Generation of femtosecond double pulse by adjusting the refractive index modulation of volume holographic grating

Based on the modified Kogelnik’s coupled-wave theory, expressions of diffraction field distribution of volume holographic grating (VHG) are derived when it is illuminated by an ultrashort pulse. It is found that the diffracted pulse is involved into two pulses, and the two-pulse interval is found to be proportional to the refractive index modulation of the VHG. Moreover, the emergence of double pulses is periodic. An overmodulation effect of refractive index modulation of transmitted VHG is used to explain this particular diffraction behavior of the VHG. Results of our study provide a feasible method to generate interval adjustable double pulse with a simple system.     

超短脉冲激光光束被局域体全息光栅衍射的性质分析

利用二维耦合波理论,分析了超短脉冲激光光束被完全重叠型的局域体全息光栅衍射的时空变化性质,给出了衍射和透射脉冲激光光束沿光栅出射边界的强度时空分布。以LiNbO3晶体为例,数值研究了衍射光脉冲强度沿光栅出射边界的分布和脉冲波形的变化及光栅的总衍射效率受光栅二维尺寸、入射角度、光栅折射率调制度及入射脉冲的脉冲时域半峰全宽等条件的影响而变化的情况。与一维体全息光栅对超短脉冲激光光束衍射的性质,及此光栅对连续光衍射的性质作比较,给出了合理选择光栅参量及入射条件以在光栅出射边界上得到总衍射效率较大且分布较均匀的衍射光脉冲的方法。     

Diffraction properties of ultrashort pulsed beams with arbitrary temporal profiles by a reflection volume holographic grating

The diffraction properties of reflection volume holographic gratings are studied when the gratings are illuminated by an ultrashort beam with arbitrary temporal profiles. The modified Kogelnik's theory of coupled waves is used. Simple analytical expressions for spectral and temporal distribution of the transmitted and diffracted are obtained. The dependences of the diffraction bandwidth, the Bragg selectivity bandwidth and the total diffraction efficiency of the reflection volume grating on the temporal profiles of the input ultrashort pulse are investigated. Study shows that the bandwidth of the reflection volume holographic gratings varies with the grating parameters more slowly than the transmitting volume holographic gratings. For three different temporal profiles, numerical results about diffraction properties of the reflection volume holographic gratings are given and compared with the transmitting volume holographic gratings.     

超短脉冲激光光束在一维反射型体全息光栅中的衍射

基于Kogelnik的耦合波理论,研究了在色散效应的影响下,超短脉冲激光光束在反射型体全息光栅中衍射的性质.研究给出了衍射光及透射光在频谱域及时间域的振幅及强度分布、光栅的光谱宽度及衍射效率随光栅参量及入射条件的变化.数值研究的结果表明,在光栅记录介质色散效应的影响下,衍射光束的光谱宽度减小,脉冲展宽,衍射效率降低.通过适当的选取光栅参量及入射条件,可以控制衍射和透射光束的频谱和时间强度分布,得到满意的衍射和透射光束的带宽和波形,从而可以将其应用于脉冲整形等技术中.     

Talbot effect of a high-density grating under femtosecond laser illumination

The Talbot effect of a high-density grating under femtosecond laser illumination is analyzed with rigorous electromagnetic theory which is based on the Fourier decomposition and the rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA). Numerical simulations show that the contrast of the Talbot images steadily decreases as the transmitted femtosecond laser pulses propagate forward and with wider spectrum width of the femtosecond laser pulses. The Talbot images of high-density gratings have much higher sensitivity of the spectrum widths of the incident laser pulses than those of the traditional low-density gratings. In experiments, the spectrums and the pulse widths of the incident pulses are measured with a frequency-resolved optical grating (FROG) apparatus. The Talbot images are detected by using a Talbot scanning near-field optical microscopy (Talbot-SNOM) technique, which are in coincidence with the numerical simulations. This effect should be useful for developing new femtosecond laser techniques and devices.     

用体全息术对皮秒光脉冲进行二维测量

本文提供一种测量两束相干的ps光脉冲的空间二维时间振幅相关函数的新方法.在此方法中,光脉冲是被记录在一种光致折变的体积全息介质中,而所记录的信息可以通过直接量度在介质中所形成的光栅的空间分布而读出.这种方法可的可行性已为实验证实,它是通过3.5ps倍频锁模Nd:YAG激光测量光致折变晶体LiNbO₃来实现的。     

飞秒激光成丝过程中由等离子体光栅引起的超连续谱增强与转移

在飞秒宽带激光脉冲成丝过程中, 由于双光束干涉效应而形成的空间等离子体光栅, 研究了空气中飞秒宽带激光脉冲成丝所产生的超连续谱增强效应, 并进一步观测到泵浦光脉冲成丝产生的超连续谱能量向较弱的未成丝的探测光脉冲转移, 有效拓展探测光脉冲带宽的新现象. 通过基于布拉格衍射特性的理论计算较好地解释了实验结果.     

