Abstract
Controlling the carrier envelope phase (CEP) in mode-locked lasers over practically long timescales is crucial for real-world applications in ultrafast optics and precision metrology. We present a hybrid solution that combines a feed-forward technique to stabilize the phase offset in fast timescales and a feedback technique that addresses slowly varying sources of interference and locking bandwidth limitations associated with gain media with long upper-state lifetimes. We experimentally realize the hybrid stabilization system in an Er:Yb:glass mode-locked laser and demonstrate 75 hours of stabilization with integrated phase noise of 14 mrad (1 Hz to 3 MHz), corresponding to around 11 as of carrier to envelope jitter. Additionally, we examine the impact of environmental factors, such as humidity and pressure, on the long-term stability and performance of the system.
Highlights
With lasers operating in the femtosecond and attosecond regimes becoming increasingly prevalent, precisely controlling the offset of the underlying electric field with respect to the envelope of the pulse, known as the carrier envelope offset phase (CEP), will continue to rise in importance
After providing further motivation for combining FF and FB, we will present an overview of the CEP stabilization system and will describe in detail the slow-drift compensation FB system design and performance, which is susceptible to environmental variations, such as temperature, humidity, and pressure changes
Considering that Er:fiber lasers rely on the same ionic transition in Er3+ as the Er:Yb:glass laser in this study motivates examining the interplay between these time constants and their role in gain dynamics of mode-locked lasers in careful detail
Summary
With lasers operating in the femtosecond and attosecond regimes becoming increasingly prevalent, precisely controlling the offset of the underlying electric field with respect to the envelope of the pulse, known as the carrier envelope offset phase (CEP), will continue to rise in importance. Changes to the cavity directly affect the path length and changes to pump power alter the phase and group velocities via nonlinear intracavity processes These FB methods require electronics, usually in the form of proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers or phase-locked loops, designed to maintain the locked CEO frequency. As one possible solution to achieve ultra-low noise CEP stabilization over practically long periods of time, in this letter, we elaborate on prior work to examine a FF technique combined with a slow-drift compensation FB system on a Er:Yb:glass mode-locked laser which does not detrimentally affect the short-term phase noise performance. After providing further motivation for combining FF and FB, we will present an overview of the CEP stabilization system and will describe in detail the slow-drift compensation FB system design and performance, which is susceptible to environmental variations, such as temperature, humidity, and pressure changes
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