Laser Instability Research Articles

Study of complex instability in a Thulium-doped figure-eight fiber laser including a polarization-imbalanced NOLM with no polarization control.

This study proposes a Thulium-doped figure-eight (F8) fiber laser design to be used as a platform to explore complex dynamics in passively mode-locked fiber laser systems. The proposed scheme incorporates a polarization-imbalanced nonlinear optical loop mirror (PI-NOLM) without a polarizer in the ring section. The absence of a polarizer prevents controlling the polarization state at the PI-NOLM input, which in turn allows the PI-NOLM switching power to vary dynamically during the laser operation. This leads to an intermittent noise-like pulse (NLP) operation, which is affected by complex instability in the form of non-periodic Q-switched-like behavior. Using real-time time-domain mapping techniques, we get a deep insight into the laser intricate dynamics, which involves not only NLPs, but also solitons and quasi-continuous-wave components with their subtle interactions. This study highlights the importance of the PI-NOLM in F8 laser schemes for the study and understanding of complex dynamics in Thulium-doped fiber lasers, which have been less extensively studied compared to other rare-earth-doped lasers. Our findings will contribute to the optimization and design of advanced laser systems for various scientific and industrial applications.

Two-plasmon-decay instability in the non-eigenmode regime in laser–plasma interaction

It is shown theoretically that the two-plasmon-decay instability (TPD) in laser–plasma interaction can be excited in the non-eigenmode regime, where the plasma density is larger than the quarter critical density. This appears when the laser amplitude is larger than a certain threshold value, which is found to increase with the plasma density. In this regime, the excited electrostatic modes have a constant frequency around half of the incident light frequency. The theoretical model is validated by particle-in-cell simulations. The simulation results show that the non-eigenmode TPD has a higher threshold amplitude for the pump laser than the non-eigenmode stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) excited in the plasma above the quarter critical density. In inhomogeneous plasma, competition between non-eigenmode TPD and non-eigenmode SRS occurs since the excitation of the former is normally accompanied by the latter.

Stabilization and correction of aberrated laser beams via plasma channelling.

High-power laser applications, and especially laser wakefield acceleration, continue to draw attention through various research topics, and may bring many industrial applications based on compact accelerators, from ultrafast imaging to cancer therapy. However, one main step towards this is the arch issue of stability. Indeed, the interaction of a complex, aberrated laser beam with plasma involves a lot of physical phenomena and non-linear effects, such as self-focusing and filamentation. Different outcomes can be induced by small laser instabilities (i.e. laser wavefront), therefore harming any practical solution. One promising path to be explored is the use of a plasma channel to possibly guide and correct aberrated beams. Complex and costly experimental facilities are required to investigate such topics. However, one way to quickly and efficiently explore new solutions is numerical simulations, especially Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulations if, and only if, one is confidently implementing such aberrated beams which, contrary to a Gaussian beam, do not have analytical solutions. In this research, we propose two new advancements: the correct implementation of aberrated laser beams inside a 3D PIC code, showing a great consistency, under vacuum, compared to the calculations with Fresnel theory); and the correction of their quality via the propagation inside a plasma channel. We demonstrate improvements in the beam pattern, becoming closer to a single plasma mode with less distortions, and thus suggesting a better stability for the targeted application. Through this confident calculation technique for distorted laser beams, we are now expecting to proceed with more accurate PIC simulations, closer to experimental conditions, and obtained results with plasma channels indicate promising future research.

Precision spectroscopy of iodine absorption lines near the 1S0-3P2 transition of Yb atoms at 507 nm

We performed Doppler-free spectroscopy on the P(40)52-0 and P(52)53-0 lines of molecular iodine (127I2) near the 1S0-3P2 metastable transition of Yb at 507 nm. The frequency instability of an external-cavity diode laser locked to the observed hyperfine transitions of the 127I2 lines reached a level below 1.0 × 10−12, at the average time τ of the measurement of >10 s. The absolute frequency of the laser locked to the hyperfine transitions was measured with an uncertainty of 8 kHz (fractionally 1.4 × 10−11) using an optical frequency comb. The hyperfine transition intervals were fitted to a four-term Hamiltonian to validate the measurements and calculate the hyperfine constants of the iodine lines. The observed 30 hyperfine transitions of the P(40)52-0 and P(52)53-0 lines of 127I2 can be used as optical frequency references to investigate the 1S0-3P2 transition of Yb atoms.

