Abstract
We demonstrate an optical modulator at a frequency of 90 THz that has the capability to modulate any laser beam in the optical region of the spectrum. The modulator is constructed by placing deuterium molecules inside a high-finesse cavity and driving a vibrational transition with two continuous-wave laser beams. The two beams, the pump and the Stokes, are resonant with the cavity. The high intra-cavity intensities that build up drive the molecules to a coherent state. This molecular coherence can then be used to modulate an independent laser beam, to produce frequency up-shifted and down-shifted sidebands. The beam to be modulated is not resonant with the cavity and thus the sidebands are produced in a single pass.
Highlights
Over the last two decades, we have witnessed an explosion of interest and progress in ultrafast science [1]
The advances in femtosecond lasers have allowed the generation of soft X-ray subfemtosecond pulses using the technique of high harmonic generation (HHG) [2,3]
In this paper, building on our earlier work, we report two experimental results. (i) We have constructed an optical modulator that can modulate any laser in the optical region of the spectrum with a modulation frequency of 90 THz
Summary
Over the last two decades, we have witnessed an explosion of interest and progress in ultrafast science [1]. We have not yet been able to produce a coherent optical spectrum with a large number of precise laser beams that simultaneously cover the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet regions of the electromagnetic spectrum Constructing such a device, typically referred to as an arbitrary optical waveform generator [4], has been one of the biggest unmet challenges in the field since the invention of the laser in 1960. One of the most promising techniques for the construction of an arbitrary optical waveform generator is the technique of molecular modulation [13,14,15,16,17] This technique utilizes coherent vibrations and rotations in molecules to produce a broad Raman spectrum covering many octaves of bandwidth. They open up the prospect of using a molecular modulator to broaden the spectrum of a broadband laser (such as a Ti:sapphire femtosecond oscillator), which we will discuss below
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
