Solid-state Laser Research Articles

Analysis of Constraints on the Remote Application of Inverse Synthetic Aperture Laser Radar

Abstract: In order to achieve the remote application of inverse synthetic aperture laser radar for high resolution spatial situational awareness, it is essential to analyze the main factors that restrict its remote application. This study combines the range equation of inverse synthetic aperture lidar with the stimulated Brillouin threshold power equation to investigate the variation of laser transmitting power with distance. Additionally, by utilizing the excited Brillouin threshold power equation, laser linewidth formula, and pulse width characteristics of pulse signal, we examine the variation law of laser coherence that meets corresponding power requirements at different distances. The results indicate that a detection distance of 22 km and below can be achieved using continuous fiber lasers without compensation. Coherence compensation is necessary for distances between 22 km and 57 km. For distances ranging from 57 km to 3000 km, pulsed solid-state lasers are used to analyze coherence and conclude that imaging non-cooperative targets within this range is feasible. It is observed that coherence compensation is required from 57 km to 2179 km, becoming more challenging after 2000 km. Furthermore, pulsed solid-state lasers can still be utilized for imaging cooperative targets within a range of 2179–3273 km; however, coherence compensation remains necessary and becomes increasingly difficult. Finally, several coherent length compensation schemes are proposed in order to extend the imaging range of inverse synthetic aperture LiDAR to approximately 3000 km.

Feature Issue Introduction: Advanced Solid-State Lasers

Feature Issue Introduction: Advanced Solid-State Lasers

Feature Issue Introduction: Advanced Solid-State Lasers

Feature Issue Introduction: Advanced Solid-State Lasers

Delocalized, asynchronous, closed-loop discovery of organic laser emitters.

Contemporary materials discovery requires intricate sequences of synthesis, formulation, and characterization that often span multiple locations with specialized expertise or instrumentation. To accelerate these workflows, we present a cloud-based strategy that enabled delocalized and asynchronous design-make-test-analyze cycles. We showcased this approach through the exploration of molecular gain materials for organic solid-state lasers as a frontier application in molecular optoelectronics. Distributed robotic synthesis and in-line property characterization, orchestrated by a cloud-based artificial intelligence experiment planner, resulted in the discovery of 21 new state-of-the-art materials. Gram-scale synthesis ultimately allowed for the verification of best-in-class stimulated emission in a thin-film device. Demonstrating the asynchronous integration of five laboratories across the globe, this workflow provides a blueprint for delocalizing-and democratizing-scientific discovery.

Multiphonon-coupling yellow laser in Yb:La2CaB10O19 crystal

Yellow lasers at 590 nm have many extensive applications in our daily life, but extremely difficult to attain by traditional solid-state laser technology, owing to the absence of highly-efficient transition channels at this spectral range. In this work, we proposed a cooperative lasing mechanism to obtain the yellow light emission, with multiphonon-assisted electronic transitions and phase-matched frequency-doubling. Based on the predictable configurational coordinate model, we can calculate the multiphonon-assisted emission step-by-step. Using Yb3+-doped La2CaB10O19 crystal as an example, it is capable of producing yellow laser at 581–590 nm, with a maximum output power of 4.83 W and a high slope efficiency of 31.6%. To the best of our knowledge, it represents the highest power of solid-state yellow laser realized in one single crystal pumped by a laser diode. This power scaling can be assigned to the amplified phonon-assisted emission beyond the fluorescence spectrum, and optimized crystal angle for phase-matching condition. Such a compact, low-cost, and high-power laser device, provides an alternative candidate for the spectral “yellow-gap” where no practical solid-state laser exists at present.

Heterogeneous sapphire-supported low-loss photonic platform

Sapphire is a promising wideband substrate material for visible photonics. It is a common growth substrate for III-nitride light-emitting diodes and laser structures. Doped sapphires are important gain media foundational to the development of titanium-sapphire and ruby lasers. For lasers operating at visible and near-infrared wavelengths, a photonic platform that minimizes loss while maximizing gain material overlap is crucial. Here, we introduce a novel low-loss waveguiding strategy that establishes high-performance integrated photonics on sapphire substrates. This platform achieves a high intrinsic quality factor of 5.6 million near 780 nm and features direct compatibility with a range of solid-state laser gain media.

