Modeling a distributed feedback dye laser pumped by a Nd-glass laser

A mathematical model has been developed to describe the dynamic emission of a distributed feedback dye laser (DFDL) pumped by a Nd-glass laser. The model is based on the coupled-wave theory. It allows the investigation of the temporal behavior of the Nd-glass pumping laser source and the DFDL pulses. The model allows studying the effect of the variation of the laser input parameters of the Nd-glass laser, such as maximum amplification coefficient, loss coefficient and pumping rate on the characteristics of DFDL pulses regarding the pulse width, delay time and separation time. The feedback process of the DFDL is provided either by changes of the refractive index or by optical gain or by both together. The model estimates the following: temporal behavior of the density of emitted radiation, energy densities of the first excited singlet and triplet states, DFDL output power, cavity decay time and the temperature of the produced grating. The numerical solution of the nonlinear coupled rate equation system predicts the generation of DFDL picosecond pulses. The calculated results are in good agreement with the available experimental data. The calculations were done using rhodamine 6G dissolved in ethanol as the investigated matrix.     

Mathematical modeling of ruby laser as a pumping source of a “self Q-switched” distributed feedback dye laser

A mathematical model describing the dynamic emission of the ruby laser as a pumping source of a distributed feedback dye laser (DFDL) has been adapted. The suggested model allows the temporal behavior investigation of the ruby laser and the DFDL on mode characteristics and, moreover, investigating the affect of laser input parameters on the output laser pulses in the ruby laser and in the DFDL.The numerical solutions of a coupled nonlinear rate equations system of the adapted model that predict the generation of picoseconds pulses, with neglecting the effect of refractive index variation, are discussed (feedback process is achieved only by optical gain). The model estimates the density of the emitted radiation, energy density of the first excited state, and the output power of the DFDL. The adapted mathematical model is in good agreement with the available experimental data.     

New single-pulse generation technique for distributed feedback dye lasers

The distributed feedback dye laser (DFDL) generates a train of picosecond pulses when pumped well above threshold. This DFDL emission can be quenched by injecting a laser pulse into DFDL. By proper timing of the quencher laser pulse, only the first DFDL pulse is generated while the successive pulses are suppressed. Operational characteristics and practical design considerations of such a quenched DFDL are given. With 2.5 ns long pump pulses from a N₂ laser, a shortest DFDL pulse of 17 ps was obtained at 380 nm.     

Frequency tunability and temporal characteristics of a DAMC distributed feedback dye laser

The frequency tunablity characteristics of a simple prism configuration distributed feedback dye laser (DFDL) pumped by a low pressure nitrogen gas laser are described. Tunability is studied as a function of the refractive index of the dye solution and also as a function of the angle of the interfering beams of the pump laser. The tunability range for the dye studied is from 440 to 480 nm with a spectral width of 0·1 Å and the time duration of the DFDL pulses was 50 ps.     

20 ps pulse generation by an excimer laser pumped double self-Q-switched distributed feedback dye laser

The behaviour of an excimer-laser-pumped distributed feedback dye laser (ELP DFDL) using a mixture of saturable absorber and laser dye as an active medium was studied. In a DFDL self-Q-switching occurs because of the population inversion dependence of the feedback. If the DFDL contains absorber saturation of the absorption by the leading edge of the created laser pulse also causes Q-switching. As a result of this double self-Q-switching, mixing a saturable absorber into the laser dye, the laser pulses become shorter and more stable. This was demonstrated experimentally. Mixing Rhodamine B into the dye solution of a Coumarin 153 ELP DFDL, a six-fold reduction in the pulse duration and a more than two-fold reduction in the pulse energy instability were observed. The experimental results were in good qualitative agreement with the predictions of a simple rate equation model.     

Generation of 320 fs pulses with a distributed feedback dye laser

A new achromatic distributed feedback dye laser (DFDL) arrangement is described. The experimental conditions for subpicosecond pulse generation with the new device were investigated. For the first time, stable generation of subpicosecond pulses (350 fs) at 616 nm was achieved with a DFDL. The simultaneous spectral and autocorrelation measurements showed that the amplified DFDL pulses are nearly transform limited, having a pulse form close to the sech² shape.     

