Suppression of parasitic lasing in large-aperture Ti:sapphire laser amplifiers

Transverse, parasitic lasing has been observed in several large Ti:sapphire disk amplifiers. It severely limits the signal gain and the pulse energy that can be extracted from the amplifier. We have developed a technique for suppressing these parasitic lasing modes based on index matching the crystal edges with an absorbing doped polymer thermoplastic. The parasitics are completely suppressed for the range of aperture sizes and pump fluences studied here. A comparison of the amplifier performance before and after edge cladding is presented for several Ti:sapphire crystals.     

PW级掺钛蓝宝石激光放大器中横向寄生振荡控制

 介绍了目前世界上在建的第一台掺钛蓝宝石激光系统中大口径晶体内横向寄生振荡的抑制方法。采用一种掺炭的热塑料MeltMount 1.704作为折射率匹配材料，掺入炭粉作为吸收体。理论上它可以将晶体中的寄生振荡阈值从13增加到2100。     

Parasitic lasing in large aperture Ti:sapphire chirped pulse amplifier

We research some properties of parasitic lasing(PL) in the Ti:sapphire chirped pulse amplifier with the crystal diameter of 100 mm. The evolutionary process from the spontaneous emission to the PL and its influence on amplified output energy, spectrum, and beam profile are experimentally measured. The threshold of PL in the crystal is 22 J, and the output signal can still keep rising with the pump when the pump energy is below 38 J. The PL has no obvious impact on the output spectrum and beam profile besides the energy.     

Studies on the SFD Properties of Nd_xGd_(1-x)Ca_4O(BO_3)_3 Solid-solution Crystal

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Studies on the SFD Properties of NdxGd1-xCa4O(BO3)3 Solid-solution Crystal

NdxGd1-xCa4O(BO3)3 (NdGdCOB) is a new self-frequency-doubling (SFD) solid-solution crystal. The second-harmonic generation (SHG) phase-matching (PM) curves were calculated by using refractive indices. The deff of NdGdCOB crystal along different PM directions were calculated according to the sellmeier equation and dijk data in which the (θ=66.8°, φ=132.6°) PM direction has the highest deff. SFD experiments were carried out with Ti:sapphire CW laser and pulsed dye-laser. A green laser output power up to 225 mW at 530 nm was achieved from a 7×3×3 mm3 crystal sample pumped by 1560 mW CW Ti:sapphire laser. The lasing threshold of SFD was lower than 1.8 mW along the PM direction (66.8°,132.6°). The optical-optical conversion efficiency was 14.4%. The conversion efficiency was 7.7% when 10×3×3 mm3 sample was side-pumped by the pulsed dye-laser tuned to 595.4 nm with 17.5 mJ energy and the lasing threshold is 1.2 mJ.     

Wavefront evolution of the signal beam in Ti:sapphire chirped pulse amplifier

We studied the evolution of wavefront aberration(WFA) of a signal beam during amplification in a Ti:sapphire chirped pulse amplification(CPA) system. The results verified that the WFA of the amplified laser beam has little relation with the change of the pump beam energies. Transverse parasitic lasing that might occur in CPA hardly affects the wavefront of the signal beam. Thermal effects were also considered in this study, and the results show that the thermal effect cumulated in multiple amplification processes also has no obvious influence on the wavefront of the signal beam for a single-shot frequency. The results presented in this paper confirmed experimentally that the amplification in a Ti:sapphire CPA system has little impact on the WFA of the signal beam and it is very helpful for wavefront correction of single-shot PW and multi-PW laser systems based on Ti:sapphire.     

Ti:sapphire planar waveguide laser grown by pulsed laser deposition

We document the lasing performance of a waveguiding layer of Ti:sapphire, of ~12-mum thickness, grown by pulsed laser deposition from a 0.12-wt.% Ti(2)O(3) Ti:sapphire single-crystal target onto an undoped z-cut sapphire substrate. Lasing around 800 nm is observed when the waveguide layer is pumped by an argon-ion laser running on all-blue-green lines, with an absorbed power threshold of 0.56 W, with high-reflectivity (R>98%) mirrors. With a 5% pump duty cycle and a T=35% output coupler, a slope efficiency of 26% with respect to absorbed power is obtained, giving quasi-cw output powers in excess of 350 mW.     