Synchronous mode-locking of solid-state lasers by difference frequency generation.

This Letter introduces a novel, to the best of our knowledge, method for achieving mode-locking and synchronization of mode-locked output pulses from two lasers. The proposed technique leverages parametric gain from difference frequency generation. Specifically, a Nd:YAG laser is mode-locked by single-pass mode-locked pulses from a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser using an intracavity nonlinear crystal. When the continuous-wave laser is not actively pumped, the system functions as a synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator. This novel approach has the potential to enable new devices, especially for pump-probe applications or for generation of mode-locked pulses in spectral regions where conventional mode-locked devices are typically not available.

Optical probing of ultrafast laser-induced solid-to-overdense-plasma transitions

Understanding the solid target dynamics resulting from the interaction with an ultrashort laser pulse is a challenging fundamental multi-physics problem involving atomic and solid-state physics, plasma physics, and laser physics. Knowledge of the initial interplay of the underlying processes is essential to many applications ranging from low-power laser regimes like laser-induced ablation to high-power laser regimes like laser-driven ion acceleration. Accessing the properties of the so-called pre-plasma formed as the laser pulse’s rising edge ionizes the target is complicated from the theoretical and experimental point of view, and many aspects of this laser-induced transition from solid to overdense plasma over picosecond timescales are still open questions. On the one hand, laser-driven ion acceleration requires precise control of the pre-plasma because the efficiency of the acceleration process crucially depends on the target properties at the arrival of the relativistic intensity peak of the pulse. On the other hand, efficient laser ablation requires, for example, preventing the so-called “plasma shielding”. By capturing the dynamics of the initial stage of the interaction, we report on a detailed visualization of the pre-plasma formation and evolution. Nanometer-thin diamond-like carbon foils are shown to transition from solid to plasma during the laser rising edge with intensities < 1016 W/cm². Single-shot near-infrared probe transmission measurements evidence sub-picosecond dynamics of an expanding plasma with densities above 1023 cm−3 (about 100 times the critical plasma density). The complementarity of a solid-state interaction model and kinetic plasma description provides deep insight into the interplay of initial ionization, collisions, and expansion.

Highly transparent Ce:Nd:YAG ceramic with good light conversion capacity for solar-pumped solid-state lasers

Developing a high quality ceramic laser gain medium for solar directly pumped solid state lasers is essential, and yet the light conversion efficiency of the gain media for solar pumping remains a challenge. In this study, Ce and Nd ions, co-doped YAG transparent ceramics with theoretical transmittance and stable Ce3+ valent state were developed, and revealed that the absorbed visible light and light conversion efficiency in Ce,Nd:YAG ceramics were 3.98 times and 1.34 times higher than those in widely reported Cr,Nd:YAG ceramics, respectively. A concentration matching principle between Ce3+ and Nd3+ ions in YAG was established, and a higher Nd3+ ion doping concentration with a relatively low Ce3+ concentration was favorable to improve both the light conversion efficiency and emission intensity at 1064 nm of Ce,Nd:YAG ceramics. Energy transfer efficiency from Ce3+ to Nd3+ of the 0.3 at.%Ce,1.5at.%Nd:YAG ceramic reached as high as 61.71% at room temperature. Surprisingly, it was further promoted to 64.31% at a higher temperature of 473 K. More excited electrons at the upper energy level of Ce3+ ion under the high temperature accounted for this novel phenomenon. This study proposes a new design strategy of gain materials for solar directly pumped solid state lasers.

