8,987 research outputs found
Open-Cavity Spun Fiber Raman Lasers with Dual Polarization Output
Random distributed feedback fiber Raman lasers, where the feedback mechanism is provided by Rayleigh backscattering, have attracted a good deal of attention since they were first introduced in 2010. Their simple and flexible design, combined with good lasing efficiency and beam quality properties, comparable to those of standard cavity lasers, have led to multiple applications, particularly in the fields of fiber sensing and optical communications. In spite of these advances, the polarization properties of random fiber Raman lasers, which can strongly affect their performance in both sensing and communications, have barely been explored so far. In this article we experimentally and theoretically study the polarization properties of different open-cavity laser designs, based on either standard transmission fibers or low polarization-mode-dispersion spun fibers. By using high-power, highly-polarized pumps, we demonstrate controllable polarization-pulling and simultaneous lasing at close wavelengths with different output polarization properties in random distributed feedback fiber Raman lasers. These results advance our understanding of the polarization dynamics in ultralong lasers, and pave the way to the design of novel fiber laser sources capable of polarization-sensitive sensing and distributed amplification
Self-imaging silicon Raman amplifier
We propose a new type of waveguide optical amplifier. The device consists of
collinearly propagating pump and amplified Stokes beams with periodic imaging
of the Stokes beam due to the Talbot effect. The application of this device as
an Image preamplifier for Mid Wave Infrared (MWIR) remote sensing is discussed
and its performance is described. Silicon is the preferred material for this
application in MWIR due to its excellent transmission properties, high thermal
conductivity, high damage threshold and the mature fabrication technology. In
these devices, the Raman amplification process also includes four-wave-mixing
between various spatial modes of pump and Stokes signals. This phenomenon is
unique to nonlinear interactions in multimode waveguides and places a limit on
the maximum achievable gain, beyond which the image begins to distort. Another
source of image distortion is the preferential amplification of Stokes modes
that have the highest overlap with the pump. These effects introduce a tradeoff
between the gain and image quality. We show that a possible solution to this
trade-off is to restrict the pump into a single higher order waveguide mode.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures and 5 sections. Submitted to Optics Expres
Amplified Dispersive Fourier-Transform Imaging for Ultrafast Displacement Sensing and Barcode Reading
Dispersive Fourier transformation is a powerful technique in which the
spectrum of an optical pulse is mapped into a time-domain waveform using
chromatic dispersion. It replaces a diffraction grating and detector array with
a dispersive fiber and single photodetector. This simplifies the system and,
more importantly, enables fast real-time measurements. Here we describe a novel
ultrafast barcode reader and displacement sensor that employs
internally-amplified dispersive Fourier transformation. This technique
amplifies and simultaneously maps the spectrally encoded barcode into a
temporal waveform. It achieves a record acquisition speed of 25 MHz -- four
orders of magnitude faster than the current state-of-the-art.Comment: Submitted to a journa
Mechanisms for Lasing with Cold Atoms as the Gain Medium
We realize a laser with a cloud of cold rubidium atoms as gain medium, placed
in a low-finesse cavity. Three different regimes of laser emission are observed
corresponding respectively to Mollow, Raman and Four Wave Mixing mechanisms. We
measure an output power of up to 300 W and present the main properties of
these different lasers in each regime
Laser-Plasma Interactions Enabled by Emerging Technologies
An overview from the past and an outlook for the future of fundamental
laser-plasma interactions research enabled by emerging laser systems
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