Measuring temporal fluctuation on femtosecond scale in a random medium

We report an observation of femtosecond optical fluctuations of transmitted light when a coherent femtosecond pulse propagates through a random medium. They are a result of random interference among scattered waves coming from different trajectories in the time domain. Temporal fluctuations are measured by using cross-correlated frequency optical gating. It is shown that a femtosecond pulse will be broadened and distorted in pulse shape while it is propagating in random medium. The real and imaginary components of transmitted electric field are also distorted severely. The average of the fluctuated transmission pulses yields a smooth profile, probability functions show good agreement with Gaussian distribution.     

Femtosecond third-harmonic generation:. self-phase matching through a transient. Kerr grating and the way to ultrafast computing

The third harmonic of 810-nm 100-fs pulses at 130 μJ is generated very efficiently when ultrashort pulses from two noncollinear beams interfere in an optical medium to create an instantaneous transient grating via the optical Kerr effect. The grating couples two pathways for third-harmonic generation, each taking two photons from one beam and one photon from the other beam, respectively. The coupling enables self-phase matching in the complete process, resulting in a conversion efficiency of ≈3%. Scattering an independent beam at the transient grating confirms a lifetime limited by the pulse duration, with a reaction on the order of one optical cycle. Using the second harmonic of a Ti-sapphire laser at 405 nm, it is shown that the generation of the transient Kerr grating is a general feature, requiring less than 20 μJ/pulse. By introducing a third femtosecond beam we are able to emulate various digital logic units with femtosecond response. Received: 16 October 2001 / Published online: 6 June 2002     

Generation of polarization-shaped ultraviolet femtosecond pulses

We experimentally demonstrate the generation and characterization of polarization-shaped femtosecond laser pulses in the ultraviolet at a central wavelength of 400 nm. Near-infrared laser pulses are first polarization shaped and then frequency doubled in an interferometrically stable setup that employs two perpendicularly oriented nonlinear crystals. A new pulse shaper design involving volume phase holographic gratings reduces losses and hence leads to an increase in pulse energy.     

Grating formation in Fe:LiNbO<Subscript>3</Subscript> photorefractive crystal by chirped 800-nm femtosecond laser pulses operated at 1 kHz

We demonstrate an extension of forming a photorefractive volume grating in an Fe:LiNbO₃ crystal by chirped intense femtosecond laser pulses generated from a Ti:Al₂O₃ regenerative amplifier at 1 kHz. We confirm that one-photon absorption is still dominant in the Fe:LiNbO₃ crystal up to 70 GW/cm². To generate a photorefractive grating at such a low laser repetition rate within a practical writing time, the laser pulse intensity is increased to >30 GW/cm². Furthermore, we demonstrate the amplification of femtosecond laser pulses by the chirped volume grating that is written in the Fe:LiNbO₃ by two-wave mixing.     

Femtosecond holography in lithium niobate crystals

Spatial gratings are recorded holographically by two femtosecond pump pulses at 388 nm in lithium niobate (LiNbO3) crystals and read out by a Bragg-matched, temporally delayed probe pulse at 776 nm. We claim, to our knowledge, the first holographic pump-probe experiments with subpicosecond temporal resolution for LiNbO3. An instantaneous grating that is due mostly to the Kerr effect as well as a long-lasting grating that results mainly from the absorption caused by photoexcited carriers was observed. The Kerr coefficient of LiNbO3 for our experimental conditions, i.e., pumped and probed at different wavelengths, was approximately 1.0 x 10(-5) cm2/GW.     

Generation of high-density electrons based on plasma grating induced Bragg diffraction in air

Efficient nonlinear Bragg diffraction was observed as an intense infrared femtosecond pulse was focused on a plasma grating induced by interference between two ultraviolet femtosecond laser pulses in air. The preformed electrons inside the plasma grating were accelerated by subsequent intense infrared laser pulses, inducing further collisional ionization and significantly enhancing the local electron density.     