Effect of network modifiers on spectroscopic properties of Sm3+ ions doped gallium silicate glasses

In this work, the glass 42AO-7Nb2O5-21Ga2O3–29SiO2-1Sm2O3(A = Ca,Sr,Ba) are prepared by the conventional melt quenching technique. The effects of modifiers on the glass network structure and luminescence properties were investigated by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, spectrophotometry, and J-O theory, respectively. The J-O intensity parameters which were calculated though the absorption spectra were used to evaluate the laser parameters such as the radiative excursion probability of Sm3+ ions in different samples at each energy level, the emission cross section, the radiative lifetime, and the optical gain parameter. When BaO is used as a network modifier, the emission cross section is maximized at the 4G5/2 → 6H7/2 transition, with σem = 9.47 × 10−22 cm2. The experiments results reveal that altering the network modifier can effectively improves the laser emission performance of the samples, and the Sm3+ ions doped gallium silicate glasses has prospective applications in solid state orange lasers.

Ultra-highly sensitive dual gases detection based on photoacoustic spectroscopy by exploiting a long-wave, high-power, wide-tunable, single-longitudinal-mode solid-state laser.

Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) as a highly sensitive and selective trace gas detection technique has extremely broad application in many fields. However, the laser sources currently used in PAS limit the sensing performance. Compared to diode laser and quantum cascade laser, the solid-state laser has the merits of high optical power, excellent beam quality, and wide tuning range. Here we present a long-wave, high-power, wide-tunable, single-longitudinal-mode solid-state laser used as light source in a PAS sensor for trace gas detection. The self-built solid-state laser had an emission wavelength of ~2 μm with Tm:YAP crystal as the gain material, with an excellent wavelength and optical power stability as well as a high beam quality. The wide wavelength tuning range of 9.44 nm covers the absorption spectra of water and ammonia, with a maximum optical power of ~130 mW, allowing dual gas detection with a single laser source. The solid-state laser was used as light source in three different photoacoustic detection techniques: standard PAS with microphone, and external- and intra-cavity quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS), proving that solid-state laser is an attractive excitation source in photoacoustic spectroscopy.

Tri-wavelength blending method for speckle reduction and color space enhancement in laser projection systems

A novel tri-wavelength blending speckle reduction method was proposed and studied both experimentally and theoretically. In the proposed method, a 543 nm diode pumped solid state (DPSS) laser was employed to cooperated with a shorter wavelength 523 nm laser diode (LD) and a common 532 nm DPSS laser. Comparing to the traditional speckle reduction method, the proposed method takes into account both speckle reduction and color space coverage of a project system. It was shown that speckle contrast ratio (SCR) as low as 3.3 % was achieved when the power ratio of 523 nm, 532 nm and 543 nm light were set to 4:1:1. The effect on the color gamut after the use of tri-wavelength blending method was also investigated. It was found that by using the proposed tri-wavelength blending green lasers together with the commercially available red (635 nm) and blue (467 nm) laser diodes, a color space coverage as large as 97.6 % of the Rec.2020 color gamut can be achieved.

Enhancing interfacial bond strength between PEEK and inkjet-printed silver film through laser surface modification for additive manufacturing of electronics

Electronic 3D printing is a very promising technology, which is widely used in the manufacturing of conformal antennas, flexible electronics and sensors. Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is one of the most popular substrate materials for electronic 3D printing due to its superior fatigue resistance, heat tolerance, chemical resistance, and mechanical properties. However, the deficient bond between the PEEK substrate and the conductive ink leads to the peeling and shedding of the conductive pattern. This paper investigated the enhancement of the bond strength between the PEEK substrate and the conductive layer through PEEK surface modification. A 355 nm ns solid-state laser was used to treat the PEEK surface with different values of laser scanning spacing (S) and spot overlap rate (R). The surface microstructure, surface roughness, wettability, and functional groups of the treated substrates have been measured. Then the nanoparticle silver ink was printed and cured on the treated substrate. After that, the bonding strength was measured using a pull-off adhesion tester. Results showed that regular grooves were generated and the content of active oxygen atoms was increased on the PEEK surface through laser modification. The mechanical interlocking between the grooves and silver particles and hydrogen bonds induced by the active oxygen atoms and the hydroxyl groups contribute to the enhancement of bond strength between PEEK and silver film. The bond strength for the laser treated PEEK reached the maximum of 1.9 MPa, which was 413.51% higher than that of the untreated PEEK. The laser modification can effectively enhance the interfacial bond strength for additive manufacturing of reliable electronics.

