Inhomogeneous Gain Medium Research Articles

Numerical simulation of sensorless adaptive phase correction of regular, vortical, and incoherent multimode laser beams

Some aspects are considered of the phase correction of regular and vortex (speckled) laser beams by a flexible adaptive mirror, with the surface control using the stochastic parallel gradient (SPG) algorithm, without wavefront sensor. It is shown that the optimal choice of the criterion function (metric) and basis functions allows one to improve the phase correction accuracy and the rate of SPG algorithm convergence. A possibility of partial phase correction of incoherent multimode radiation is shown to be implementable, e.g., in a laser cavity with an optically inhomogeneous gain medium.

Time-dependent theory for random lasers in the presence of an inhomogeneous broadened gain medium such as PbSe quantum dots

Time-dependent model is presented to simulate random lasers in the presence of an inhomogeneous gain medium. PbSe quantum dots (QDs) with an arbitrary size distribution are treated as an inhomogeneous gain medium. By introducing inhomogeneity of the PbSe QDs in polarization, rate, and Maxwell's equations, our model is constructed for a one-dimensional disordered system. By employing the finite difference time-domain method, the governing equations are numerically solved and lasing spectra and spatial distribution of the electric field are calculated. The effect of increasing the pumping rate on the laser characteristics is investigated. The results show that the number of lasing modes and their intensities increase with pumping rate. It is also demonstrated that the emission spectra depend on the standard deviation of the Gaussian distribution function. Increasing the standard deviation leads to reduction of the laser intensity.

An inhomogeneous theoretical model for analysis of PbSe quantum-dot-doped fiber amplifier

Optical fiber doped with lead salts quantum dots (QDs) of different radii, has previously been proposed as a wide-band amplifier in the optical communication range. The emission and absorption spectra of QDs are size-dependent. Optical fiber amplifier doped with QDs of different sizes is an inhomogeneous gain medium. This inhomogeneity is the principle of operation of wide-band quantum-dot-doped fiber amplifiers (QDFAs). To study the effects of inhomogeneity such as spectral hole burning on the amplifier behavior, a fiber amplifier with an arbitrary size distribution of QDs is taken into consideration. The light propagation equations and rate equations for the inhomogeneous medium are presented. To investigate the gain spectrum, the amplifier bandwidth and the spectral hole burning effect on the amplifier behavior, the system of governing equations for the steady-state regime of operation are solved and numerical results are presented.

Multiwavelength laser source using linear optical amplifier

We propose and demonstrate a high-performance multiwavelength ring laser based on a linear optical amplifier (LOA) for potential applications in dense wavelength-division-multiplexing communication systems. Experimental results indicate that the inhomogeneous gain medium provided by the LOA reduces the gain competition and leads to stable multiwavelength lasing. Thirty-eight wavelengths covering C+L-band with 0.8-nm channel spacing are generated at room temperature. Simultaneous tuning of multiwavelengths is demonstrated and a stability test shows a power fluctuation of less than 0.2 dB during a 3-h test.