7,630 research outputs found
Stable mode-locked pulses from mid-infrared semiconductor lasers
We report the unequivocal demonstration of mid-infrared mode-locked pulses
from a semiconductor laser. The train of short pulses was generated by actively
modulating the current and hence the optical gain in a small section of an
edge-emitting quantum cascade laser (QCL). Pulses with pulse duration at
full-width-at-half-maximum of about 3 ps and energy of 0.5 pJ were
characterized using a second-order interferometric autocorrelation technique
based on a nonlinear quantum well infrared photodetector. The mode-locking
dynamics in the QCLs was modelled and simulated based on Maxwell-Bloch
equations in an open two-level system. We anticipate our results to be a
significant step toward a compact, electrically-pumped source generating
ultrashort light pulses in the mid-infrared and terahertz spectral ranges.Comment: 26 pages, 4 figure
Towards 'smart lasers': self-optimisation of an ultrafast pulse source using a genetic algorithm
Short-pulse fibre lasers are a complex dynamical system possessing a broad
space of operating states that can be accessed through control of cavity
parameters. Determination of target regimes is a multi-parameter global
optimisation problem. Here, we report the implementation of a genetic algorithm
to intelligently locate optimum parameters for stable single-pulse mode-locking
in a Figure-8 fibre laser, and fully automate the system turn-on procedure.
Stable ultrashort pulses are repeatably achieved by employing a compound
fitness function that monitors both temporal and spectral output properties of
the laser. Our method of encoding photonics expertise into an algorithm and
applying machine-learning principles paves the way to self-optimising `smart'
optical technologies
Mode-locked dysprosium fiber laser: picosecond pulse generation from 2.97 to 3.30 {\mu}m
Mode-locked fiber laser technology to date has been limited to sub-3 {\mu}m
wavelengths, despite significant application-driven demand for compact
picosecond and femtosecond pulse sources at longer wavelengths. Erbium- and
holmium-doped fluoride fiber lasers incorporating a saturable absorber are
emerging as promising pulse sources for 2.7--2.9 {\mu}m, yet it remains a major
challenge to extend this coverage. Here, we propose a new approach using
dysprosium-doped fiber with frequency shifted feedback (FSF). Using a simple
linear cavity with an acousto-optic tunable filter, we generate 33 ps pulses
with up to 2.7 nJ energy and 330 nm tunability from 2.97 to 3.30 {\mu}m
(3000--3400 cm^-1)---the first mode-locked fiber laser to cover this spectral
region and the most broadly tunable pulsed fiber laser to date. Numerical
simulations show excellent agreement with experiments and also offer new
insights into the underlying dynamics of FSF pulse generation. This highlights
the remarkable potential of both dysprosium as a gain material and FSF for
versatile pulse generation, opening new opportunities for mid-IR laser
development and practical applications outside the laboratory.Comment: Accepted for APL Photonics, 22nd August 201
Numerical investigation of a feed-forward linewidth reduction scheme using a mode-locked laser model of reduced complexity
We provide numerical verification of a feed-forward, heterodyne-based phase noise reduction scheme using
single-sideband modulation that obviates the need for optical filtering at the output. The main benefit of a
feed-forward heterodyne linewidth reduction scheme is the simultaneous reduction of the linewidth of all modes
of a mode-locked laser (MLL) to that of a narrow-linewidth single-wavelength laser. At the heart of our simulator
is an MLL model of reduced complexity. Importantly, the main issue being treated is the jitter of MLLs and we
show how to create numerical waveforms that mimic the random-walk nature of timing jitter of pulses from
MLLs. Thus, the model does not need to solve stochastic differential equations that describe the MLL dynamics,
and the model calculates self-consistently the line-broadening of the modes of the MLL and shows good agreement with both the optical linewidth and jitter. The linewidth broadening of the MLL modes are calculated after
the phase noise reduction scheme and we confirm that the phase noise contribution from the timing jitter still
remains. Finally, we use the MLL model and phase noise reduction simulator within an optical communications
system simulator and show that the phase noise reduction technique could enable MLLs as optical carriers for
higher-order modulation formats, such as 16-state and 64-state quadrature amplitude modulation
Phase-coherent repetition rate multiplication of a mode-locked laser from 40 MHz to 1 GHz by injection locking
We have used injection locking to multiply the repetition rate of a passively
mode-locked femtosecond fiber laser from 40 MHz to 1 GHz while preserving
optical phase coherence between the master laser and the slave output. The
system is implemented almost completely in fiber and incorporates gain and
passive saturable absorption. The slave repetition rate is set to a rational
harmonic of the master repetition rate, inducing pulse formation at the least
common multiple of the master and slave repetition rates
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