Multilayer Dielectric Gratings Research Articles

Beam quality in spectral beam combination based on multi-layer dielectric grating

Owing to damage, thermal issues, and nonlinear optical effects, the output power of fiber laser has been proven to be limited. Beam combining techniques are the attractive solutions in order to achieve high-power high-brightness fiber laser output. Designing such a high-power laser system relies on coherent and incoherent combination of radiation from multiple laser channels into a single beam with enhanced brightness. Spectral beam combination is a promising alternative way that allows each array to be overlapped in near-and far-field without spatial interference, thus relaxing the requirements for linewidth controlling and phase locking of individual array and practically allowing power and brightness to be scaled with the potential to combine a large number of channels. Spectral beam combination implementations can be divided into two subsets: serial and parallel, based on the combining elements. For scaling high power, we pursue spectral beam combining with parallel subsets as an alternative to other beam combination implementation. In the spectral beam combining system based on multi-layer dielectric grating, the combined beam suffers the degradation in beam quality, which is caused by the optical dispersion, and also by the random error due to the misalignment of arrays or the thermal-optic effect of grating in the experimental system. In this paper, we strictly derive the equation of M2 variation caused by the optical dispersion in both single-grating structure and dual-grating structure. And also, we discuss how the laser linewidth, beam size, spectral separation of two adjacent channels, distance between two adjacent channels and the period of grating influence the desired beam quality in detail, separately, in the single-grating structure and the dual-grating structure. The results show that with the value of M2 fixed, the finite beam size gives rise to a laser bandwidth decreasing in single-grating structure combination, whereas the beam size induces a laser bandwidth to increase in dual-grating structure combination. If M2 1.2, the laser bandwidth of dual-grating system can be over several sub-nanometers, rather than several tens of pm as in the single grating design.

Picosecond laser damage performance assessment of multilayer dielectric gratings in vacuum.

Precise assessment of the high fluence performance of pulse compressor gratings is necessary to determine the safe operational limits of short-pulse high energy lasers. We have measured the picosecond laser damage behavior of multilayer dielectric (MLD) diffraction gratings used in the compression of chirped pulses on the Advanced Radiographic Capability (ARC) kilojoule petawatt laser system at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). We present optical damage density measurements of MLD gratings using the raster scan method in order to estimate operational performance. We also report results of R-on-1 tests performed with varying pulse duration (1-30 ps) in air, and clean vacuum. Measurements were also performed in vacuum with controlled exposure to organic contamination to simulate the grating use environment. Results show sparse defects with lower damage resistance which were not detected by small-area damage test methods.

Laser-induced damage of multilayer dielectric gratings with picosecond laser pulses under vacuum and air

Abstract In this study, laser damage tests of multilayer dielectric gratings (MDGs) are performed in vacuum (5×10 −4 Pa) and in air at a wavelength of 1053 nm with pulse widths of 0.56 ps ~9.7 ps. The laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) of MDGs in vacuum/air ranges from 2.1/2.2 J/cm 2 to 4.4/4.8 J/cm 2 for laser beams of normal incidence. The LIDT of MDGs follows a τ 0.26 scaling in the pulse width regime considered. The typical damage morphologies in the two environments caused by the near threshold pulse were observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM); the results indicate that the damage features of MDGs in vacuum are the same as those in air. The testing results reveal that a clean vacuum environment neither changes the laser damage mechanism nor lowers the LIDT of MDGs.

