Experimental Study of a Pulsed Ytterbium-Doped Fibre Laser with Fast and Slow Saturable Absorbers in a Linear Cavity

We present a linear-cavity stretched-pulse fibre laser and by semiconductor saturable-absorber mirrors. A with mode locking by a nonlinear polarization rotation Q-switched mode-locking cw train and a mode-locking pulse train are obtained in the experiment. We investigate the effects of the equivalent fast saturable absorber and the slow saturable absorbers in experiment. It is found that neither the nonlinear polarization evolution effect nor a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror is enough to produce the stable cw mode-locking pulses in this experiment. A nonlinear polarization evolution effect controls the cavity loss to literally carve the pulses; semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors provide the self-restarting and maintain the stability of the modelocking operation.     

8 ns fiber laser Q switched by the resonant saturable absorber mirror

We demonstrate that resonant high-modulation-depth saturable absorbers allow efficient pulse shortening in Q-switched lasers. Using a 70% modulation depth resonant saturable absorber mirror we achieved 8 ns pulses that are close to the limit set by the cavity length and are, to our knowledge, the shortest pulses demonstrated to date from passively Q-switched fiber lasers.     

Kerr Lens Mode-locked Operation of Yb:KYW Laser

Using a modified ABCD-matrix approach accounting for nonlinear refraction in active medium,the ranges of cavity parameters that provide a mode-locking of Yb∶KYW-laser in usual z-fold cavity configuration are determined.Taking the cavity parameters that provide a most efficient mode locking and based on fluctuation model,a numerical simulation of laser operation is performed.In the calculations the side-band pump power of 6W at 982 nm is used in 1 cm length KYW crystal with 1 cm×0.005 cm beam cross section.Calculations show that self-starting operation is possible with these parameters and dispersion compensation allows for bandwidth-limited ultrashort pulse generation.The shortest pulse duration was determined to be about 200 fs with self-starting buid-up time of 130 μs.Such a built-up time is comparable and even shorter than that one for the lasers with semiconductor saturable absorbers.The region of negative dispersion provided by prism pair for a stable ultrashort pulse generation was determined to be (-17000～-42000)fs2.     

Graphene oxide-COOH as a new saturable absorber for both Q-switching and mode-locking fiber lasers

Graphene oxide carboxylic acid(COOH), a novel two-dimensional(2D) layered material with its unique optical and electronic properties, is discovered to exhibit the saturation of optical absorption under laser illumination.Applying the liquid-phase exfoliation method, we prepare graphene oxide-COOH dispersions with deionized water and fabricate graphene oxide-COOH polyvinyl alcohol polymer composite film. We further obtain stable Q-switching pulse and mode-locked laser operation with a 22.7 MHz repetition rate and a 1.5 ps pulse duration by incorporating the graphene oxide-COOH-based saturable absorbers into the all-fiber erbium-doped fiber laser cavity. The experimental results show that the proposed graphene oxide-COOH material can act as an effective absorber for pulsed fiber lasers, which demonstrate potential applications in the area of ultrafast optics.     

水下微穿孔吸声体结构设计与试验研究

根据马大猷院士的微穿孔板(MPP)理论,提出在可设计的夹芯复合隐身结构的空腔中附加微穿孔板层的水下微穿孔吸声体。基于微穿孔板的精确计算理论及水下声隐身结构的特点,考虑空腔深度、穿孔板厚度、穿孔直径及穿孔率等对微穿孔板吸声性能的影响,对水下微穿孔吸声体进行了结构设计。利用脉冲声管法对水下微穿孔吸声体试样的吸声系数进行了测量,结果表明:水下微穿孔吸声体有效地拓宽了低频吸声频带,其微穿孔板结构参数的影响规律也与理论分析一致;对于多种吸声机理并存的水下微穿孔吸声体的空腔个数、形状及谐振特性等也是影响吸声性能的重要因素,在实际的工程应用中必须结合所关心的频带对水下微穿孔吸声体进行匹配优化设计。      

Theoretical study of the operation of gated saturable absorbers

The operation of gated saturable absorbers is described by the classical space-time-dependent rate equation model considering both ground-state and excited-state absorption and stimulated emission. The effect of different molecular and cavity parameters on the transmitted pulse is shown.     

Pulse symmetry and pulse duration compression in a diode-pumped doubly passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4 lasers with Cr4+:YAG and GaAs saturable absorbers

We present a simple technique to improve the symmetry of pulse emitted by doubly passively Q-switched lasers. Using both Cr⁴⁺:YAG and GaAs saturable absorbers in the same cavity, a diode-pumped doubly passively Q-switched Nd:YVO₄ laser is realized for the fist time. This laser can generate more symmetric pulse with shorter pulse width and higher peak power compared with the solely passively Q-switched laser with Cr⁴⁺:YAG saturable absorber or GaAs coupler. The pulse symmetry factor ε of such a doubly passively Q-switched laser is experimentally shown to reach 1.05. Simulations by a rate-equation model for doubly passively Q-switched laser are in close agreement with the experimental results.PACS 42.55.Xi; 42.55.Rz; 42.60.Gd     

