高强度飞秒激光脉冲在空气中的自压缩

利用高重复频率（1kHz）、吉瓦级飞秒激光脉冲实验验证了高强度飞秒脉冲在空气中的自 压缩现象，研究了入射脉冲在不同初始啁啾情况下经空气中聚焦成丝后，时域及频域特性随 入射脉冲能量的变化规律.实验结果表明，在无需后继色散补偿情况下，高强度飞秒脉冲仅 通过在空气中的非线性传输过程就可以实现脉冲压缩；在入射脉冲为负啁啾情况下，实验观 察到脉冲光谱及时域宽度同时得到压缩，并可获得比激光源所能提供的更短的近双曲正割型 变换限脉冲. 关键词： 高强度飞秒激光脉冲 自压缩 自聚焦     

不同偏振飞秒激光经块状材料传输后的脉宽压缩

实验研究了线偏振和圆偏振状态下的飞秒强激光脉冲在块状材料中的传输过程。不同偏振的激光脉冲在传输过程中得到了不同程度的光谱展宽,经色散补偿后,脉冲时域宽度均得到了压缩。详细分析了压缩脉冲的脉宽以及啁啾情况与入射激光脉冲能量之间的关系,比较了飞秒激光在线偏振及圆偏振情况下的不同压缩效果。在线偏振入射光情况下得到了最短21fs的压缩脉冲宽度,在圆偏振情况下得到的最短脉冲宽度为22fs。实验结果表明,这种光谱展宽与色散补偿方式对圆偏振光同样适用,而且圆偏振的入射激光将更有利于对更高能量的脉冲进行压缩。在色散补偿量相同的情况下,压缩效果随入射脉冲能量变化的规律符合理论估计。     

圆偏振光和线偏振光在正常色散材料中的时空自压缩

实验研究了圆偏振和线偏振高强度飞秒激光脉冲在正常色散材料中传输时的时空自压缩现象。实验中利用BK7玻璃作为正色散材料,比较研究了不同偏振入射情况下脉冲波形及频谱的变化规律。圆偏振光入射时,可以获得更短脉冲宽度的压缩脉冲和更窄的光谱宽度。在圆偏振光入射条件下,50 fs入射脉冲成功地自压缩到了19 fs,获得了大于2.5倍的压缩倍率。所以利用圆偏振光可以获得更短压缩脉冲,更大能量,更好光束质量的激光。     

反射式棱栅对展宽器用于啁啾脉冲放大激光的研究

在啁啾脉冲放大(CPA)系统中, 脉冲的展宽是实现安全有效放大的重要保证. 本文介绍了一种新型的由色散棱镜与光栅组合而成的反射式棱栅对展宽器. 并利用光线追迹法对色散进行了数值模拟, 测量实验结果验证了理论计算的正确性. 在此基础上, 分析了以棱栅对为展宽器和ZF7玻璃材料为压缩器的下啁啾(down-chirped)脉冲放大系统中的色散比较传统的上啁啾脉冲放大系统, 结果表明棱栅对可以同时提供负的二阶色散和三阶色散, 这样能更好地补偿放大器中材料的高阶色散, 从而获得近傅里叶变换极限的压缩脉冲. 此外以块材料作为压缩器不仅提高了传输效率, 而且简化了实验装置, 增强了系统的稳定性. 这样的展宽压缩组合在高重复频率的飞秒啁啾脉冲放大系统中具有明显优势. 关键词： 反射式棱栅对 啁啾脉冲放大 色散 飞秒脉冲     

大口径啁啾脉冲放大激光系统光的谱剪切分析

啁啾脉冲放大（CPA）技术为获得拍瓦级峰值功率和102^20W／cm^2高峰值聚焦功率密度提供了技术手段，从而使“快点火”成为可能。啁啾脉冲放大的原理是：超短脉冲激光先经过展宽器展宽，再进入放大器放大，最后放大脉冲经过压缩器压缩输出超短脉冲。展宽器和压缩器均由光栅对构成，展宽器通过引入正色散获得正啁啾脉冲，压缩器与展宽器共轭引入负色散补偿正啁啾获得超短脉冲输出。啁啾脉冲在展宽、放大和压缩中存在光谱剪切（或称光谱变化）和高阶分布，从而对输出脉冲时空特性产生影响。     

负曲率空芯光纤对飞秒超短脉冲光的压缩研究

为了实现对飞秒激光器产生的超短脉冲的进一步压缩,对近年来出现的一种新型负曲率空芯光纤展开了研究,并基于该光纤对800 nm飞秒激光进行了压缩实验。首先介绍了一种圆形玻璃管包层结构的负曲率空芯光纤,通过有限元方法对光纤的损耗特性进行计算,并与实验测试结果进行对比。然后利用广义非线性薛定谔方程对脉冲在光纤中的传输进行了模拟仿真。最后利用该光纤进行了超短脉冲压缩实验,将脉冲宽度为160 fs的钛宝石飞秒激光耦合进一段充高压氩气的圆形玻璃管包层结构的负曲率空芯光纤,通过光纤内反常色散和自相位调制的共同作用,得到84 fs的输出,实现脉冲的压缩,实验结果与仿真计算一致。这种新型的负曲率空芯光纤损伤阈值高、色散、非线性系数小且灵活可调,非常适用于超快领域研究。     