大口径掺钛蓝宝石晶体放大的实验研究

 分析了口径为80 mm的钛宝石晶体内的增益特性,对大口径钛宝石晶体中的泵浦光能量密度和泵浦光口径进行了优化设计。对于80 mm×17 mm的晶体,最佳工作光束口径为55 mm,泵浦能量为50 J;对于80 mm×30 mm的晶体,最佳工作光束口径为60 mm,泵浦能量为90 J,且其横向小信号增益远小于80 mm×17 mm晶体的。对影响大口径钛宝石晶体放大的横向放大自发辐射（ASE）和寄生振荡采用折射率匹配的包边技术进行了抑制。实验表明,该方法把允许横向增益从13提高到了2 100。实验系统为100 J绿光台面泵浦激光器,100 TW主放大器采用四程空间构型放大光路。80 mm×17 mm钛宝石晶体c轴水平放置,泵浦光和主激光均为水平偏振。当以泵浦光能量为49 J对主放大器进行双端泵浦,注入信号光能量为1.2 J,光束口径60 mm时,获得了14.2 J的放大光输出和286 TW的最高峰值功率。     

A compact Ti:sapphire femtosecond pulse amplifier without stretcher at high repetition rate

We report a simple approach to amplify Ti:sapphire femtosecond pulses to moderate energy levels by achirped regenerative amplifier. The seed pulses are broaden naturally because of the material dispersionof system components in regenerative cavity. The off-focusing Ti:sapphire crystal avoids effectively theoptical damage. It sustains amplification over a wavelength range from 775 nm to more than 810 nmwith a birefringent filter and an oscillation bandwidth of 7.7 nm, and produces 2.1 ps chirped outputpulse energy of 100μJ at 1.1-mJ pumping energy. This system shows good performances in stability andefficiency with the benefits of two thin-film polarizers and TEM00 mode pumping laser.     

Efficient Pumping Scheme by Direct Excitation of Upper Laser Level in Nd:CNGG

We report an efficient pumping scheme which involves a direct excitation of the upper lasing level of a four-level laser in a Nd-doped Ca₃(NbGa)_2-xGa₃O₁₂ (Nd:CNGG) by using a tunable Ti:sapphire, 700-920nm, cw pump source. The slope efficiency is improved from 10.5% of the traditional band pumping at 808nm to 21.8% of the direct pumping at 882nm. The influence of pumping wavelength on lasing is discussed. We present a scheme of double pumping for lasing.     

Nd:YAG Lasers Operating at 1064nm and 946nm by Direct Pumping and Thermally Boosted Pumping

We demonstrate a 1064nm Nd：YAG laser by directly pumping into the upper lasing level with a tunable Ti：sapphire laser. The valid wavelength is demonstrated at 868.3nm, 875.2nm, 883.8nm, and 885.5nm, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first time that 1064nm Nd：YAG laser pumped by 875.2nm laser. In addition, laser wavelength at 946 nm is also generated by direct pumping together with traditional pumping.     

Pulsed laser operation of Y b-dope d KY(WO(4))(2) and KGd(WO(4))(2)

Spectroscopic properties and laser performance of Y b-doped tungstates at pulsed Ti:sapphire laser pumping are reported. Room-temperature lasing near 1025nm is demonstrated in Yb:KY(WO(4))(2) and Yb:KGd(WO(4))(2), with a slope efficiency as great as 86.9%.     

可用于超精细加工的高重复率、高光束质量飞秒再生放大脉冲的产生研究

通过飞秒放大增益饱和理论及飞秒脉冲展宽的理论计算与分析，指出在优化放大腔结构参数及改变抽运光能量情况下，可以在省略展宽器基础上实现中等能量的飞秒脉冲再生放大.以此为依据，采用低抽运能量和放大腔中钛宝石晶体离焦技术，成功地进行了无展宽器的高重复率飞秒钛宝石再生放大及压缩技术的实验研究，并获得了高光束质量的飞秒放大光脉冲，放大光脉冲能量大于100μJ，重复频率为1kHz，光谱带宽7.7nm，压缩后脉宽500fs. 关键词： 飞秒光脉冲 再生放大 光束质量 增益饱和     