Stability improvement of 40Ca+ optical clock by using a transportable ultra-stable cavity.

The instability of the clock laser is one of the primary factors limiting the instability of the optical clocks. We present an ultra-stable clock laser based on a 30-cm-long transportable cavity with an instability of ∼3 × 10-16 at 1 s-100 s. The cavity is fixed by invar poles in three orthogonal directions to restrict the displacement, meeting the requirements of transportability and low vibration sensitivity. By applying the ultra-stable laser to a transportable 40Ca+ optical clock with a systematic uncertainty of 4.8 × 10-18 and using the real-time feedback algorithm to compensate the linear shift of the clock laser, the short-term stability of the transportable 40Ca+ optical clock has been greatly improved from 4.0×10-15/τ/s to 1.16×10-15/τ/s, measured at ∼100 s-1000 s of averaging time, enriching its applications in metrology, optical frequency comparison, and time keeping.

Experimental Research on Abnormal Transverse Mode Instability in High-Power Fiber Lasers

Experimental Research on Abnormal Transverse Mode Instability in High-Power Fiber Lasers

Multiphysics modeling and simulations of laser-sustained plasmas

Laser-sustained plasma (LSP), which can be utilized for a novel radiation light source, has advantages such as high irradiance, broad spectral range, and stable emission, demonstrating significant applications in wafer inspection in the field of the semiconductor industry. This paper revisits the historical development of LSP research and introduces fundamental physical processes in LSP. The mathematical description equations for LSP and methods of calculating plasma parameters are provided, thereby a time-dependent two-dimensional fluid model is established by taking into consideration a laser-thermal-hydrodynamic coupling effect. The propagation of the laser in plasma is investigated based on the established model, and the fundamental processes in LSP, including the initial evolution process, laser energy deposition, steady-state characteristics, and instability, are explored. The effectiveness of the simulation model is confirmed through comparing with the experimental results of high-pressure Xe LSP. The findings indicate that the mode, power, <i>F</i>-number of incident lasers, as well as parameters including components, pressure, and flow velocity of gas, can all affect the steady-state properties of LSPs. Under the identical power and <i>F-</i>number conditions, Gaussian mode laser and annular mode laser both produce LSPs with different shapes and positions. Notably, under the conditions of high-power annular laser incidence, large laser <i>F-</i>number, and high flow velocity, the simulation results reveal temporal and spatial instability in LSP. These simulation results contribute significantly to a more in-depth understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms of the LSP. Furthermore, they provide a theoretical basis for designing the light source system and optimizing the multiple parameters. The influence of laser parameters on LSP properties elucidated in this study not only advances the fundamental understanding of LSP but also offers crucial insights for designing and optimizing the light source systems in various applications, particularly in the field of optical detection for semiconductor wafer inspection.

Nonlinear-mirror mode-locked crystal waveguide laser by intracavity fourth-harmonic loss modulation.

We present a nonlinear-mirror (NLM) mode-locked crystal waveguide laser. By adding nonlinear crystals into traditional NLM devices, the fourth harmonic is generated to form loss modulation, which suppresses the Q-switching instability of mode-locked lasers and achieves the optimal equivalent transmittance. The NLM mode-locked laser delivers ∼30 W average power with a repetition rate of 32.2 MHz and a pulse width of 950 fs. It is revealed that this novel, to the best of our knowledge, design with simple, robust, and reliable structure has a great potential in the development of high-power mode-locked laser.