Common aperture spectral beam combination of fiber lasers with 5 kW power high-efficiency and high-quality output

Common Aperture Spectral Beam Combination (SBC) of multiple high power fiber lasers output into a composite beam via a multi-layer dielectric (MLD) gratingis a promising approach for the fiber laser system to scale the output power further while maintaining high efficiency and excellent beam quality simultaneously. A common aperture SBC system with dual-grating dispersion compensation configuration based on five kW-level narrow-linewidth fiber amplifier chains in all-fiber format is set up. A common aperture combing beam is achieved with high efficiency and excellent beam quality in the system by using China-made MLD gratings. The maximum average output power of 5.07 kW of the combined beam and the combination efficiency of 91.2% are obtained. The beam quality factor M2 at a power level of 5 kW is less than 3. The preliminary experimental results have shown that MLD grating, which can maintain high diffraction efficiency in a wide spectrum range under high power level operation, is a perfect element for SBC of high power fiber laser. The results also demonstrate that the beam quality and the linewidth of the individual fiber laser are the key factors affecting the beam quality of the spectral combining beam. Presently, the output power is limited by the amount of the narrow-linewidth fiber amplifier chains and the output power of the individual narrow-linewidth fiber amplifier. So it can be expected that the common aperture SBC system output power can be further scaled.

Robust fast direct integral equation solver for quasi-periodic scattering problems with a large number of layers.

We present a new boundary integral formulation for time-harmonic wave diffraction from two-dimensional structures with many layers of arbitrary periodic shape, such as multilayer dielectric gratings in TM polarization. Our scheme is robust at all scattering parameters, unlike the conventional quasi-periodic Green's function method which fails whenever any of the layers approaches a Wood anomaly. We achieve this by a decomposition into near- and far-field contributions. The former uses the free-space Green's function in a second-kind integral equation on one period of the material interfaces and their immediate left and right neighbors; the latter uses proxy point sources and small least-squares solves (Schur complements) to represent the remaining contribution from distant copies. By using high-order discretization on interfaces (including those with corners), the number of unknowns per layer is kept small. We achieve overall linear complexity in the number of layers, by direct solution of the resulting block tridiagonal system. For device characterization we present an efficient method to sweep over multiple incident angles, and show a 25× speedup over solving each angle independently. We solve the scattering from a 1000-layer structure with 3 × 105 unknowns to 9-digit accuracy in 2.5 minutes on a desktop workstation.

High-energy kHz Yb:KYW dual-crystal regenerative amplifier.

A highly stable Yb:KYW based dual crystal regenerative amplifier is demonstrated, which generates at 1 kHz 6.5-mJ pulses before and up to 4.7-mJ sub-ps pulses after compression with multilayer-dielectric gratings, respectively. The stretcher is compact and based on chirped-fiber Bragg gratings. In continuous-wave operation, 20 W are extracted with a slope efficiency of 40%. The experimental data are in agreement with detailed simulations of the laser dynamics.

152 W average power Tm-doped fiber CPA system.

A high-power thulium (Tm)-doped fiber chirped-pulse amplification system emitting a record compressed average output power of 152 W and 4 MW peak power is demonstrated. This result is enabled by utilizing Tm-doped photonic crystal fibers with mode-field diameters of 35 μm, which mitigate detrimental nonlinearities, exhibit slope efficiencies of more than 50%, and allow for reaching a pump-power-limited average output power of 241 W. The high-compression efficiency has been achieved by using multilayer dielectric gratings with diffraction efficiencies higher than 98%.

Influence of horizontal damage size of grating ridge on the optical properties of multilayer dielectric gratings.

Based on typical laser damage morphologies of multilayer dielectric gratings (MDGs), in this paper the influence of horizontal damage size of the grating ridge on optical properties of MDGs is analyzed by numerical calculations using the rigorous coupled wave analysis method. From simulation results, the optical performance of MDGs decreases with the increase in horizontal damage size of the grating ridge. But the maximum electric field value in the grating ridge and the multilayer enhances constantly with the increase in horizontal damage size, thus inducing further laser damage of MDGs. This paper provides the preliminary study for functional damage of MDGs.

Optimization design and analysis of reflecting polarizing beam splitter based on metal–multilayer dielectric grating for 800 nm

A new reflecting polarizing beam splitter (RPBS), based on a metal–multilayer dielectric grating (MMDG), was designed using rigorous coupled wave analysis method and a genetic algorithm. The RPBS reflects the TE wave in the −1st order and TM wave in the 0th order for 800 nm. The optimized RPBS has an extinction ratio of over 20 dB, from 765 nm to 823 nm, and a large angle, from 43.8° to 60°. At 800 nm, the extinction ratios of the 0th and −1st orders reach a maximum of 41.0 dB and 53.2 dB, respectively. Furthermore, analysis suggests that the designed RPBS allows sufficient manufacture tolerance. These results show the potential of MMDGs in fabrication of a RPBS, which can be widely used in optical systems.