基于瞬态光栅频率分辨光学开关法测量飞秒脉冲的研究

超宽光谱的飞秒脉冲测量一直是超快激光领域的重要研究方向之一.常规的飞秒脉冲自相关方法是通过测量自相关倍频信号来获得,而倍频信号具有波长选择性,不同中心波长的飞秒脉冲测量需要更换不同的倍频晶体,十分不方便.因此,提出了一种改进型的瞬态光栅频率分辨光学开关(TG-FROG)方法用于测量飞秒脉冲.该方法结合四波混频和频率分辨光学开关方法,其基本过程是将待测脉冲分为三束,其中两束脉冲经过精密的延时控制并聚焦在光学介质上达到时空重合,利用三阶非线性效应产生稳定的瞬态光栅作为开关光;另一束脉冲作为探测光与产生的瞬态光栅进行相互作用产生一个信号光,使用光谱仪对该信号光的光谱与延迟时间进行测量,并通过反演迭代算法处理而获取待测飞秒脉冲的光谱与电场信息.该方法只需要待测光的功率密度达到三阶非线性效应就可以实现测量,因此可以应用于任意中心波长的飞秒脉冲测量.利用该方法对中心波长分别为800 nm, 400 nm的飞秒脉冲,以及超连续亚10 fs的周期量级超宽光谱飞秒脉冲进行了测量,并与常规的干涉自相关仪器测量结果进行了比较,所得测量结果基本一致.实验结果表明,建立的基于TG-FROG方法对不同中心波长,不同脉冲宽度的飞秒脉冲测量是十分有效的.     

基于复用体全息光栅的光学相控阵放大级串扰优化

提高各通道输出光信噪比,进行了复用体全息光栅的优化设计研究。推导了适用于角度放大器的多路复用体光栅耦合波理论,并与单路耦合波理论进行了比较。针对复用体光栅中的串扰问题,研究了调整光栅结构参数优化串扰的规律,并进行了实验验证。研究结果表明:当相邻两路体光栅的布拉格角间隔小于二者角度选择半宽之和时,相互间串扰较强,必须使用多路耦合波理论描述复用体光栅中波的衍射行为。调整相邻路体光栅的矢量倾斜角间隔、减小光栅周期和增加光栅厚度都可以降低串扰,其中调整矢量倾斜角和光栅周期优化效果明显但会降低角放大率,增加介质厚度不影响角放大率但需要厚度增加数倍才有效。     

Diffraction properties of ultrashort pulsed beams with arbitrary temporal profiles by a volume holographic grating

In this paper, the diffraction properties of an ultrashort optical pulse with arbitrary profiles in time diffracted by a volume holographic grating are investigated using the modified Kogelnik coupled-wave theory. Simple analytical expressions for the spectrum and spatial profiles of the transmitted and diffracted beams are obtained. The dependences of the diffraction bandwidth, the Bragg selectivity bandwidth and the total diffraction efficiency of the volume grating on the temporal profiles of the input ultrashort pulse are investigated. For three different temporal profiles, numerical results of diffraction properties are given. It is shown that the temporal shapes of the input pulsed beams have been found to be an important factor in the analyses of the propagation characteristics.     

An analysis of As_2S_3 chirped fiber grating formed by two-photon absorption effect

When femtosecond laser pulses interfere with chirped femtosecond laser pulses in As2S3 fiber, a chirped fiber grating is formed. An analytical expression is given to describe the chirped grating, and its Bragg reflectivity is calculated. Because of the high photosensitive effect of As2S3 material, the chirped fiber grating has a wide Bragg reflective spectrum and high reflectivity by choosing proper parameters. This indicates that the chirped fiber grating can be used as a stretcher in the femtosecond chirped pulse amplification (CPA) system.     

Modulation grating achieved by two interfered femtosecond laser pulses on the surface of the silica glass

Modulation grating has been achieved by two interfered femtosecond laser pulses on the surface of the silica glass. The modulation grating formed at the middle of each bulge of the common grating and was attributed to the higher-order modulation arising from second-harmonic generation (SHG) of the femtosecond laser pulse incident to the surface of silica glass. The periods and depths of the fundamental grating and the modulation grating have been observed by using an atomic force microscopy (AFM). Experimental results show that the average depth of the modulation grating is nearly a half of the depth of the fundamental grating.     

Pulse shaping and diffraction properties of multi-layers reflection volume holographic gratings

The multi-layers coupled-wave theory is extended to systematically investigate the pulse shaping and diffraction properties of a system of multi-layers reflection volume holographic gratings (MRVHG) under ultrashort laser pulse (ULP) readout. The combined effects that the grating parameters such as the number and thickness of layers and gaps between them and the pulse duration of the input ULP have on the pulse shaping properties are considered. The pulse profiles of the diffracted and transmitted beams, the diffraction bandwidth, and the total diffraction efficiency are presented. The calculated results we have derived permit an optimal choice of grating parameters for the pulse shaping and process applications.     

超短光脉冲通过分层介质的远场频谱特性

从平面波的角谱表示出发,研究了超短光脉冲通过分层介质的远场频谱特性作为一个例子,对飞秒高斯脉冲光束通过位于自由空间中均匀介质薄膜的远场透射谱进行了分析讨论,数值计算结果显示远场谱明显不同于入射光场谱分布,在不同的观察方向上可呈现谱线变窄、红移、蓝移以及分裂成双重谱线的现象频移量的大小和谱分布形式与介质参量以及脉冲的谱线宽度、有效空间宽度和观察方向有关.