Influence of the Doppler effect of a periodically moving mirror on the carrier-envelope frequency of a pulse train.

Abstract

We investigate the influence of the optical Doppler effect on the carrier-envelope frequency (CEF) of a mode-locked pulse train. The laser pulses are Doppler-shifted in frequency during reflection off a periodically moving mirror that is driven by an electro-dynamical exciter inside an f-2f interferometer. Depending on the relative movement of the mirror at the instant of reflection, we experimentally demonstrate a CEF shift of the laser pulses up to ±69 kHz, which is sufficient for the carrier-envelope phase control of laser amplifiers with repetition rates of 10kHz and beyond. Using piezoelectric thick films, we show that the scheme also appears to be adaptable to the megahertz repetition rates of typical oscillators. As the phase control is exerted extra-cavity, Doppler-induced CEF modulation is virtually free of any side effects of traditional stabilization schemes that typically act on the pump power. Finally, the Doppler scheme may overcome servo loop bandwidth limitations associated with pump power control.