Radiative decay engineering 7: Tamm state-coupled emission using a hybrid plasmonic–photonic structure

There is a continuing need to increase the brightness and photostability of fluorophores for use in biotechnology, medical diagnostics, and cell imaging. One approach developed during the past decade is to use metallic surfaces and nanostructures. It is now known that excited state fluorophores display interactions with surface plasmons, which can increase the radiative decay rates, modify the spatial distribution of emission, and result in directional emission. One important example is surface plasmon-coupled emission (SPCE). In this phenomenon, the fluorophores at close distances from a thin metal film, typically silver, display emission over a small range of angles into the substrate. A disadvantage of SPCE is that the emission occurs at large angles relative to the surface normal and at angles that are larger than the critical angle for the glass substrate. The large angles make it difficult to collect all of the coupled emission and have prevented the use of SPCE with high-throughput and/or array applications. In the current article, we describe a simple multilayer metal–dielectric structure that allows excitation with light that is perpendicular (normal) to the plane and provides emission within a narrow angular distribution that is normal to the plane. This structure consists of a thin silver film on top of a multilayer dielectric Bragg grating, with no nanoscale features except for the metal or dielectric layer thicknesses. Our structure is designed to support optical Tamm states, which are trapped electromagnetic modes between the metal film and the underlying Bragg grating. We used simulations with the transfer matrix method to understand the optical properties of Tamm states and localization of the modes or electric fields in the structure. Tamm states can exist with zero in-plane wavevector components and can be created without the use of a coupling prism. We show that fluorophores on top of the metal film can interact with the Tamm state under the metal film and display Tamm state-coupled emission (TSCE). In contrast to SPCE, the Tamm states can display either S or P polarization. The TSCE angle is highly sensitive to wavelength, which suggests the use of Tamm structures to provide both directional emission and wavelength dispersion. Metallic structures can modify fluorophore decay rates but also have high losses. Photonic crystals have low losses but may lack the enhanced light-induced fields near metals. The combination of plasmonic and photonic structures offers the opportunity for radiative decay engineering to design new formats for clinical testing and other fluorescence-based applications.

Broadband trapeziform multilayer dielectric grating for femtosecond pulse compressor: design, fabrication, and analysis

Rectangular HfO2 grating fabrication is difficult, so a trapeziform multilayer dielectric pulse compression grating (PCG) has been designed using a genetic algorithm and the Fourier mode method. Simulation results show that a greater than 120 nm wavelength range multilayer dielectric grating (MDG) is obtained with a minus-first-order diffraction efficiency (DE) exceeding 95%. The bandwidth is 136 nm with the minus-first-order DE exceeding 90%. The trapeziform structure shows good tolerances for grating fabrication. The multilayer dielectric is deposited by e-beam evaporation, then the MDG is fabricated by reactive ion beam etching. A 128 nm bandwidth of the MDG for the transverse electric polarization with an efficiency exceeding 90% is obtained, and the maximum DE can reach up to 98.3%. The trapeziform MDG is an ideal PCG for chirped pulse amplification systems with high DE, broad bandwidth and good fabrication tolerances. Laser-induced damage thresholds of 0.53 J cm−2 under 40 fs pulses are experimentally reached with very high and uniform efficiency.

