Narrow-linewidth Diode Laser Research Articles

Research of the Mode Instability Threshold in High Power Double Cladding Yb‐doped Fiber Amplifiers

We experimentally investigate the behavior of the mode instability (MI) threshold in the double cladding Yb‐doped fiber amplifier when the amplifier is pumped by broad linewidth laser diodes and narrow linewidth laser diodes respectively. It is found that the MI threshold increases by 26% when the amplifier is pumped by the broad linewidth laser diodes. Experiment results show that the MI threshold is affected by the local heat load rather than the average or the total heat load. The calculation shows that the local heat deposit actually plays the key role to stimulate the MI behaviour. At the MI threshold position in the fiber, the local heat deposit also changes dramatically. The effect of the thermal conductivity on the MI threshold is also studied. Our investigation shows that the MI threshold increases from 1269 W to 1950 W when the thermal conductivity of the fiber amplifier is increased from 0.3 to 5 . Through optimizing the pump linewidth and the cooling efficiency of the gain fiber, the MI threshold is doubled in our experiment.

High power sub-ps pulse generation by compression of a frequency comb obtained by a nonlinear broadened two colored seed.

In this contribution we demonstrate the generation of a frequency comb with sub-picosecond pulses by seeding an amplifier with two narrow linewidth laser diodes separated by 50 GHz. The results are achieved in the normal dispersion regime with parameters where the forming of the comb is dominated by self-phase modulation. A numerical simulation is performed with different nonlinear interaction lengths, whereas the experimental realization is done in a high power Yb-doped fiber amplifier to generate the necessary nonlinearity. An output power of 750 W with compression to sub-picosecond pulse durations is shown. Further perspectives towards higher power levels and larger comb-line spacing are discussed.

Wavelength calibration of a high resolution spectrograph with a partially stabilized 15-GHz astrocomb from 550 to 890 nm.

A visible astrocomb spanning 555-890 nm has been implemented on the 10-m Southern African Large Telescope, delivering complete calibration of one channel of its high-resolution spectrograph and an accurate determination of its resolving power. A novel co-coupling method allowed simultaneous observation of on-sky, Th-Ar lamp and astrocomb channels, reducing the wavelength calibration uncertainty by a factor of two compared to that obtained using only Th-Ar lines. The excellent passive stability of the master frequency comb laser enabled broadband astrocomb generation without the need for carrier-envelope offset frequency locking, and an atomically referenced narrow linewidth diode laser provided an absolute fiducial marker for wavelength calibration. The simple astrocomb architecture enabled routine operation by non-specialists in an actual telescope environment. On-sky spectroscopy results are presented with direct calibration achieved entirely using the astrocomb.

High-efficiency Tm-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser pumped with a wavelength-locked laser diode

We first demonstrate a high-efficiency composite Tm-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser end-pumped with a narrow-linewidth laser diode, which was locked at a wavelength of 784.9 nm with volume Bragg gratings. The locked pump wavelength was experimentally determined by the excitation peak, which was also the absorption peak of a 3.5 at.% Tm:YAG crystal around 785 nm, for the improvement of laser efficiency under high-intensity pumping. Under an absorbed pump power of 24.64 W, a maximum output power of 11.12 W at 2018 nm was obtained, corresponding to an optical to optical conversion efficiency of 45.1% and a slope efficiency of 52.4%.

Ultrastable optical frequency dissemination on a multi-access fibre network

We report the dissemination of an ultrastable optical frequency signal to two distant users simultaneously using a branching network. The ultrastable signal is extracted along a main fibre link; it is optically tracked with a narrow-linewidth laser diode, which light is injected in a secondary link. The propagation noise of both links is actively compensated. We implement this scheme with two links of 50-km fibre spools, the extraction being setup at the mid-point of the main link. We show that the extracted signal at the end of the secondary link exhibits fractional frequency instability of 1.4x10-15 at 1-s measurement time, almost equal to the 1.3x10-15 instability of the main link output end. The long-term instabilities are also very similar, at a level of 3-5x10-20 at 3x104-s integration time. We also show that the setting up of this extraction device, or a simpler one, at the main link input, can test the proper functioning of the noise rejection on this main link. This work is a significant step towards a robust and flexible ultra-stable network for multi-users dissemination.

Noise reduction of a Libbrecht–Hall style current driver

The Libbrecht-Hall circuit is a well-known, low-noise current driver for narrow-linewidth diode lasers. An important feature of the circuit is a current limit to protect the laser diode. As the current approaches the maximum limit, however, the noise in the laser current increases dramatically. This paper documents this behavior and explores simple circuit modifications to alleviate this issue.

