Uniform oscillations of supercontinua

Uniform oscillations of supercontinua, generated with microstructured fibre, have been observed and investigated. The oscillations are uniform in the sense that the optical power through the fibre changes with a regular and periodic waveform and the spectral bandwidth of the transmitted light changes correspondingly. The oscillations are continuous over periods of hours and the spectral width ranges from the octave-spanning condition (～310-THz wide at 20 dB below the maximum) to zero broadening of the input light. The corresponding contrast ratio of the fluctuating output light signal is as high as 0.75. Silica photonic crystal fibre with hexagonal air-hole structure and core diameter of 2.0 μm was used for the supercontinuum generation. The oscillations are produced when at least 15 mm of fibre is allowed to extend from the mount of the fibre launcher. Arguments in terms of thermal behaviour are used in an attempt to explain the fluctuations of light through the microstructured fibre. This appears to be the first occasion in which such behaviour has been reported.     

Development of a novel high-throughput assay for the investigation of GlyT-1b neurotransmitter transporter function

The glycine transporter (GlyT-1b) is a Na(+)/Cl(-)-dependent electrogenic transporter which mediates the rapid re-uptake of glycine from the synaptic cleft. Based on its tissue distribution, GlyT-1 has been suggested to co-localise with the NMDA receptor where it may modulate the concentration of glycine at its co-agonist binding site. This data has led to GlyT-1 inhibitors being proposed as targets for disorders such as schizophrenia and cognitive dysfunction. Radiolabelled uptake assays (e.g. [(3)H]glycine) have been traditionally used in compound screening to identify glycine transporter inhibitors. While such an assay format is useful for testing limited numbers of compounds, the identification of novel glycine uptake inhibitors requires a functional assay compatible with high-throughput screening (HTS) of large compound libraries. Here, the authors present the development of a novel homogenous cell-based assay using the FLIPR membrane potential blue dye (Molecular Devices) and FLEXstation. Pharmacological data for the GlyT-1 inhibitors Org 24598 and ALX 5407 obtained using this novel electrogenic assay correlated well with the conventional [(3)H]-glycine uptake assay format. Furthermore, the assay has been successfully miniaturised using FLIPR(3) and therefore has the potential to be used for high-throughput screening.     

Laser locking to the ¹⁹⁹Hg ¹S₀ - ³P₀ clock transition with 5.4 × 10^-15/✓τ fractional frequency instability

With Hg199 atoms confined in an optical lattice trap in the Lamb-Dicke regime, we obtain a spectral line at 265.6 nm for which the FWHM is ?15??Hz. Here we lock an ultrastable laser to this ultranarrow S₀1?P₀3 clock transition and achieve a fractional frequency instability of 5.4×10^?15/? for ??400??s. The highly stable laser light used for the atom probing is derived from a 1062.6 nm fiber laser locked to an ultrastable optical cavity that exhibits a mean drift rate of ?6.0×10^?17??s^?1 (?16.9??mHz?s^?1 at 282 THz) over a six month period. A comparison between two such lasers locked to independent optical cavities shows a flicker noise limited fractional frequency instability of 4×10^?16 per cavity.     

Elimination of pump-induced frequency jitter on fiber-laser frequency combs

Optical frequency combs generated by femtosecond fiber lasers typically exhibit significant frequency noise that causes broad optical linewidths, particularly in the comb wings and in the carrier-envelope offset frequency (f(ceo)) signal. We show these broad linewidths are mainly a result of white amplitude noise on the pump diode laser that leads to a breathing-like motion of the comb about a central fixed frequency. By a combination of passive noise reduction and active feedback using phase-lead compensation, this noise source is eliminated, thereby reducing the f(ceo) linewidth from 250 kHz to <1 Hz. The in-loop carrier-envelope offset phase jitter, integrated to 100 kHz, is 1.3 rad.     

Optical lattice trapping of 199Hg and determination of the magic wavelength for the ultraviolet 1S(0)↔3P(0) clock transition

We report on the Lamb-Dicke spectroscopy of the doubly forbidden (6s(2))(1)S(0)?(6s6p)(3)P(0) transition in (199)Hg atoms confined to a vertical 1D optical lattice. With lattice trapping of ?10(3) atoms and a 265.6 nm probe laser linked to the LNE-SYRTE primary frequency reference we have determined the center frequency of the transition for a range of lattice wavelengths and at two lattice trap depths. We find the Stark-free (magic) wavelength to be 362.53(0.21) nm-essential knowledge for future use of this line in a clock with anticipated 10(-18) range accuracy. We also present evidence of the laser excitation of a Wannier-Stark ladder of states in a lattice of well depth 10E(R).     

Suppression of pump-induced frequency noise in fiber-laser frequency combs leading to sub-radian f ceo phase excursions

We discuss the origins and the suppression of the large frequency jitter on the carrier-envelope offset frequency (f_ceo) of fiber-laser frequency combs. While this frequency noise appears most prominently on f_ceo, its effects are felt across the frequency comb and it is a potential limiting factor in applications of fiber-laser frequency combs. Here we show that its origin lies in the white amplitude noise of the pump laser output. We dramatically reduce this noise by operating the pump laser in a lower-noise state, i.e. at higher pump current, and by more aggressively feeding back to the pump current with an optimal feedback network. We demonstrate instrument-limited f_ceo linewidths and an integrated f_ceo phase jitter of 1 rad. PACS 42.55.Wd; 42.62.Eh; 42.60.Lh; 06.30.Ft     

Fiber-laser frequency combs with subhertz relative linewidths

We investigate the comb linewidths of self-referenced, fiber-laser-based frequency combs by measuring the heterodyne beat signal between two independent frequency combs that are phase locked to a common cw optical reference. We demonstrate that the optical comb lines can exhibit instrument-limited, subhertz relative linewidths across the comb spectra from 1200 to 1720 nm with a residual integrated optical phase jitter of approximately 1 rad in a 60 mHz to 500 kHz bandwidth. The projected relative pulse timing jitter is approximately 1 fs. This performance approaches that of Ti:sapphire frequency combs.