采用光谱展宽技术的钛宝石飞秒激光放大器

报道了飞秒激光啁啾脉冲放大器中的激光脉冲光谱展宽技术，实验中使用了几种光谱展宽元件，结果表明使用激光光谱展宽元件能有效地将飞秒激光脉冲 光谱展宽，抑制了飞秒激光放大器中常见的激光脉冲光谱增益窄化现象，从飞秒放大系统的振荡级输出28fs种子脉冲，放大后得到了重复频率为10Hz、峰值功率为1．6TW、脉冲宽度37．5fs的超短强飞秒激光脉冲 。     

单模光纤中皮秒啁啾脉冲压缩

对单模光纤正群速色散区秒啁啾脉冲的非线性传进行了近似的解析分析和定量的数值计算。结果表明，负啁啾脉冲在传输过程中能得到有效压缩。压缩比与脉冲初始峰值功率和初始啁啾程度有关。初始峰值功率一定的脉冲，其压缩比随初始啁啾程度的增大面大，初始啁啾程度一定的脉冲，压缩比随初始峰值功率的增大而减小，表明自相位调制效应导致脉冲压缩效果变差。计算结果还表明，在脉冲时域宽度得到压缩的同时，光谱宽度也能得到同步压缩。     

激光啁啾对激光等离子体细丝传输的影响

对不同啁啾状态下的飞秒激光在大气中的成丝过程进行了研究.实验研究发现成丝状况及其演化与初始激光脉冲的啁啾状态密切相关，适当的负啁啾有利于激光的成丝传输.当初始激光脉冲的啁啾量不断变大时，激光脉冲在大气中的成丝起点位置会逐渐变远.还研究了初始脉冲啁啾量对使用聚焦透镜产生的细丝的影响，发现其与自由传输情况具有相似的变化规律. 关键词： 飞秒激光等离子体通道 脉冲啁啾     

高稳定性、高质量脉冲压缩飞秒光纤激光系统研究

报道了一款用于眼科手术的高稳定性、高质量脉冲压缩飞秒光纤主振荡功率放大系统. 振荡器采用混合腔方式增加了光纤双折射, 改善了非线性偏振旋转锁模在低重复频率下无法自启动的缺点, 提高了飞秒光纤激光器自启动锁模的稳定性. 研究了脉冲预啁啾与飞秒脉冲压缩质量的关系, 通过实验证明了光纤放大器的入射脉冲保持负的预啁啾状态可以得到最好的脉冲压缩结果. 实验最终实现了满足自启动锁模条件的重复频率19.4 MHz、平均功率1.2 W、脉冲宽度183 fs的激光脉冲, 目前这台激光器是国内首台具有自主知识产权并应用于动物角膜实验的飞秒光纤激光器.     

Intense few-cycle laser pulses from self-compression in a self-guiding filament

Sub-10-fs-pulses are generated by self-compression in a noble gas filament. Using input pulses from a Ti:sapphire amplifier system with an energy of about 1.5 mJ at a repetition rate of 3 kHz and a pulse duration of 30 fs self-compressed sub-10-fs pulses with energies of about 0.3 mJ have been generated. These pulses are characterized with spectral phase interferometry for direct electrical-field reconstruction (SPIDER). Depending on the laser parameters, we observe a significant change in the chirp of the white-light. The spectral distribution of the outcoming beam profile is measured to distinguish the white-light core from the surrounding halo.     

Pulse compression and supercontinuum at different powers of femtosecond pulses in water

Propagation of femtosecond light pulses in water is investigated. By changing input power from slightly above to highly above threshold for self-focusing, it is shown that either group velocity dispersion (GVD)or multi-photon ionization (MPI) and multi-photon absorption (MPA) may arrest the collapse. When MPI and MPA dominate the propagation, the pulse can be self-compressed to a few optical cycles. In spectral domain, MPI alone induces a strong blue shift. MPA can restrain this strong blue shift.     