Influence of arched groove bottom on laser-induced damage of multilayer dielectric gratings

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the nanosecond laser-induced damages occurring in multilayer dielectric gratings (MDG). The initial damages of MDG locate at grating ridges while the damages with micro-holes and cracks appear in the groove bottom. Compared with the melted-hole damages of grating ridges, the groove bottom crack damages indicate they are the major promoting role of causing the catastrophic damage for MDG. The damage mechanism and development were discussed combined with the grating structure and the normalized electric field intensity (NEFI). The profile of groove bottom of MDG was explored by atomic force microscope (AFM) in detail. It is found that the bottom shape is arched with the maximum height of 30nm. Based on these measuring grating parameters, NEFI of MDG was numerically calculated with finite difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm to explain the damage phenomenon. The arched bottom makes an enhancement of NEFI maximum in groove bottom, thereby increasing the risk of catastrophic damage for MDG. According to simulated results, flattening groove bottom and/or deeper etching within tolerance allowance range can reduce NEFI maximum and gradient in groove bottom effectively.

Near-field optical properties of wide bandwidth metal multi-layer dielectric gratings for pulse compressor

Metal multi-layer dielectric gratings (MMDG) for pulse compressors in high-energy laser systems should provide broad bandwidth as well as high laser-induced damage thresholds. The non-uniform optical near-field distribution of MMDG is an important factor that limits damage resistant capabilities. MMDG for pulse compressors operating at 800 nm with a corrugated SiO2 layer are designed by using a genetic algorithm and the Fourier mode method. The diffraction efficiency, bandwidth, and near-field distribution of the MMDG are theoretically investigated. For the single dielectric match layer grating, the bandwidth is 140 nm, if the thickness and refractive index of the match layer are changed, the maximum electric field in the grating ridge, match layer, and metal layer of the grating increases with the decrease in grating diffraction efficiency. For the multi-dielectric match layer grating, the bandwidth and the maximum electric field in the metal layer decrease with the increase in high- and low-index material pairs, and the maximum electric field in the grating ridge and match layer initially decreases and then increases. Over a wide wavelength range, the maximum electric field in the grating ridge, match layer, and metal layer is minimal near the central wavelength. Moreover, MMDG should be used at larger incident angles while keeping enough bandwidth to reduce the electric field in the grating.

Improving the performance of high-laser-damage-threshold, multilayer dielectric pulse-compression gratings through low-temperature chemical cleaning

A low-temperature chemical cleaning approach has been developed to improve the performance of multilayer dielectric pulse-compressor gratings for use in the OMEGA EP laser system. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results guided the selection of targeted cleaning steps to strip specific families of manufacturing residues without damaging the grating's fragile 3D profile. Grating coupons that were cleaned using the optimized method consistently met OMEGA EP requirements on diffraction efficiency and 1054 nm laser-damage resistance at 10 ps. The disappearance of laser-conditioning effects for the highest-damage-threshold samples suggests a transition from a contamination-driven laser-damage mechanism to defect-driven damage for well-cleaned components.

High-spectral-resolution characterization of broadband high-efficiency reflection gratings

An optical characterization method with high spectral resolution for broadband, multilayer dielectric gratings working at the -1st reflection order is demonstrated in this paper. The diffraction-efficiency measurement setup for the broadband gratings with high efficiencies mainly consists of a double-light-path system with a monochromator as the illumination source and an automatic rotation stage for incident and diffraction angles adjustment. Two typical practical difficulties, namely (1) the mismatch between the spot size of diffracted light and the limited detector aperture and (2) the shared propagation path between the incident and diffracted light at the Littrow angle, were well solved. A fabricated multilayer dielectric grating was measured on the established measurement setup. Diffraction efficiencies greater than 90% in the wavelength range from 763 to 852 nm were obtained with an average relative deviation less than 1.0%. At the moment, the wavelength resolution is 1 nm and the angle resolution is 0.2 deg. The high-resolution broadband diffraction spectrometry testing method is applicable to characterizing broadband pulse compression gratings in the laser systems.

