Parametric transformation and spectral shaping of supercontinuum by high-intensity femtosecond laser pulses

The cascaded nonlinear-optical transformation of high-power ultrashort light pulses in an ionizing gas medium involving supercontinuum generation, followed by a frequency conversion of this radiation in the field of femtosecond laser pulses with an intensity of 10¹⁴–10¹⁵ W/cm² has been demonstrated. Parametric four-wave mixing is shown to allow a highly efficient spectral transformation and shaping of supercontinuum radiation. The maximum efficiency of a parametric frequency conversion of femtosecond laser pulses in an ionizing gas medium achieved under the conditions of our experiments is estimated as 1%.     

The mode structure and spectral properties of supercontinuum emission from microstructure fibers

The mode structure and spectral properties of supercontinuum emission generated by femtosecond pulses of Ti: sapphire laser radiation in microstructure fibers are studied. The long-wavelength (720–900 nm) and visible (400–600 nm) parts of supercontinuum emission are shown to be spatially separated in microstructure-fiber modes, which can be isolated with an appropriate spectral filtering. The spatial modes thus isolated in spectrally sliced supercontinuum emission possess a spatial quality sufficient for further efficient frequency conversion. The possibility of achieving a high spectral quality of supercontinuum emission is also demonstrated. We explore the ways to control the spectrum of supercontinuum emission by matching parameters of the pump pulse with the parameters of a microstructure fiber and by tuning the initial chirp of the pump pulse. The results of our studies show that supercontinua produced in microstructure fibers offer new approaches to designing a new generation of optical parametric amplifiers and broadband radiation sources for spectroscopic, metrological, and biomedical applications.     

White-light supercontinuum generation with 60-ps pump pulses in a photonic crystal fiber

The generation of a spatially single-mode white-light supercontinuum has been observed in a photonic crystal fiber pumped with 60-ps pulses of subkilowatt peak power. The spectral broadening is identified as being due to the combined action of stimulated Raman scattering and parametric four-wave-mixing generation, with a negligible contribution from the self-phase modulation of the pump pulses. The experimental results are in good agreement with detailed numerical simulations. These findings demonstrate that ultrafast femtosecond pulses are not needed for efficient supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fibers.     

Dispersion-insensitive low-coherent pulses emerging from nonlinear polarization switching

We have experimentally investigated low-repetition nanosecond pulses delivered from an erbium-doped fiber (EDF) laser operating in ultra-large anomalous dispersion regime. The output pulses with rectangular profile and Gaussian spectrum almost keep invariable when they propagate through either normal- or anomalous-dispersion fibers. After nanosecond pulses are amplified via a two-stage EDF amplifier, they are broken up and exhibited as flatly broadened supercontinuum from 1520 to 1700 nm if amplified pulses are launched into a 10-km single-mode fiber, whereas the pulses retain the same duration with a broadband supercontinuum from 1200 to 1750 nm if they are input into a 100-m highly-nonlinear low-dispersion photonic-crystal fiber (PCF). The experimental observations demonstrate that the nanosecond pulses result from nonlinear polarization switching and can be regarded as dispersion-insensitive low-coherent pulses rather than compressible pulses.     

Experimental investigation of combined four-wave mixing and Raman effect in the normal dispersion regime of a photonic crystal fiber

We study the effect of stimulated Raman scattering on four-wave mixing sidebands generated by pumping in the normal dispersion regime of a photonic crystal fiber. Q-switch nanosecond pulses at 1064 nm are used to generate signal and idler wavelengths by degenerate four-wave mixing. These three waves generate their own Raman Stokes orders, leading to a broadband supercontinuum.     

Generation of far-infrared pulses by use of a passively mode-locked high-pressure CO2 laser

Summary Our present study demonstrates for the first time generation of frequency-tunable intense infrared radiation pulses in the nanosecond time regime by mode-locking a high pressure CO₂ laser using p-doped germanium as a saturable absorber. These pulses were transferred into the FIR region via stimulated Raman scattering of the CO₂ laser radiation in CH₃F resulting in subnanosecond FIR laser pulses.     

Coherent Control of High Harmonic Generation Driven by Metal Nanotip Photoemission

Steering ultrafast electron dynamics with well-controlled laser fields is very important for generation of intense supercontinuum radiation. It can be achieved through coherent control of the symmetry of the interaction between strong-field laser fields and a metal nanotip. We employ a scheme of two-color laser pulses combined with a weak static field to realize the control of a single quantum path to generate high harmonic generation from a single solid-state nanoemitter. Moreover, a smooth and ultrabroad supercontinuum in the extreme ultraviolet region is obtained, which can produce a single attosecond pulse. Our findings are beneficial for efficient generation of isolated sub-100 as XUV pulses from solid-state sources.     