Universal gate-set for trapped-ion qubits using a narrow linewidth diode laser

We report on the implementation of a high fidelity universal gate-set on optical qubits based on trapped 88Sr+ ions for the purpose of quantum information processing. All coherent operations were performed using a narrow linewidth diode laser. We employed a master-slave configuration for the laser, where an ultra low expansion glass Fabry–Perot cavity is used as a stable reference as well as a spectral filter. We characterized the laser spectrum using the ions with a modified Ramsey sequence which eliminated the affect of the magnetic field noise. We demonstrated high fidelity single qubit gates with individual addressing, based on inhomogeneous micromotion, on a two-ion chain as well as the Mølmer–Sørensen two-qubit entangling gate.

Low intensity noise and narrow line-width diode laser light at 540 nm

We present a convenient method to generate high quality single-frequency green light at a wavelength of 540 nm. It consists of a noise suppressed external cavity diode laser at a wavelength of 1080 nm by optical filtering and resonant optical feedback, and a frequency doubling of the fundamental light with an a-cut KTP crystal. Highly efficient conversion is realized by type II non-critical phase matching. A stable single-frequency operation with a maximum power of about 20 mW is performed for more than 3 h. Both the intensity noise and line-width reach the level of a monolithic nonplanar ring laser, which is well known for its extraordinarily narrow line-width and extremely low noise among available single-frequency operating lasers.

Rate constant and thermochemistry for K + O2 + N2 = KO2 + N2.

The addition reaction of potassium atoms with oxygen has been studied using the collinear photofragmentation and atomic absorption spectroscopy (CPFAAS) method. KCl vapor was photolyzed with 266 nm pulses and the absorbance by K atoms at 766.5 nm was measured at various delay times with a narrow line width diode laser. Experiments were carried out with O2/N2 mixtures at a total pressure of 1 bar, over 748-1323 K. At the lower temperatures single exponential decays of [K] yielded the third-order rate constant for addition, kR1, whereas at higher temperatures equilibration was observed in the form of double exponential decays of [K], which yielded both kR1 and the equilibrium constant for KO2 formation. kR1 can be summarized as 1.07 × 10(-30)(T/1000 K)(-0.733) cm(6) molecule(-2) s(-1). Combination with literature values leads to a recommended kR1 of 5.5 × 10(-26)T(-1.55) exp(-10/T) cm(6) molecule(-2) s(-1) over 250-1320 K, with an error limit of a factor of 1.5. A van't Hoff analysis constrained to fit the computed ΔS298 yields a K-O2 bond dissociation enthalpy of 184.2 ± 4.0 kJ mol(-1) at 298 K and ΔfH298(KO2) = -95.2 ± 4.1 kJ mol(-1). The corresponding D0 is 181.5 ± 4.0 kJ mol(-1). This value compares well with a CCSD(T) extrapolation to the complete basis set limit, with all electrons correlated, of 177.9 kJ mol(-1).

405 nm波段光栅外腔窄线宽蓝紫光半导体激光器

405 nm波段光栅外腔窄线宽蓝紫光半导体激光器

Arbitrary pulse shaping in Er-doped fiber amplifiers—Possibilities and limitations

Abstract A temporal deformation of nanosecond laser pulses occurring during an amplification process in a two-stage erbium-doped fiber amplifier operating in saturation is presented. We discuss distortion of rectangular laser pulses with duration ranging from 5 ns to 300 ns, generated at 20 kHz repetition rate. Calculations of a suitable peak power scaling factor for distorted pulses are presented. A simple compensation method of temporal pulse distortion, based on the direct current modulation with the use of arbitrary function generator (AFG), is also reported. An appropriate input pulse shape modification leads to obtaining an output amplified pulse with any desired shape. The main limitation of pulse shaping in a fiber amplifier seeded by a narrow linewidth laser diode turns out to be stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS). However, the pulse shaping method can also improve the amplifier performance by increasing the power threshold of SBS. SBS phenomenon in the context of arbitrary pulse shaping have been also discussed.

Hybrid optical and electronic laser locking using slow light due to spectral holes

We report on a narrow linewidth laser diode system that is stabilized using both optical and electronic feedback to a spectral hole in cryogenic Tm:YAG. The laser system exhibits very low phase noise. The spectrum of the beat signal between two lasers, over millisecond timescales, is either Fourier limited or limited by the -111dBc/Hz noise floor. The resulting laser is well suited to quantum optics and sensing applications involving rare earth ion dopants.

100-Hz Linewidth Diode Laser With External Optical Feedback

We present a narrow-linewidth diode laser with optical feedback from a high-finesse two-mirror nonconfocal cavity. The laser's full-width-at-half-maximum linewidth is reduced to 100 Hz, and its instantaneous linewidth to 30 Hz in the Lorentzian fitting. To the best of our knowledge, it is the narrowest linewidth ever achieved with the optical feedback method. The laser phase noise has been significantly reduced by more than 50 dB in the frequency range from 10 Hz to 10 kHz. Our experiment demonstrates the efficient laser linewidth reduction and phase noise suppression by the optical feedback technique.