半导体可饱和吸收镜被动锁模侧面抽运Nd:YAG激光器研究

利用半导体可饱和吸收镜(SESAM)锁模技术实现的超快脉冲激光器具有结构简单紧凑、脉冲序列稳定等优势,在许多领域有着重要用途,自问世以来受到国内外的广泛关注.分析了SESAM被动锁模侧面抽运固体激光器的具体要求,进行了不同条件下的SESAM被动锁模侧面抽运Nd:YAG激光器实验.获得了最高平均功率9.5 W,脉冲重复频率71 MHz,单脉冲能量约141 nJ的皮秒激光脉冲.对SESAM被动锁模侧面抽运Nd:YAG激光器进行了实验和理论分析,对实现高功率连续超短脉冲激光器进行了探讨.     

激光二极管抽运的GaAs被动Q开关Nd：YVO4激光器

利用固体可饱和吸收体砷化镓（GaAs）作为被动调Q元件，实现了激光二极管抽运平－凹腔掺钕钒酸钇（Nd:YVO4）激光调Q运转，详细测量了砷化镓被动调QNd:YVO4激光输出特性，获得脉宽15ns，重复频率470kHz，光束质量M^2=1.31的激光输出，调Q激光运转阈值为500mW，并数值求解了砷化镓被动调Q速率方程，讨论了被动调Q机理以及调Q脉冲宽度和脉冲重复频率对抽运速率的依赖关系，理论计算结果与实验结果相一致。     

Numerical Simulation of a Diode-Laser-Pumped Self-Q-Switched Cr,Yb:YAG Microchip Laser

The dynamic and laser characteristics of the self-Q-switched Cr,Yb:YAG laser were studied by solving the coupled rate equations; the effects of the pump rate, reflectivity of the output couplers and the concentrations of the saturable absorbers on the laser performance were investigated in detail and the numerical simulation of the Cr,Yb:YAG lasers was in good agreement with the experimental data. Better laser performance of the Cr,Yb:YAG self-Q-switched laser can be obtained by using high pump rate, higher concentration of the saturable absorber and suitable reflectivity of the output coupler according to our numerical calculations. A typical self-Q-switched laser pulse of 269.5 J pulse energy with 319 ps pulse width (FWHM) at a repetition rate of 3.1 kHz can be obtained with a monolithic laser cavity, which results in 843.5 kW peak power.     

Doubly passively Q-switched and mode-locked laser with V<Superscript>3+</Superscript>:YAG and Co:LMA saturable absorbers

By using both V³⁺:YAG and Co:LMA saturable absorbers, an xenon-lamp-pumped doubly passively Q-switched and mode-locked (QML) Nd:YAG laser at 1.3 μm in a straight cavity is realized for the first time. The modulation depth of QML pulse has nearly reached 100%. The experimental results shows that the doubly passively Q-switched and mode-locked (QML) laser can generate shorter Q-switch envelope pulse with higher average peak power in comparison to the singly passively QML laser with V³⁺:YAG or Co:LMA saturable absorber.     

Diode-pumped doubly passively Q-switched c-cut Nd:GdVO4 1.34 μm laser with V:YAG and Co:LMA saturable absorbers

By simultaneously using both V³⁺:YAG and Co:LMA saturable absorbers in the cavity, a diode-pumped doubly passively Q-switched c-cut Nd:GdVO₄ laser at 1.34 μm is demonstrated for the first time. The average output power, the pulse width and the pulse repetition rate have been measured. The experimental results show that the doubly passively Q-switched laser can generate shorter pulse width with higher peak power in comparison to the singly passively Q-switched laser only with V³⁺:YAG or Co:LMA saturable absorber. At the pump power 13 W, the pulse width has been compressed 83% and the peak power has been improved 15 times, respectively.     

Phase-dependent ionization in the barrier suppression regime

Here the dependence of atomic ionization on the absolute phase of sub-10-fs pulses in the barrier suppression regime is investigated. The results obtained show that it is possible to find a parameter range for the laser pulse where the phase dependence of the ionization after the pulse is a nonoscillating curve with a well defined minimum (or maximum). This effect is explained by a simple model based on the assumption that in this regime the ionization is dominated by the electrons ejected when the field exceeds the critical value for suppression of the Coulomb barrier. These findings can be used to design phase-dependent absorbers with a potential application to stabilize the absolute phase into the cavity of a femtosecond laser, which is of major importance for extreme nonlinear optics.     

Passively mode-locked lasers with 17.2-GHz fundamental-mode repetition rate pulsed by carbon nanotubes

17.2 GHz, the highest fundamental-mode repetition rate to our knowledge, of a carbon nanotube-based passively mode-locked laser is realized at 1570 nm by employing purified single-walled carbon nanotubes as saturable absorbers. The ultrashort linear laser cavity configured with a approximately 9 mm length is designed and demonstrated with our extremely miniaturized nanotube mode locker and a mirror-coated semiconductor optical amplifier as gain medium. The demonstrated pulsed laser has the inferred temporal pulse width of 14 ps and a 3 dB spectral bandwidth of 0.73 nm.     