Efficient computation of coherent multimode instabilities in lasers using a spectral approach

Coherent multimode instabilities are responsible for several phenomena of recent interest in semiconductor lasers, such as the generation of frequency combs and ultrashort pulses. These techonologies have proven disruptive in optical telecommunications and spectroscopy applications. While the standard Maxwell-Bloch equations (MBEs) encompass such complex lasing phenomena, their integration is computationally expensive and offers limited analytical insight. In this paper, we demonstrate an efficient spectral approach to the simulation of multimode instabilities via a quantitative analysis of the instability of single-frequency lasing in ring lasers, referred to as the Lorenz-Haken (LH) instability or the RNGH instability in distinct parameter regimes. Our approach, referred to as CFTD, uses generally non-Hermitian Constant Flux modes to obtain projected Time Domain equations. CFTD provides excellent agreement with finite-difference integration of the MBEs across a wide range of parameters in regimes of non-stationary inversion, including frequency comb formation and spatiotemporal chaos. We also develop a modal linear stability analysis using CFTD to efficiently predict multimode instabilities in lasers. The combination of numerical accuracy, speedup, and semi-analytic insight across a variety of dynamical regimes make the CFTD approach ideal to analyze multimode instabilities in lasers, especially in more complex geometries or coupled laser arrays.

Spiking ruby revisited: self-induced periodic spiking oscillations leading to chaotic state in a Cr:Al2O3 laser with cw 532-nm pumping

This paper reexamines a 60-year-old mystery of spiking behavior in ruby lasers with a cw 532-nm pump, paying special attention to mode matching between the pump and lasing beam within a ruby crystal placed in a semi-confocal laser cavity. Periodic spiking oscillations were observed in a limited pump power regime, where spikes obeying the generic asymmetric hyperbolic function appeared at a repetition rate around 50 kHz and with a 130-150 ns width and 0.1-0.6 µJ energy depending on the pump power. The physics of the spiking behavior based on Kleinman’s mechanical approach and a plausible interpretation for the periodic spiking oscillation in terms of self-induced mode matching between the pump and laser beams through the self-induced Kerr-lens effect are addressed. The statistical nature inherent to spiking and the associated self-organized critical behavior in the quasi-periodic spiking oscillations as well as chaotic states occurring outside the periodic spiking regime are clarified from a nonlinear dynamics point of view and intriguing statistical properties inherent to chaotic oscillations in usual solid-state lasers subjected to external modulations are shown to be present in the self-induced instabilities of the ruby laser

Modulational instability and nonlinear dynamics of femtosecond lasers in transparent materials with non-Kerr nonlinearities

Femtosecond laser inscription in transparent materials is a physical process that finds widespread applications in material engineering, particularly in laser micromachining technology. In this process, the nonlinear optical response of the transparent material can be either intrinsic or induced by multiphoton ionization processes. In this work, a generic model is considered to describe the dynamics of femtosecond laser filamentation in transparent materials characterized by non-Kerr nonlinearities, focusing on the influence of multiphoton ionization processes in the generation of an electron plasma of inhomogeneous density. The mathematical model consists of a complex Ginzburg–Landau equation with a generalized saturable nonlinearity, besides the residual nonlinearity related to multiphoton ionization processes. This generalized complex Ginzburg–Landau equation is coupled to a rate equation for time evolution of the electron plasma density, where multiphoton ionizations are assumed to be the sole processes controlling the generation of the electron plasma. Dynamical properties of the model are discussed starting from the continuous-wave regime, where a modulational-instability analysis enables us to determine the stability conditions of continuous-wave modes in the system. The analysis reveals a dominant tendency of continuous-wave stability for relatively large values of the multiphoton ionization order K, provided the femtosecond laser operates in the anomalous dispersion regime. Numerical simulations of the mathematical model feature a family of wavetrains composed of self-focused, well-separated, pulse-shaped optical filaments whose repetition rates are shortened but amplitudes are increased, with an increase in K. Simulations suggest that such nonlinear wavetrain structures do not need the transparent material to be intrinsically nonlinear and that they may also be favored solely by the nonlinearity induced by multiphoton ionization processes in a linear transparent material.