A novel discrete mode narrow linewidth laser diode for spectroscopic based gas sensing in the 1.5 μm region

The characteristics of a novel Discrete Mode laser diode are described with particular reference to its capability in spectroscopic based gas sensing. In this regard, its emission linewidth, Side Mode Suppression Ratio and tuneability are of particular note. The measured narrow linewidth of 550 kHz has applications with respect to spectrally narrow absorption features found, for example, in saturated absorption lines, in hyperfine structure of some rotational manifolds and in whispering gallery mode features associated with optical microspheres. Other notable measured characteristics show mode-hop-free temperature tuning of 11 nm at a linear tuning rate of 0.1 nm/°C and a Side Mode Suppression Ratio in the range 56 to 46 dB and a long term (72 hours) wavelength stability of 1 pm per day. In essence, this novel Discrete Mode laser displays excellent potential for diode laser based sensing applications in the near infrared.

Narrow linewidth laser system realized by linewidth transfer using a fiber-based frequency comb for the magneto-optical trapping of strontium

A narrow linewidth diode laser system at 689 nm is realized by phase-locking an extended cavity diode laser to one tooth of a narrow linewidth optical frequency comb. The optical frequency comb is phase-locked to a narrow linewidth laser at 1064 nm, which is frequency stabilized to a high-finesse optical cavity. We demonstrate the magneto-optical trapping of Sr using an intercombination transition with the developed laser system.

Thermal calcium atom interferometer with a phase resolution of a few milliradians based on a narrow-linewidth diode laser

A symmetrical atom interferometer with a thermal calcium atom beam has been developed using a narrow linewidth diode laser stabilized to the resonance of a high-finesse cavity. The linewidth of the diode laser was estimated to be less than 1 Hz relative to the cavity resonance in noise measurement over the range of 100 Hz to 1 MHz, and the phase instability of the interference fringes obtained from the Allan deviation was improved to 2 mrad at an integration time of 300 s. Using this atom interferometer, the ac Stark phase shift between the ${}^{1}$${S}_{0}$ and ${}^{3}$${P}_{1}$ states of a Ca atom was measured as a function of a laser power near the resonance of the ${}^{1}{S}_{0}{\ensuremath{-}}^{1}\phantom{\rule{-0.16em}{0ex}}{P}_{1}$ transition at a wavelength of 423 nm. The decay rate of the ${}^{1}$${P}_{1}$ state was determined to be $\ensuremath{\gamma}=1.91(33)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{8}$ s${}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$.

High-fidelity state detection and tomography of a single-ion Zeeman qubit

We demonstrate high-fidelity Zeeman qubit state detection in a single trapped 88Sr+ ion. Qubit readout is performed by shelving one of the qubit states to a metastable level using a narrow linewidth diode laser at 674 nm, followed by state-selective fluorescence detection. The average fidelity reached for the readout of the qubit state is 0.9989(1). We then measure the fidelity of state tomography, averaged over all possible single-qubit states, which is 0.9979(2). We also fully characterize the detection process using quantum process tomography. This readout fidelity is compatible with recent estimates of the detection error threshold required for fault-tolerant computation, whereas high-fidelity state tomography opens the way for high-precision quantum process tomography.

Characterization of White and Flicker Frequency Modulation Noise in Narrow-Linewidth Laser Diodes

Frequency modulation noise of narrow-linewidth external cavity laser diodes is characterized in terms of power spectral density (PSD) using the recirculating delayed self-heterodyne method. The measured PSD is consistent with the oscillator noise model consisting of white and flicker noise. Based on this model, beat signal spectra observed in heterodyne measurements are derived, which explain well the delay- or observation time-dependent lineshape obtained in the experiments.

Phase-stabilized, 15 W frequency comb at 28–48 μm

We present a high-power optical-parametric-oscillator (OPO) based frequency comb in the mid-IR wavelength region. The system employs periodically poled lithium niobate and is singly resonant for the signal. It is synchronously pumped by a 10 W femtosecond Yb:fiber laser centered at 1.07 microm. The idler (signal) wavelength can be continuously tuned from 2.8 to 4.8 microm (1.76 to 1.37 microm) with a simultaneous bandwidth as high as 0.3 microm and a maximum average idler output power of 1.50 W. We also demonstrate the performance of the stabilized comb by recording the heterodyne beat with a narrow-linewidth diode laser. This OPO is an ideal source for frequency comb spectroscopy in the mid-IR.

Realization of Optical Phase Locked Loop at 9.2 GHz between Two Independent Diode Lasers

The optical-phase-locked-loop (OPLL) at 9.2 GHz between two independent narrow linewidth diode lasers is realized. Ultrabroad servo bandwidth at 4 MHz is first achieved and it is guaranteed that the full spectral characteristics of the master laser can be transferred to the slave laser. The experimental results prove that the coherence between two lasers is about 99%. This offers a new method to study the interaction between lasers and atoms based on the ground hyperfine structure of caesium atoms.