高功率钕玻璃啁啾脉冲放大系统光谱整形

增益窄化效应限制了啁啾脉冲放大系统输出的最短脉冲宽度,需要对注入放大系统的种子啁啾脉冲进行光谱整形,以保证放大后的啁啾脉冲光具有足够的带宽并满足特定的光谱分布.理论上假定放大后啁啾脉冲的光谱分布为高斯分布或超高斯分布,对"百焦耳级钕玻璃啁啾脉冲放大系统"进行逆运算.研究发现,所需种子啁啾光的能量、带宽以及压缩后脉冲的信噪比都与该分布密切相关.通过光谱整形,使放大后的啁啾脉冲光的光谱分布为二阶超高斯分布.能够获得小于400 fs高信噪比的超短脉冲输出,此时所需种子啁啾脉冲能量仅为33μJ,带宽14 nm,在装置前级注入能力的范围之内.为百焦耳装置光谱整形实验的开展提供了理论指导.     

14-fs high temporal quality injector for ultra-high intensity laser

We present a chirped pulse amplification (CPA) Ti:Sa laser generating sub-15 fs pulses with expected high temporal quality. Gain-narrowing in the pre-amplifier is balanced by a variable spectral reflectivity mirror and by a fine adaptation of the saturation conditions. A crossed polarized wave generation (XPW) filter is introduced to enhance the contrast, reduce the pulse duration and improve the spectral quality. The pulses are generated at 10 Hz repetition rate, with pulse energy of 110 μJ and very clean Gaussian spectrum. The temporal contrast is evaluated by a measurement before the XPW filter and calculations of the enhancement by the filter. The potential temporal incoherent contrast is 10¹² and the coherent contrast 10¹⁰. The performance of the system makes it suitable as an injector for petawatt lasers operating in the double-CPA scheme.     

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.     

Comparison of pulse evolutions in low and ultra-large anomalous dispersion mode-locked fiber lasers

We have investigated and compared the pulse evolutions in low and ultra-large anomalous dispersion erbium-doped fiber lasers mode-locked by the nonlinear polarization rotation technique. Two lasers deliver the pulses that exhibit quite distinct characteristics such as pulse duration, spectral width, and spectral sidebands. Experimental observations show that the spectral width decreases from several nanometers to less than one nanometer whereas pulse duration extends about three times by changing the cavity dispersion from −0.03 to −15.50 ps². The solitons in ultra-large anomalous fiber laser show dips in the optical spectrum, which is quite distinct from that of conventional solitons observed in low anomalous regime.     

Effect of the spectral distribution of a chirped pulse on the interaction of the high-power laser radiation with matter

The interaction of high-power picosecond laser radiation with solid targets is experimentally studied for the first time at various spectral distributions of a chirped laser pulse. The interaction of the high-power laser radiation with the target is studied at four regimes of the experimental setup: (i) at a relatively high contrast (10³) in the picosecond (Δt ～ 25 ps) range, (ii) at a relatively low contrast (3 × 10¹) in the picosecond (Δt ～ 25 ps) range, (iii) with spectral distortions of the chirped pulse, and (iv) with a strongly modulated spectrum of the chirped pulse. The results obtained reveal a strong dependence of the atomic and nuclear processes in the laser picosecond plasma on the spectral distribution of the chirped laser pulse. The prospects for the application of the spectral interferometry of chirped pulses for the online control of the parameters of the high-power laser radiation are demonstrated.     

Intense self-compressed, self-phase-stabilized few-cycle pulses at 2 microm from an optical filament

We report the compression of intense, carrier-envelope phase stable mid-IR pulses down to few-cycle duration using an optical filament. A filament in xenon gas is formed by using self-phase stabilized 330 microJ 55 fs pulses at 2 microm produced via difference-frequency generation in a Ti:sapphire-pumped optical parametric amplifier. The ultrabroadband 2 microm carrier-wavelength output is self-compressed below 3 optical cycles and has a 270 microJ pulse energy. The self-locked phase offset of the 2 microm difference-frequency field is preserved after filamentation. This is to our knowledge the first experimental realization of pulse compression in optical filaments at mid-IR wavelengths (lambda>0.8 microm).     

Broadband, rapidly tunable Ti:sapphire-pumped BiB₃O₆ femtosecond optical parametric oscillator

We report a femtosecond optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on the nonlinear material BiB?O? (BIBO) pumped directly by a Kerr lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. Using a 1.5 mm long BIBO crystal cut at θ=11.4° for collinear type I (e→o+o) phase matching in the xz optical plane, femtosecond signal pulses across 1.4-1.6 μm, and idler pulses across 1.6-1.87 μm spectral range are generated, limited by the reflectivity bandwidth of the OPO mirrors. The high nonlinear gain and large spectral acceptance for type I interaction in the xz plane of BIBO permit rapid and continuous tuning across the entire range by simple fine adjustment of OPO cavity delay or through small changes in the pump wavelength, without varying any other parameters. Additionally, owing to the near-zero group velocity mismatch and dispersion, the OPO supports broad spectrum as wide as 33 nm, which results in self-compressed signal pulses. For 150 fs pump pulses, signal pulses with durations down to 106 fs with a time-bandwidth product of 0.48 are obtained without the need for intracavity dispersion compensation.