孤子光脉冲的产生及其应用研究

利用非线性偏振旋转技术实现自起振被动锁模.在掺铒光纤环形腔激光器中产生了中心波长为1563.3 nm、重复频率为12.5 MHz、脉冲宽度为352.0 fs、3 dB光谱宽度为7.8 nm的孤子光脉冲.采用该孤子光脉冲作为抽运光源，经掺铒光纤放大器放大后，输入到101 m长的高非线性光子晶体光纤中，获得了20 dB带宽约为240 nm的超连续激光光谱.实验详细观测了光脉冲随抽运功率的变化及超连续激光光谱的形成过程，分析了其形成机理.研究表明：当抽运功率较低时，光谱加宽主要由高阶孤子的分裂引起；随着抽运功率的增加，高阶孤子分裂成基本孤子的数目逐渐增大，光谱进一步加宽；当抽运功率增加到受激拉曼散射的阈值时，受激拉曼散射成为光谱展宽的主要原因；抽运功率进一步增加时，受激拉曼散射、参量四波混频等非线性的共同作用将使光谱进一步加宽且变得光滑. 关键词： 孤子光纤激光器 超连续 光子晶体光纤     

Efficient noncollinear parametric amplification of weak femtosecond pulses in the visible and near-infrared spectral range

We report measurement of efficient amplification of weak femtosecond supercontinuum seed pulses by use of a noncollinear optical parametric process in BBO crystal pumped with 150-fs pulses from a frequency-doubled regenerative-amplified Ti:sapphire laser at 390nm . The highest amplification factor, 10(8) , was achieved for 3x10(-16)J energy seed pulses at wavelength of 560nm.     

Radiation produced by femtosecond laser-plasma interaction during dielectric breakdown

Optical breakdown by femtosecond and nanosecond laser pulses in transparent dielectrics produces an ionized region of dense plasma confined within the bulk of the material. This ionized region is responsible for broadband radiation that accompanies the breakdown process. Spectroscopic measurements of the accompanying light have been used to show that, depending on the laser parameters, the spectra may originate from plasma-induced second-harmonic generation, supercontinuum generation, or thermal emission by the plasma. By monitoring the emission from the ionized region, one can ascertain the predominant breakdown mechanism and the morphology of the damage region.     

Experimental investigation of the spectro-temporal dynamics of the light pulses of Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers and nanosecond optical parametric oscillators

We report an experimental investigation of the spectro-temporal dynamics of the pulse formation in Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers and in nanosecond optical parametric oscillators (OPOs). The temporal evolution of the spectral intensity distribution of the light pulses was measured with a 1-m Czerny–Turner spectrometer in combination with a fast streak camera. This detection system allows the analysis of temporal changes in the spectrum of single nanosecond pulses. The measurements were performed for a flashlamp-pumped, Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and for an unseeded as well as for a seeded singly-resonant nanosecond OPO. The laser output spectrum varies strongly from pulse to pulse and even within a single pulse due to mode beating. In an unseeded OPO, individual spectral modes start to oscillate statistically from the parametric noise for pump powers close to the OPO threshold. With increasing pump power a strong modulation in the spectral formation of the pulse is observed, resulting from a strong interaction of parametric conversion and back conversion of signal and idler radiation into pump radiation. By means of injection seeding, the starting condition was controlled for a single mode. Due to the seed radiation, the seeded mode starts sooner than the unseeded modes. These are suppressed completely in the case of sufficient seed power and moderate pump power. The observations are in good agreement with results of corresponding numerical simulations. PACS 42.65.Sf, 42.65.Yj     

Formation of conical emission of supercontinuum during filamentation of femtosecond laser radiation in fused silica

The formation of conical emission of supercontinuum during filamentation of femtosecond laser pulses with central wavelengths in a wide range is studied experimentally, numerically, and analytically. The frequency-angular intensity distribution of the spectral components of conical emission is determined by the interference of supercontinuum emission in a filament of a femtosecond laser pulse. The interference of supercontinuum emission has a general character, exists at different regimes of group velocity dispersion, gives rise to the fine spectral structure after the pulse splitting into subpulses and the formation of a distributed supercontinuum source in an extended filament, and causes the decomposition of the continuous spectrum of conical emission into many high-contrast maxima after pulse refocusing in the filament. In spectroscopic studies with a tunable femtosecond radiation source based on a TOPAS parametric amplifier, we used an original scheme with a wedge fused silica sample. Numerical simulations have been performed using a system of equations of nonlinear-optical interaction of laser radiation under conditions of diffraction, wave nonstationarity, and material dispersion in fused silica. The analytic study is based on the interference model of formation of conical emission by supercontinuum sources moving in a filament.     

Self-Q-switched Er-Brillouin fiber source with extra-cavity generation of a Raman supercontinuum in a dispersion-shifted fiber

Brillouin mirrors based on a single-mode optical fiber provide the simplest, completely passive, and most universal way to produce nanosecond pulses with extensive wavelength tunability. We propose an all-fiber solution, where a passively Q-switched Er-doped Briilouin fiber laser pumped by a low-power laser diode produces pulses with a peak/average power contrast of 500 W/25 mW and, in association with a conventional dispersion-shifted fiber employed as an extracavity nonlinear medium, causes the generation of a nanosecond supercontinuum extending from 900 to over 1800 nm. Expanding evolution of the spectrum kicked off by the multicascade Brillouin process is reported.     