Spectroscopic studies of Eu doped CaF2 single crystal

The Eu-doped CaF2 crystal is investigated for potential use in visible-region solid-state lasers. The single-crystal Eu: CaF2 has an FCC crystal structure and belongs to the space group Fm-3 m, as confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. A Raman shift of 324 cm−1 has been observed in a single crystal of Eu: CaF2. The vibrational mode at low frequency is suitable for minimizing non-radiative emissions and increasing radiative emissions. Eu: CaF2 crystal has two absorption bands, at 399 nm and 415 nm, corresponding to the 7F0→5L6 and 7F0→5D3 transitions, respectively. The strongest absorption peak (399 nm) is associated with the 7F0→5L6 electronic transition. The orange-red emission was observed at 588 nm (5D0→7F1), 612 nm (5D0→7F2), 648 (5D0→7F3), and 685(5D0→7F4) when excited at 399 nm. Measurements of the luminescence intensity ratio (R) between the 5D0→7F2 (electric dipole) transition and the 5D0→7F1 (magnetic dipole) transition predict that Eu3+ ions are situated at the symmetric sites in CaF2. The radiative parameters for the Eu: CaF2 crystal are calculated using the JOES code using the Judd-Ofelt theory. The calculated total radiative transition probability (AR) is 64.54 s−1, and the radiative lifetime (τR) is 15.57 ms. Radiative transition probabilities are 43.41,7.02 and 14.10, and branching ratios are 67.26 %,10.88 % and 21.85 % for 5D0→7F1, 5D0→7F25D0→7F4 transitions respectively.

Crystal growth and spectroscopic performances of Dy3+:YPO4 and Dy3+/Tb3+:YPO4 crystal as potential yellow laser gain mediums

Exploring new Dy3+-doped laser gain medium is still a challenge for constructing efficient yellow solid-state laser at current stage. In this paper, high quality Dy3+:YPO4 and Dy3+/Tb3+:YPO4 crystals were grown by the high temperature solution method. The crystal structure, chemical composition, phonon energy, polarized absorption and emission spectra, fluorescence lifetime were investigated. The obtained large FWHMs (6nm) and absorption cross-sections (3.87×10-21 cm2) of Dy3+:YPO4 and Dy3+/Tb3+:YPO4 crystals at 454nm indicate that they can be efficiently pumped by the commercial blue laser diodes. J-O intensity (Ω2, Ω4, Ω6), fluorescence branching rate and radiative lifetime of Dy3+ ions were calculated by J-O theory. Benefiting from the appropriate phonon energy, the emission cross-section of Dy3+: YPO4 crystal at 575nm can reach 5.04×10-21 cm2. Moreover, after co-doping Tb3+ as deactivating ion, the emission cross-section of Dy3+/Tb3+: YPO4 crystal at 575nm was promoted to 5.98×10-21 cm2 by a resonance energy transfer process between the Dy3+-6H13/2 and Tb3+-7F4. Therefore, both Dy3+:YPO4 and Dy3+/Tb3+:YPO4 crystals are potential candidates for yellow laser gain mediums.

The frequency degeneracy range of transverse mode in an off-axis end-pumped solid-state lasers

The frequency degeneracy range of transverse mode in an off-axis end-pumped solid-state lasers

Shape-Dependent Optical Waveguides and Low-Threshold Lasers from Polymorphic Two-Dimensional Organic Single Crystals.