Thermally-boosted pumping of Nd:LiYF<Subscript>4</Subscript> using Ti:Sapphire laser

We report for the first time (to our knowledge) a 1053 nm Nd:LiYF₄ (Nd:YLF) laser by directly pumping into the upper lasing level with a tunable Ti:sapphire laser. The results obtained for direct upper laser level pumping at 872 and 880 nm of Nd:YLF were compared with traditional 806 nm pump band excitation. Highly efficient 1053 nm continuous-wave (CW) laser emission under direct pumping at 880 nm in an 8 mm thick, 1.0 at % Nd:YLF crystal is obtained. The slope efficiency is improved from 39.1% for traditional pumping at 806 nm to 63.9% for direct pumping at 880 nm.     

Diode-pumped continuous-wave green upconversion lasing of Er(3+):LiLuF(4) using multipass pumping

Powerful green upconversion lasing of Er(3+):LiLuF(4) was achieved with a multipass pumping setup. The maximum output was 213 mW for Ti:sapphire laser pumping. Diode-pumped cw lasing at room temperature is demonstrated for the first time to the authors' knowledge.     

无展宽器的高重复率钛宝石啁啾飞秒脉冲再生放大器的研究

通过优化放大腔结构参数和采用高光束质量的泵浦激光,依靠放大器腔内各个元件的色散展宽种子脉冲, 用钛宝石作为增益介质, 在低泵浦能量下, 实现了高光束质量,高稳定的中等能量的高重复率飞秒脉冲再生放大. 将钛宝石晶体离焦放置,有效的避免了光学损伤. 在1.1 mJ的绿光泵浦下, 获得了2 ps, 120 μJ, 重复频率为1 KHz, 光谱带宽7.8 nm的放大脉冲, 用石英棱镜对压缩可得到130 fs的激光脉冲.     

Saturated amplification of a collisionally pumped optical-field-ionization soft X-ray laser at 41.8 nm

We report the first saturated amplification of an optical-field-ionization soft x-ray laser. The amplifying medium is generated by focusing a circularly polarized 330-mJ, 35-fs, 10-Hz Ti:sapphire laser system in a few-mm cell filled with xenon. A gain of 67 cm(-1) on the 4d(9)5p-4d(9)5d transition at 41.8 nm in Pd-like xenon and a gain-length product of 15 have been inferred at saturation. This source delivers about 5 x 10(9) photons per pulse. The influence of the pumping energy and the laser polarization on the lasing output are also presented.     

Demonstration of a Ni-like Kr optical-field-ionization collisional soft x-ray laser at 32.8 nm

We report the first experimental demonstration of a Ni-like optical-field ionization collisional soft x-ray laser. The amplifying medium is generated by focusing a circularly polarized 760 mJ, 30 fs, 10-Hz Ti:sapphire laser beam in a few mm cell filled with krypton. We have measured a gain coefficient of 78 cm(-1) on the 3d(9)4d 1S0-3d(9)4p(1)P1 transition at 32.8 nm, which is here amplified for the first time. This radiation source represents the shortest wavelength optical-field ionization collisional soft x-ray laser ever produced. The influence of the gas pressure and the pumping energy on the lasing output are also presented.     

钛宝石再生放大器1056nm波长稳定输出

讨论钛宝石再生放大器工作在１０５６ｎｍ波长时，获得稳定输出的条件，并在实验上成功地演示了稳定的放大脉冲输出，输出能量均方根起伏小于５％。     

Tunable Sum Frequency Mixing of a Ti:sapphire Laser and a Nd:YAG Laser

In this paper the theoretical and experimental results of sum-frequency mixing of a Ti:sapphire laser and a 1.064 μm Nd:YAG laser are presented. By using two KTP crystals cut at θ=76° and 85° (φ=90° in both crystals), respectively, the sum-frequency mixing tuning range from 459.3 to 509.6 nm in one Ti:sapphire laser setup is experimentally achieved. The maximum output energy was 14.6 mJ and the energy conversion efficiency was up to 15.2%.