Nd: Laser induced absorption in semiconductors and aqueous PrCl3 and NdCl3

The insertion of a multi-photon absorber within a laser cavity has practical importance in providing stabilised laser amplitude and variable pulse duration. We report the relative non-linear absorption coefficients of semiconductors Si, CdSe, CdTe, and GaAs at 1.064m using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. The measurements on Si were carried out from 77 to 450° K, and the results confirm a stepwise process giving rise to induced absorption. The effects of the spatial and temporal distributions of the laser emission on the absolute non-linear coefficient values are briefly discussed. Preliminary observation of stepwise multi-photon absorption in aqueous PrCl₃ and NdCl₃ measured with a pulsed Nd:glass laser is also reported. The possibility of using a combination of inducible and saturable absorbers, placed within the laser cavity, as a means of providing laser intensities confined to a narrow range centred about a pre-set intensity, is raised.Alfred P. Solan Foundation Fellow.     

Passive mode locking with slow saturable absorbers

We give a comprehensive overview on passive mode locking of solid-state lasers with slow saturable absorbers, based on analytical and numerical calculations. For picosecond lasers, we present a simple equation to estimate the obtained pulse duration and compare the results to those for mode locking with fast saturable absorbers. We also discuss how much shorter the pulse duration can be compared to the absorber recovery time and present a simple rule. The effect of self-phase modulation is found to be qualitatively different compared to the case of a fast saturable absorber, and the effect of phase changes in the absorber is also discussed. Finally, we discuss various issues concerning soliton mode-locked lasers. Received: 20 July 2001 / Revised version: 28 September 2001 / Published online: 7 November 2001     

Temporal self-modifying characteristics of pulse propagation in multiphoton absorbers

In this Letter, temporal self-modifying behavior of amplitude modulation pulse propagation characteristics in multiphoton absorbers is presented by solving the underlying theoretical model coupling the propagation equation with the rate equations. The characteristics of the output temporal shapes are of primary concern and are discussed in detail. Amplitude modulation suppressing effects of multiphoton absorbers are numerically demonstrated; they have not been reported previously, to our knowledge. By taking a time resolved absorption coefficients, the corresponding physical mechanism is explicitly interpreted.     

Passive Q-switching and mode-locking for the generation of nanosecond to femtosecond pulses

The passive and hybrid Q-switching and mode-locking of solid-state lasers, dye lasers, semiconductor lasers and gas lasers is reviewed. The dynamics of saturable absorbers and reverse saturable absorbers is illustrated. The nanosecond pulse generation by passive and hybrid Q-switching of low-gain active media is described. The picosecond and femtosecond pulse generation by passive and hybrid mode-locking in low-gain and high-gain active media is analysed. The performance data of passively and hybridly mode-locked cw femtosecond dye lasers are collected. The pulse shortening of ultra-fast pulses with saturable absorbers in intra-cavity and extra-cavity configurations is discussed.     

Vibro-acoustic noise control treatments for payload bays of launch vehicles: Discrete to fuzzy solutions

Sound transmitted through an enclosing structure into a cavity has been minimised by optimising the locations, numbers and properties of tuned mass dampers placed on the structure and Helmholtz resonators placed in the cavity. Most of the results presented in the literature show the effect of a few well selected acoustic or vibration absorbers on simple vibro-acoustic systems, whereas the results presented here indicate the trends that occur when a few absorbers are replaced by a large number. The results indicate that for low numbers of absorbers, the result of the optimal configuration is to reduce the response of discrete modes, and for a large number of absorbers the result of the optimal configuration is a tendency for the vibro-acoustic energy to be smeared over a range of frequencies, which is similar to the results seen in fuzzy structures. The enormous computational task was achieved using a distributed computing network and an asynchronous parallel genetic algorithm.     

Improved sound absorption performance of three-dimensional MPP space sound absorbers by filling with porous materials

Because microperforated panels (MPPs), which can be made from various materials, provide wide-band sound absorption, they are recognized as one of the next-generation absorption materials. Although MPPs are typically placed in front of rigid walls, MPP space sound absorbers without a backing structure, including three-dimensional cylindrical MPP space absorbers (CMSAs) and rectangular MPP space absorbers (RMSAs), are proposed to extend their design flexibility and easy-to-use properties. On the other hand, improving the absorption performance by filling the back cavity of typical MPP absorbers with porous materials has been shown theoretically, and three-dimensional MPP space absorbers should display similar improvements. Herein the effects of porous materials inserted into the cavities of CMSAs and RMSAs are experimentally investigated and a numerical prediction method using the two-dimensional boundary element method is proposed. Consequently, CMSAs and RMSAs with improved absorption performances are illustrated based on the experimental results, and the applicability of the proposed prediction method as a design tool is confirmed by comparing the experimental and numerical results.