A high-power subpicosecond distributed feedback dye laser system pumped by a mode-locked Nd: YAG laser

The design and operation characteristics of a distributed feedback dye laser (DFDL) system pumped by the second harmonic of a flashlamp pumped mode-locked Nd: YAG laser are described. The DFDL oscillator facilitates a large tuning range with nearly Fourier limited pulse durations of about 1.6 ps. The combined action of saturated absorption and amplification results in a pulse shortening to about 600 fs, with small fluctuations in the pulse duration. Output pulse energies of more than 400 J are achieved, corresponding to a peak power of more than 650 MW. Since the dye amplifiers are pumped by pulses of only 25 ps duration the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) is very low, typically less than 10^–4.     

Studies on widely tunable ultra-short laser pulses using energy transfer distributed feedback dye laser

This paper presents both theoretical and experimental study of the characteristics of Nd: YAG laser pumped energy transfer distributed feedback dye laser (ETDFDL). Using theoretical model proposed, the behavior of ETDFDL such as the characteristics of donor DFDL, the acceptor DFDL, the dependence of their pulse width and output power on donor-acceptor concentrations and pump power are studied for dye mixture Rhodamine 6G and Cresyl Violet in detail. Experimentally using prism-dye cell configuration, the ETDFDL output is obtained and the output energy of DFDL is measured at the emission peaks of donor and acceptor dyes for different pump powers and donor-acceptor concentrations. In addition, the DFDL linewidth measurement has been carried out at the lasing wavelengths of the donor and acceptor dyes using Fabry-Perot etalon and the tunability of DFDL is measured to be in the wavelength range of 545-.     

Properties of a distributed feedback dye laser with integrated amplifier

Several properties of a compact laser light source built up by a distributed feedback dye laser (DFDL) and an amplifier realized with only one dye solution cuvette are discussed. It is shown that in this arrangement the region of single pulse generation with respect to the pump energy applied to the DFDL is extended in comparison with a pure DFDL oscillator set-up. This effect is mainly caused by the radiation coupled back from the amplifier into the DFDL oscillator. The results of numerical simulations are discussed and compared with some experimental facts published in a previous paper.     

Generation of tunable picosecond pulses in a simple distributed feedback dye laser under N2-laser pumping

Simple possibility of single tunable picosecond pulse generation in a conventional inexpensive distributed feedback dye laser (DFDL) is demonstrated. It is shown that when a TEA N₂-laser is used for pumping no diffraction grating is necessary in the DFDL optical scheme for operation in the picosecond regime. Hence wide-range spectral tuning from 357 to 665 nm was easily achieved. When pumped with a 0.6 ns 40 kW pulse of the TEA N₂-laser the DFDL generated pulses as short as 7 ps with time-bandwidth product better than 0.6 and peak power ? 10 kW. At a repetition rate of 50 pps the shot-to-shot energy stability of a single picosecond pulse was ±18% at ±7% stability of the TEA N₂-laser.     

Tunable picosecond energy transfer distributed feedback dye laser using Rhodamine 6G and Thionine dye mixture

The characteristics of Nd:YAG laser pumped energy transfer distributed feedback dye laser (ETDFDL) is studied both theoretically and experimentally. Using theoretical model proposed the behaviour of ETDFDL for dye mixture Rhodamine 6G and Thionine is studied in detail. The characteristics of donor DFDL, the acceptor DFDL, the dependence of their pulse widths and output powers on donor–acceptor concentration and pump power are studied. The output energy of DFDL is measured experimentally at the emission peaks of donor and acceptor dyes for different pump powers and donor–acceptor concentrations. In addition, the tunability of DFDL emission is measured both in donor and acceptor emission ranges.     

超短脉冲分布反馈染料激光器稳定工作条件分析

 利用耦合波理论,分析了一种作为KrF准分子激光MOPA系统的振荡源-亚皮秒超短脉冲分布反馈染料激光器（DFDL）的输出模式,指出实际的分布反馈染料激光器工作在单纵模状态是周期性增益调制的必然结果。数值模拟结果表明,DFDL输出光谱出现多条谱线的精细结构或调制现象,这是由多个顺序相干脉冲产生的。可以利用这种光谱调制现象来控制激光器的泵浦强度,获得稳定的单脉冲。光谱测量结果表明,在2倍泵浦阈值左右DFDL能够获得稳定的单模单脉冲输出。     

Two independently tunable distributed feedback dye lasers pumped by a single picosecond Nd : YAG laser

A laser system which consists of two independently tunable Distributed Feedback Dye Lasers (DFDL) pumped by 35 ps pulses at the second and third harmonics of a Nd : YAG laser is presented. The DFDLs employ a new grating-prism configuration for producing the gain grating in the laser dye solution. Thus easy switching of the pump wavelength is possible. Details of construction and characteristics of operation are reported. Examples of continuous computer controlled tuning from 400 to 750 nm are shown. The pulse durations, which are of the order of 12 ps, are discussed by comparison with experimental and theoretical data from the literature.Prof. F.P. Schäfer on the occasion of his 65th birthday.     

