On enhanced tuning capabilities of external cavity lasers using acousto-optic modulators

For an enhanced tuning of an external-cavity Littrow diode laser at 670 nm a new approach based on the frequency controlling of intra-cavity acousto-optic modulators (AOM) has been developed and tested. Using a method called “mode shaking” a nearly continuously laser tuning over a frequency range of 186 GHz (0.279 nm) within a time interval of 20 ms has been achieved. A further method called “far laser frequency jump” allows frequency changes of up to 1080 GHz (1.6 nm) between two spectral regions of the diode laser emission range within about 50 μs.     

Electric field dependence of phase equilibria of binary Stockmayer fluid mixtures

A perturbation theory based study of the effect of an external electric field on the phase equilibrium properties of binary Stockmayer fluids is presented. The dipole–dipole interaction and the applied field are treated as independent perturbations to a Lennard–Jones mixture, and the reference fluid is treated by the van der Waals one-fluid approximation. A third-order free energy expression in the electric field strength is established, and the dielectric constant is calculated for a needle-shaped sample parallel to the field direction. We present and discuss vapour–liquid and liquid–liquid equilibrium curves at a given temperature for some dipolar mixtures exposed to an electric field, including chlorodifluoromethane +?difluoromethane and acetonitrile +?methanol. A sufficiently high electric field may result in massive shifts of vapour pressures and critical or azeotropic points, and can considerably alter the properties of coexisting phases. The vapour pressure decreases with increasing field strength.     

Yb-doped strictly all-fiber laser actively Q-switched by intermodal acousto-optic modulation

We show an actively Q-switched ytterbium-doped strictly all-fiber laser. Cavity loss modulation is achieved in a tapered optical fiber by core-to-cladding mode-coupling induced by travelling flexural acoustic waves. When the acoustical signal is switched-off, the optical power losses within the cavity are reduced, and then a laser pulse is emitted. Trains of Q-switched pulses were successfully obtained at repetition rates in the range 1–10 kHz, with pump powers between 59 and 88 mW, at the optical wavelength of 1064.1 nm. Best results were for laser pulses of 118 mW peak power, 1.8 μs of time width, with a pump power of 79 mW, at 7 kHz repetition rate.