基于光子晶体光纤和拉锥式单模光纤的超连续光谱产生的实验研究

本文使用重复频率为250 MHz、脉冲宽度为135 fs、最大功率为2.2 W的锁模掺镱光纤激光作为种子源,利用光子晶体光纤和自制的拉锥式单模光纤两种高非线性光纤研究了超连续光谱的产生特性,通过对比两种光纤的结构、色散等特性,分析了拉曼孤子、色散波及其他非线性效应对产生的超连续谱形状的影响,并均得到了大于一个倍频程的超连续光谱,特别是拉锥式单模光纤产生的超连续光谱,耦合效率达到60%,这为众多研究领域,尤其是光学频率梳的建立提供了实用的超连续光源.     

Parametrically amplified ultrashort pulses from a shaped photonic crystal fiber supercontinuum

By seeding a noncollinear optical parametric amplifier with a photonic crystal fiber supercontinuum, temporally well-defined amplified output pulses have been generated with durations down to 13 fs. The phase of the supercontinuum seed has been characterized by the ZAP-SPIDER technique and can be tailored with a femtosecond pulse shaper. Thus, a very flexible source for arbitrarily shaped, amplified ultrashort laser pulses has been realized.     

Tunable sub-100 femtosecond dye-laser pulses generated with a nanosecond pulsed pumping

Subpicosecond pulses at a fixed wavelength produced with a low-Q cavity dye laser pumped by a single, nanosecond laser (Q-switched Nd:YAG) are converted into tunable high-power sub-100 femtosecond pulses by generation, spectral selection, amplification and compression of a supercontinuum. The tunable, chirped, high-energy pulses obtained are compressed with a prism pair. Energies up to 50 J in sub-100 fs pulses were obtained in the 540 to 650 nm range using 40 mJ of the Nd: YAG-laser pumping pulses at 532 nm. The whole sub-100 fs system including the low-Q dye laser uses only one Nd:YAG laser as a pump source.     

Efficient mid-IR spectral generation via spontaneous fifth-order cascaded-Raman amplification in silica fibers

Spontaneous cascaded Raman amplification is demonstrated as a practical and efficient means of power transfer from telecommunications wavelengths to mid-IR wavelength bands through use of conventional silica fibers and amplifiers. We show that silica fibers possessing normal dispersion over all near-IR and mid-IR wavelengths can facilitate 37% and 16% efficient Raman power conversion from 1.53 microm to 2.15 and 2.41 microm wavelength bands, respectively, using nanosecond pulses from an all-fiber laser source. In contrast to supercontinuum-based techniques for long-wavelength generation, the high levels of Raman gain generated at these wavelength bands could produce useful optical amplification necessary for the development of numerous mid-IR laser sources.     

Mid-infrared supercontinuum generation to 4.5 microm in ZBLAN fluoride fibers by nanosecond diode pumping

A mid-infrared supercontinuum (SC) is generated in ZBLAN (ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF...) fluoride fibers from amplified nanosecond laser diode pulses with a continuous spectrum from approximately 0.8 microm to beyond 4.5 microm. The SC has an average power of approximately 23 mW, a pump-to-SC power conversion efficiency exceeding 50%, and a spectral power density of approximately -20 dBm/nm over a large fraction of the spectrum. The SC generation is initiated by the breakup of nanosecond laser diode pulses into femtosecond pulses through modulation instability, and the spectrum is then broadened primarily through fiber nonlinearities in approximately 2-7 m lengths of ZBLAN fiber. The SC long-wavelength edge is consistent with the intrinsic ZBLAN material absorption.     

Efficient spectral conversion and temporal compression of femtosecond pulses in SF6

An uniquely high conversion efficiency of fundamental radiation from a Ti:sapphire laser to a supercontinuum is achieved through filamentary propagation in sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) to generate a uniform over-octave spectrum. Two different parts of the supercontinuum, firstly around the fundamental wavelength of 800?nm and secondly within the newly generated frequency range around 550?nm, are shown to be compressible down to minimal pulse duration of about 10?fs demonstrating a potential of the method for single-cycle pulses generation.     

Nanosecond periodically poled lithium niobate optical parametric generator pumped at 532 nm by a single-frequency passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser

We report an efficient, visible, nanosecond optical parametric generator of periodically poled lithium niobate pumped at 532 nm by a frequency-doubled, diode-pumped, passively Q -switched, single-mode Nd:YAG laser with 90-muJ pulse energy. The signal radiation is tunable from 637 to 593 nm. The maximum signal-conversion efficiency is 23%. Optical parametric amplification of a He-Ne laser at 632.8 nm is also studied.