Organic single crystals (OSCs) with uniform morphologies and highly ordered molecular aggregations are promising for high-performance optoelectronic devices, such as organic solid-state lasers (OSSLs), organic light-emitting transistors (OLETs), and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). However, manipulating OSC morphologies and aggregation is challenging. In this study, we synthesized two-dimensional (2D) OSCs of 4,4'-bis[(N-carbazole)styryl]biphenyl (BSBCz) in hexagonal and parallelogram microplate (H-MP and P-MP) forms. Both types exhibit H-aggregation in the 2D plate plane but with different molecular transition dipole moment (TDM) orientations. This leads to different photon coupling modes with H-MP and P-MP microcavities. H-MPs enable isotropic 2D-waveguiding, forming whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonators, while P-MPs create unidirectional waveguiding, forming Fabry-Pérot mode (FP) resonators. These resonators can generate low-threshold laser emissions at 467 and 473 nm, respectively, and exhibit superior lasing stability with a half-life exceeding 2 h. Our BSBCz microplate OSCs are attractive candidates to combine controlled organic microcavities with photon transporting for realizing future integrated optoelectronic devices.

Kerr-lens mode-locking of an Yb:SALLO laser generating 25 fs pulses at 1090 nm

We report on the generation of sub-30 fs pulses from a Kerr-lens mode-locked ytterbium solid-state laser based on a disordered Yb:SrLaAlO4 (Yb:SALLO) crystal as a gain medium. The Yb:SALLO laser, pumped by a spatially single-mode Yb-fiber laser at 979 nm, produces soliton pulses as short as 25 fs at 1090 nm, with an average output power of 149 mW at a pulse repetition rate of ∼80.7 MHz. The power scaling potential of the Kerr-lens mode-locked laser is exploited by achieving watt-level (1.54 W) average output power at 1081 nm for a somewhat longer pulse duration of 34 fs. This result corresponds to an impressive laser efficiency of 49.7% and a peak power of 468 kW.

High peak power passively Q-switched Tm:YAP solid-state laser with Cr2+:ZnSe and Cr2+:ZnS saturable absorber

We experimentally demonstrate a passively Q-switched thulium-doped YAlO3 (Tm:YAP) laser based on the Cr2+:ZnSe (Chromium, Zinc Selenide) and Cr2+:ZnS (Zinc Sulfide) crystals. Wavelength tuning for 1.87 μm, 1.90 μm, and 1.94 μm operations was achieved by employing a birefringent plate. The impact of varying doping concentrations of Cr2+:ZnS crystals and a Cr2+:ZnSe crystal on the laser output was investigated. During the analysis, the passively Q-switched Tm:YAP laser achieved a pulse with the highest peak power of 107.5 kW and the narrowest pulse width of ∼6 ns, utilizing a Cr2+:ZnSe crystal as the saturable absorber (SA) with a modulation depth (ΔR) of 14 %.

Conversion of an industrial LIBS system to double-pulse operation to improve sulphur detection in rubber-based parts

The detection of sulphur as an elementary component of the crosslinking system of rubber compounds is difficult in LIBS single-pulse operation due to the usually low concentration and the poor response behavior of the analyte. However, reliable proof of the distribution quality of sulphur in the compound is a decisive quality criterion for the homogeneity of the crosslinking density achievable during vulcanization, which is important for the uniform performance of an elastomeric article, especially under dynamic load.Therefore a commercially available industrial LIBS system, (1064 nm Nd:YAG solid state laser, 100 mJ, 20 Hz) is extended with a 266 nm laser (Nd:YAG solid state laser, 60 mJ, 20 Hz) to combine an UV-based initial excitation (for ablation efficiency) followed by an IR-pulse (to realize highest plasma heating) to improve sulphur detection in rubber based compounds and parts. Optimization of the system parameters are investigated to improve the ablation efficiency and to increase the measured signal intensity/signal-to-noise-ratio of the analyte. The VUV sulphur lines at 180.658, 181.956, and 182.561 nm and the NIR sulphur lines at 921.298, 922.823, and 923.751 nm are under investigation.