Ion beam etching for multilayer dielectric pulse compressor gratings with top layers of HfO2

Multilayer dielectric grating (MDG) is one of the key optical elements of high-power laser systems. To meet the need of MDGs for high-power laser systems, experimental investigation on MDG with a top layer of HfO2 has been carried out using Kaufman-type ion beam etcher. The optimal ion source conditions have been obtained by etching of HfO2 in pure Ar and Ar/CHF3 mixture plasmas. Compared with pure Ar plasma etching, better selectivity was achieved with Ar/CHF3. The redeposition of sidewalls effects are quite obvious during etching, which results in the increase in duty cycle of etched grating. As there is a distribution of etch rate along the direction normal to the scan movement, a special-shaped mask was made to be used as a substrate holder, which increases uniformity of the etched profile. In order to process repeatability, the ion source should be cleaned up, the cathode and neutralizer filament should be changed after etching process to full completion. Based on the above techniques, a number of MDGs have been achieved, each of which has a mean diffraction efficiency greater than 95%, a line density 1480 lines/mm, and on aperture up to 80 mm×150 mm. Experimental results agree fairly well with the designed, which provides a good reference for the large aperture MDGs ion beam etching.

Broadband and high efficiency metal–multilayer dielectric grating based on non-quarter wave coatings as reflective mirror for 800 nm

A broadband and high efficiency metal–multilayer dielectric grating (MMDG), which was used to compress and stretch an ultra-short laser pulse in a chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) system, was designed. The diffraction characteristics of the MMDG were analyzed using the method of rigorous coupled wave analysis. The reflective mirror used for the broadband and high diffraction grating is made up of non-quarter wave metal–multi-layer dielectric coatings. Taking the diffraction efficiency of the −1 order as merit function, the parameters such as groove depth, residual thickness and reflective mirror were optimized to obtain broadband and high diffraction efficiency. The optimized MMDG shows an ultra-broadband working spectrum with an average efficiency exceeding 97% over 120 nm wavelength centered at 800 nm and TE polarization. The optimized MMDG should have potential application in CPA systems.

Influence of two typical defects on the near-field optical properties of multilayer dielectric compression gratings

Internal electric-field enhancement is critical for the laser-induced damage properties of multilayer dielectric compression gratings (MDG) in high-energy laser systems. Due to the complex fabrication processes of MDGs, such as coating, interference lithography, etching, and cleaning, different kinds of defects in multilayers or profiles on MDG surfaces can't be practically avoided. Combined with a scanning electron microscope of some MDG samples, line-absence and added node seem to be two typical defects, according to which two defective MDG models are established, and numerical calculations are performed. From simulation results, the defect period and defect depth has little effect on the spectral response of the optical elements. However, they may produce large changes of internal electric-field distribution on the grating surface and even in multilayer structures, thus decreasing the damage threshold of MDG. To obtain a better understanding of the dependence of the internal electric-field enhancement on these defects, this work is focused on the near-field distributions of defective MDGs using the Fourier model method.

Broadband and high efficiency metal multi-layer dielectric grating based on non-quarter-wave coatings as a reflective mirror

This article deals with designing a broadband and high efficiency metal multi-layer dielectric grating (MMDG) used to compress and stretch an ultrashort laser pulse. The diffraction characteristics of the MMDG are analysed by using the rigorous coupled-wave method. The multi-layer dielectric used as the reflective mirror is made up of non-quarter-wave coatings. Taking the diffraction efficiency of the −1 order as the value of merit function, the parameters such as groove depth, residual thickness, duty cycle, and reflective mirror are optimized to obtain broadband and high diffraction efficiency. The optimized MMDG shows an ultra-broadband working spectrum with the average efficiency exceeding 97% over 160 nm wavelength centred at 1053 nm and TE polarization. The optimized MMDG should be useful for chirped pulse amplification.

Multilayer dielectric grating for large deviation using angle

In this paper, a new design concept of large deviation angle using multilayer dielectric grating (MDG) is proposed, which ensure MDG can provide high-efficiency at large using angle. And a MDG, which is worked under deviation angle over 40° condition and with diffraction efficiency near to 100% at incidence angle and corresponding diffraction angle, is designed using simulated annealing (SA) algorithm and Fourier mode method (FMM). The spectral band with efficiency >99% is over 8nm wavelength centered 1053nm for TE-polarization light.