Multifunctional high-performance 10-J level laser system

In this letter,we report a multifunctional high-performance Nd:glass laser system.Laser pulses from an all-fiber front end are first amplified by a regenerative amplifier to 10 mJ level,and then further amplified in a four-pass amplifier.The laser system can provide 10.3-J,3-ns laser pulses at 1053-nm wavelength.The shot-to-shot energy stability is better than 1.5%(RMS).The output laser beam is near diffraction limit.Binary amplitude masks are used to maintain a flat top near-field profile with a 71%fill factor.After the frequency conversion process,7 and 5.5 J pulses at 526.5 and 351 nm are obtained,respectively.     

Tunable energy transfer distributed feedback dye laser using pyronin B and crystal violet dye mixture

Using pyronin B and crystal violet dye mixture, the characteristics of energy transfer distributed feedback dye laser (ETDFDL) pumped by 532 nm Nd:YAG laser were investigated. The characteristics of donor DFDL and acceptor DFDL as well as the dependence of their pulse widths and output powers on pump power and acceptor concentrations were studied. The output energy of DFDL was measured at the emission peaks of donor and acceptor dyes for different pump powers and acceptor concentrations, and tunability was observed from 570 to 645 nm using prism dye cell arrangement.     

PPLN晶体差频测量飞秒激光脉冲的载波包络相移

在飞秒激光频率梳系统中，通常采用自参考技术测量飞秒激光脉冲的载波包络相移，但该技术需要采用光子晶体光纤进行光谱扩展从而增加了系统的不稳定性，这种技术已经制约了高稳定度的飞秒激光频率梳的发展.采用PPLN晶体差频法测量了宽谱钛宝石振荡器输出的7fs激光脉冲的载波包络频移，得到了大于30dB的拍频信号，为研制无光纤的新一代高稳定度光学频率梳奠定了基础.     

Cavity-enhanced similariton Yb-fiber laser frequency comb: 3 x 10(14) W/cm2 peak intensity at 136 MHz

We report on a passive cavity-enhanced Yb-fiber laser frequency comb generating 230 MW of peak power (3 kW of average power) at a 136 MHz pulse repetition rate. The intracativy peak intensity of 3 x 10(14) W/cm2 for the 95 fs pulse is sufficient to ionize noble gases, such as Xe, Kr, or Ar. The laser system is based on a mode-locked Yb-fiber similariton oscillator in conjunction with a cladding-pumped chirped-pulse fiber amplifier. After recompression, 75 fs duration pulses at a 13.1 W average power are obtained. These pulses are then coherently added inside a passive ring cavity by controlling the fiber oscillator's pulse repetition rate and carrier-envelope offset frequency. This system is well suited for studying high-field phenomena at very high pulse repetition rates.     

Effect of gain switching frequency on ultrashort pulse generation from laser diodes

In this work, the effects of gain switching frequency on ultrashort pulse generation are investigated using a model based on the multi-mode rate equations. In addition to the commonly used laser diode parameters, the key parameters corresponding to the different laser diode materials and structures are included in the model. Effects of some laser diode parameters, and d.c. and RF drive conditions on the full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of gain switched pulses are investigated for the 1–15 GHz gain switching frequency range. Multi-pulse generation and the cut-off frequency of gain switching are also determined for this frequency range. It is found that the FWHM of pulses decrease as the RF current is increased, at a constant frequency. However, the FWHM of pulses either decrease or increase as the d.c. bias is increased, depending especially on the gain compression and gain peak. As the frequency is increased, pulse widths start to decrease or increase depending on the laser diode parameters. The FWHM of pulses for shorter cavity lasers are found to be almost insensitive to the frequency. Among the parameters affecting the multi-pulse generation and cut-off, gain compression, gain constant, and d.c. and RF current amplitudes are found to be the most effective. All calculations are also carried out using single-mode rate equations and results of multi-mode and single-mode solutions are compared. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Shorter and bandwidth-limited Nd: YAG laser pulses

Stable generation of 12 ps pulses in a passively mode-locked YAG system is reported using an intracavity etalon. It is also shown that self-phase modulation via the nonlinear index of YAG increases the frequency width of the laser emission; at low intracavity pulse energy < 200 μJ, chirp free pulses are observed.