Pump power induced instability and hysteresis in an all-normal dispersion linear mode-locked fiber laser

In this manuscript, experimental studies on the instability and hysteresis in an all-normal dispersion (ANDi) fiber laser have been presented. The laser was mode-locked by using a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror and a chirped fiber Bragg grating in linear cavity configuration and under the stable conditions it delivered stationary dissipative soliton pulses with characteristic rectangular-shaped steep-edged spectrum. With increasing the pump power, the laser transits to a non-stationary state with a near trapezoidal-shaped spectrum with significant temporal instabilities. The hysteresis associated with the state transition and variations in spectral characteristics has been studied including dispersive Fourier transform based analysis. Pump power induced state transition in an ANDi linear cavity with a physical saturable absorber without the influence of any physical polarization controller or apparent limitation due to spectral filtering is the key observation presented in this paper.

Introducing a 2V-resonator for the improvement of pulse stability in a high-gain Q-switched Yb:YAG thin-disk laser.

Pulse instability in Q-switched solid-state lasers at enough high repetition rates is a significant problem for getting high powers. This issue is more critical for Thin-Disk-Lasers (TDLs) due to the smallness of round-trip gain in the thin active media. The main idea of this work is that increasing the round-trip gain of a TDL makes it possible to diminish its pulse instability at high repetition rates. Accordingly, a novel 2V-resonator is introduced to overcome the low gain of TDLs, in which the passage of the laser beam from the active media is twice that of the standard V-resonator. The experiment and simulation results indicate that the threshold of laser instability considerably improves for the 2V-resonator relative to the traditional V-resonator. This improvement is well seen for various time windows of the Q-switching gate and different pump powers. By choosing appropriate Q-switching time and pump power, the laser was stably run at 18 kHz, a recorded repetition rate for Q-switched TDLs.

Enhanced strong-coupling stimulated Brillouin amplification assisted by Raman amplification.

Higher intensity of strong-coupling stimulated Brillouin scattering (SC-SBS) amplification is achieved by supplementary Raman amplification. In this scheme, a Raman pump laser first amplifies the seed pulse in the homogeneous plasma, and then a SC-SBS pump laser continues the amplification in the inhomogeneous plasma in order to suppress the spontaneous instability of pump lasers. The intensity of the seed laser gets higher and the duration of the seed laser gets shorter than that in the pure SC-SBS scheme with the same incident energy, while the energy conversion efficiency is not significantly reduced. We also found that the SC-SBS amplification is seeded by the leading pulse of Raman amplification. The results obtained from envelope coupling equations, Vlasov simulations, and two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations agree with each other. This scheme offers a possible way to improve the SC-SBS amplification in experiments.

Terahertz Time-of-Flight Ranging with Adaptive Clock Asynchronous Optical Sampling.

We propose and implement a terahertz time-of-flight ranging system based on adaptive clock asynchronous optical sampling, where the timing jitter is corrected in real time to recover the depth information in the acquired interferograms after compensating for laser instabilities using electronic signal processing. Consequently, the involved measurement uncertainties caused by the timing jitter during the terahertz sampling process and the noise intensity of the terahertz electric field have been reduced by the utilization of the adaptive clock. The achieved uncertainty range is about 2.5 μm at a 5 cm distance after averaging the acquisition time of 1876 ms 5000 times, showing a significant improvement compared with the asynchronous optical sampling using a constant clock. The implemented terahertz ranging system only uses free-running mode-locked lasers without any phase-locked electronics, and this favors simple and robust operations for subsequent applications that extend beyond the laboratory conditions.

