By using a pump source of a 30-ps, 532-nm laser, the gain coefficients of ADP and KDP are 1.22 cm/GW, and 0.91 cm/GW, respectively. While for a 20-ps, 355-nm pump laser, the gain coefficients of these two crystals are similar, which are 1.95 cm/GW for ADP and 1.86 for KDP. The present results indicate that for ultra-violet frequency conversion, the problem of stimulated Raman scattering for ADP crystal will not be more serious than that for KDP crystal. Considering other advantages such the larger nonlinear optical coefficient, higher laser damage threshold,and lower noncritical phase-matching temperature, it can be anticipated that ADP will be a powerful competitor to KDP in large aperture, high energy third-harmonic generation or fourth-harmonic generation applications.     

Amplification effect on SBS and Rayleigh scattering in the backward pumped distributed fiber Raman amplifier

The amplification effect on stimulated Brillouin scattering （SBS） and Rayleigh scattering in the backward pumped G652 fiber Raman amplifier （FRA） is studied. The pump source is a 1427.2-nm fiber Raman laser whose power is tunable between 0 - 1200 mW, and the signal source is a tunable narrow spectral bandwidth （〈 10 MHz） external cavity laser （ECL）. The Rayleigh scattering lines are amplified by the FRA and Stokes SBS lines are amplified by the FRA and the fiber Brillouin amplifier. The total gain of SBS lines is the production of the gain of Raman amplifier and that of Brillouin amplifier. In experiment, the SBS gain is about 42 dB and the saturation gain of 25-km G652 backward FRA is about 25 dB, so the gain of fiber Brillouin amplifier is about 17 dB.     

Infrared stimulated Raman generation: Effects of gain focussing on threshold and tuning behaviour

It is shown that for generation of infrared radiation by stimulated Raman scattering, the diffraction spread of the Stokes wave can have a significant effect on the threshold. Compared with an analysis in which gain focussing is neglected, the threshold powers may be much higher with a corresponding reduction in tuning range. The design of a Raman oscillator is considerably influenced by these diffraction effects, and also it is found that the Stokes wave is subject to frequency-pulling which is dependent on the pump power.     

Collisions and turbulence in optical rogue wave formation

We discuss optical rogue wave generation in terms of collisions and turbulence processes. Simulations of picosecond pulse propagation in optical fibres show rogue soliton generation from either third-order dispersion or Raman scattering independently. Simulations of rogue soliton emergence with dispersive perturbation in the long-distance limit are also presented.     

双重瑞利散射导致的多路干涉噪声对光纤喇曼放大器噪声系数的影响

在没有对喇曼增益分布做任何假设的情况下,利用所推导的光纤喇曼放大器噪声系数的解析表达式,研究了不同光纤长度、不同信号输入功率、不同增益、不同瑞利散射下双重瑞利散射导致的多路干涉噪声对喇曼放大器噪声系数的影响.结果表明随着光纤长度,信号输入功率、喇曼增益和瑞利散射的增加,多路干涉噪声对噪声系数的劣化越严重.但通过合理的优化光纤长度、控制喇曼增益可以取得噪声和增益间的最佳平衡.     

Origin of backward to forward wave dominance in broadband Raman scattering in hydrogen

We have observed that in a multilens H₂ cell it is possible to obtain a total dominance of the first Stokes backscattered wave with respect to the forward wave [1]. This dominance of the backward wave is produced by a combination of a strong focusing and a matched backward mode stimulated by the forward generation. A quantitative analysis of the backward gain and of the forward gain suppression due to the interference with a matched antiStokes generation is performed. Both the gain and bandwidth analysis are in agreement with a theory of multimode broadband scattering in quasi-stationary regime. A matched backward mode is observed for the pump and its mixing with the first Stokes backward emission induces weak high order backward Raman generations that should be in principle not observable.     

Picosecond stimulated Raman scattering in crystals

The comparative values of the peak and integral cross sections of spontaneous Raman scattering and the optical dephasing time of molecular vibrations were determined for several oxide crystals by spontaneous Raman spectroscopy. The spectral, time, and energy parameters of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) were measured for ten crystals using picosecond YLF: Nd laser pumping with a radiation wavelength of 1047 nm. An analysis of the experimental dependence of the threshold energy of pumping SRS on the integral and peak cross sections of spontaneous Raman scattering showed that the SRS gain increment explicitly depended on the integral cross section and was independent of the peak cross section of spontaneous Raman scattering as the ratio between the pumping pulse width (11 ps) and the time of optical dephasing of molecular vibrations changed from 0.42 to 9.3. The gain coefficients of steady-state stimulated Raman scattering under threshold stimulated Raman scattering conditions were determined for all the crystals studied on the basis of the measured threshold SRS pumping energies, the duration and width of the spectrum of pulses, the nonlinear interaction length, the intensity of pumping, and the theoretical dependences that relate the steady-state and transient SRS gain increments. The steady-state SRS gain coefficients obtained in this work fitted well a linear dependence on the peak cross sections of spontaneous Raman scattering, which substantiated the correctness of our analysis and measurements.     

高阶色散对高双折射光纤增益谱的影响

根据参量放大和拉曼效应共同作用下的耦合波方程,在考虑高阶色散情况下,当输入泵浦波偏振方向同双折射轴成45时,通过引入拉曼增益的洛伦兹模型,研究了高双折射光纤中,参量放大和拉曼效应共同作用下的增益谱随相关参量的变化关系。结果表明:高双折射光纤中,在不同色散区,不同的输入参量（输入功率、群速度失配等）条件下,参量放大和拉曼效应共同作用下的增益谱受到高阶色散的影响,增益谱的结构、强度和谱宽产生了变化, 高阶色散对增益谱的影响不可忽略;可以利用增益谱在大群速度失配区域远离中心频率偏移的性质,提取T频率脉冲。     

Dynamics of cascaded Brillouin-Rayleigh scattering in a distributed fiber Raman amplifier

We investigate the dynamics of a novel multiwavelength generator in which cascaded-stimulated Brillouin scattering and Rayleigh scattering are automatically balanced to given an evenly spaced (9.4-GHz), highly flattened (<3-dB) optical frequency comb over a 57.2-nm span. The extended effective length for the relevant nonlinear processes from the distributed Raman gain and the reduced Brillouin threshold from the seeding effect of Rayleigh backscattered waves are considered to be the key factors that explain the operation of this structure.     

Multifrequency stimulated Raman scattering of light in liquid nitrogen infiltrated into 3D photonic crystals

Spectral characteristics of stimulated Raman scattering at least in synthetic opal matrices infiltrated with liquid nitrogen upon excitation by nanosecond laser pulses are studied. The effect of the stop band position on the generation efficiency of anti-Stokes components of stimulated Raman scattering up to the third order is demonstrated. The excitation threshold of stimulated Raman scattering in liquid nitrogen infiltrated into opals is significantly lower in comparison with the generation in bulk samples.