Decay instability of X-mode laser in a magnetized plasma embedded with clusters

Decay instability of X-mode laser in a magnetized plasma embedded with clusters

Power-Over-Fiber Impact and Chromatic-Induced Power Fading on 5G NR Signals in Analog RoF

In this work, we investigate the feasibility of optical powering in coexistence with radio transmission using baseband signals with 5G New Radio (5G NR) numerology with different bandwidths (BW) on Analog Radio over Fiber (ARoF) systems with single mode fibers (SMF). We focus on the impact of chromatic dispersion (CD), non-linear effects, High Power Laser (HPL) instabilities and their interactions, performing simulations and experiments. First, without Power over Fiber (PoF), we verify that increasing the BW of the 5G NR baseband signal reduces the CD-induced power fading at the critical RF frequency with the highest extinction and the error-vector magnitude (EVM) of the received 5G NR signal worsens. The CD-induced power fading is 10 dB smaller for 100 MHz versus 10 MHz baseband signal BWs. Then, we experimentally demonstrate the influence of a PoF signal, generated by a Raman HPL, on the transmission of 5G NR signals in a shared scenario with co-transmission of both PoF and data signals. The CD-induced power fading at the critical RF frequency with the highest extinction is 27 dB smaller for 5G NR signal BWs of 10 MHz and 100 MHz respectively when the HPL is set to +33 dBm. This PoF signal enhances the EVM of the received 5G NR signal to values in compliance with the standard while providing an On/Off Raman gain of 12.7 dB at 1552.8 nm data signal in a 14.43 km SMF link. For a 5G NR signal BW of 10 MHz and a RF carrier frequency of 17 GHz, the EVM improves from 31.3% to 11.6% for a HPL power of +33 dBm. For shorter distances such as 100 m, HPL noise transfer does not affect the EVM of data signal.

Decay instability of X-mode laser into upper hybrid and electron Bernstein waves in a plasma

Decay instability of X-mode laser into upper hybrid and electron Bernstein waves in a plasma

2.5 kW TMI-free co-pump Yb-doped fiber oscillator by 971.5 nm pumping wavelength

Pump wavelength shift from the peak absorption wavelength of 976 nm is one of the strategies for mitigation of transverse mode instability (TMI) in high-power Yb-doped fiber lasers. In the present contribution, 971.5 nm is introduced as an effective pumping wavelength for the increment of TMI threshold. By using this pumping wavelength, a 2580 W co-pumped fiber oscillator is built by 20/400 µm active fiber, with more than a twofold increase in the TMI threshold. Our analytical and experimental investigations indicate that due to the lower heat load of the pumping wavelength of 971.5 nm in the gain medium, it can properly mitigate TMI in fiber oscillators. Power scaling in here presented fiber oscillator is just limited to the occurrence of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) induced mode instability and to the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first evidence of SRS-induced mode instability in high-power fiber oscillators and TMI is not the restricting factor in power scaling anymore.

High-Sensitivity Demodulation of Fiber-Optic Acoustic Emission Sensor Using Self-Injection Locked Diode Laser

We demonstrate the use of a self-injection locked distributed feedback (DFB) diode laser for high-sensitivity detection of acoustic emission (AE) using a fiber-coil Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) sensor. The FPI AE sensor is formed by two weak fiber Bragg gratings on the ends of a long span of coiled fiber, resulting in dense sinusoidal fringes in its reflection spectrum that allows the use of a modified phase-generated carrier demodulation method. The demodulation method does not require agile tuning capability of the laser, which makes the self-injection locked laser particularly attractive for the application. Experimental results indicate that the self-injection locked laser increases the signal-to-noise ratio by ∼33 dB compared with the free-running DFB laser. We studied the mode-hopping and laser instability of the self-injection locked laser and their effect on the demodulated signal and found that a mode hopping event causes an abrupt change in the laser intensity after the resonator inside the feedback loop. It manifests itself as a short transient signal in the output of the AE sensor system. With the identification of the mode-hopping events, the associated spurious signal can be identified and discarded in the signal processing without causing significant disruption to the sensor system. Experiment shows that the frequency of locked lasers could oscillate during unstable operations. The fundamental frequency is determined by the time delay of the feedback light and is typically much larger than the AE frequency. Therefore, the laser frequency oscillations have no negative effect on the performance of the sensor system. Finally, we show that the frequency of mode-hopping occurrence is related to the length of the feedback loop and reducing the loop length can effectively reduce the frequency of mode-hopping occurrence.