Tunable Laser System Research Articles

Wave mode variation of multi-wavelength photoacoustic guided waves in cortical bone

Abstract Photoacoustic guided waves (PAGWs), excited based on the optical-thermo-mechanical coupling mechanism, have the potential to non-invasion assess the optical properties which associates tissue composition of bones. This study investigates the wave mode variation of PAGWs with the optical transmissivity in a 2mm-thick cortical bone plate. Multi-wavelength PAGWs were generated by lasers of different wavelength with a tunable pulsed laser system; Two piezoelectric transducers with the centre frequency of 500 kHz, symmetrically sticked on the bone surfaces, were used to acquire the signals. The symmetric (S) mode and anti-symmetric (A) mode were extracted by adding and subtracting the signals received by different transducers, respectively. The relative amplitude ratio of A mode and S mode was found to have an inverse relationship with the optical transmissivity of the bone. For the 750 nm laser with high transmissivity, the waves are mainly S mode; the relative amplitude of A mode wave increases with the laser wavelength. The amplitude ratio of A- and S- modes is in exponential attenuation with the transmissivity. The research results suggest that the wave mode variation in signal amplitude is suitable for evaluating the optical properties of bones, which is benefit for the development of quantitative ultrasound assessment of long cortical bone.

High-Repetition-Rate 2.3–2.7 µm Acousto-Optically Tuned Narrow-Line Laser System Comprising Two Master Oscillators and Power Amplifiers Based on Polycrystalline Cr2+:ZnSe with the 2.1 µm Ho3+:YAG Pulsed Pumping

High-average-power narrow-linewidth tunable solid-state lasers in the wavelength region between 2 and 3 μm are attractive light sources for many applications. This paper reports a narrow-linewidth widely tunable laser system based on the polycrystalline Cr2+:ZnSe elements pumped by repetitively pulsed 2.1 µm Ho3+:YAG laser operating at a pulse rate of tens of kilohertz. An advanced procedure of ZnSe element doping and surface improvement was applied to increase the laser-induced damage threshold, which resulted in an increase in the output power of the Cr2+:ZnSe laser system. The high-average-power laser system comprised double master oscillators and power amplifiers: Ho3+:YAG and Cr2+:ZnSe laser oscillators, and Ho3+:YAG and Cr2+:ZnSe power amplifiers. The output wavelength was widely tuned within 2.3–2.7 µm by means of an acousto-optical tunable filter inside a Cr2+:ZnSe master oscillator cavity. The narrow-linewidth operation at the pulse repetition rate of 20–40 kHz in a high-quality beam with an average output power of up to 9.7 W was demonstrated.

Laser Excitation of the Th-229 Nucleus.

The 8.4eV nuclear isomer state in Th-229 is resonantly excited in Th-doped CaF_{2} crystals using a tabletop tunable laser system. A resonance fluorescence signal is observed in two crystals with different Th-229 dopant concentrations, while it is absent in a control experiment using Th-232. The nuclear resonance for the Th^{4+} ions in Th:CaF_{2} is measured at the wavelength 148.3821(5)nm, frequency 2020.409(7)THz, and the fluorescence lifetime in the crystal is 630(15)s, corresponding to an isomer half-life of 1740(50)s for a nucleus isolated in vacuum. These results pave the way toward Th-229 nuclear laser spectroscopy and realizing optical nuclear clocks.

Two-photon excited luminescence of sulfur quantum dots for heavy metal ion detection.

Spectrally-resolved third-order nonlinear optical properties of water-dispersed sulfur quantum dots (SQDs) were investigated in the wavelength range from 740 nm to 820 nm with the two-photon excited emission technique using a tunable femtosecond laser system. The maximum value of the two-photon absorption (TPA) cross-section (σ2) for ∼5.4 nm size SQDs was found to be 185 GM (Goeppert-Mayer unit), while the two-photon brightness (σ2 × η) was found to be 1.5 GM at 780 nm, the wavelength being in the first biological transmittance window. The TPA properties are presented here as appropriate cross-sections normalized per molecular weight which enables meaningful comparison of the nonlinear factors of the studied quantum dots with those of various nanomaterials. The optimized TPA properties of these hydrophilic colloidal SQDs may be potentially useful for detection of Fe3+ metal ions. The experimentally determined limit of Fe3+ detection for both one- and two-photon regime was 10 μmol L-1 (0.6 μg mL-1). Förster resonance energy transfer between SQDs as donors and Fe3+ metal ions as acceptors was confirmed as one of the possible detection mechanisms using a time-correlated single photon counting technique.

Numerical Investigation of Polarization-Dependent Ultrashort Pulse Amplification in Erbium-Doped Fluoride Fibers

We have theoretically investigated the polarization-dependent ultrashort pulse amplification in erbium-doped fluoride fibers. The numerical model is based on the coupled generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equations and the rate equations. It is found that the Raman effect can be weakened by converting the seed polarization from linear to circular. Compared with the linearly polarized seed pulses, amplification of the circularly polarized seed pulses can generate Raman solitons with a larger pulse energy of the same central wavelength, although more pump power is needed. Furthermore, the amplification dynamics when no pulse splitting occurs have also been investigated. We demonstrate that amplification of the circularly polarized seed pulses allows the main pulse to accumulate more energy while maintaining a single-pulse profile. It is predicted that sub-two-cycle laser pulses at 2.8 μm with megawatt peak power and hundreds of nanojoules pulse energy can be directly generated from the erbium-doped fluoride fiber amplifiers. The investigations conducted in this paper can provide guidelines for the design of Raman-soliton-based tunable fiber laser systems and high-power few-cycle fiber laser systems.

Improving transmittance of long-wave infrared guided-mode resonant filters

The long-wave infrared (LWIR) spectral region spanning from 8 to 12 μm is useful for many scientific and industrial applications. Many of these applications require use of either a bandpass or a bandstop filter that can be realized by the guided-mode resonance (GMR) effect with subwavelength periodic features in layered dielectric materials transparent in the LWIR. The GMR filters operating in the LWIR region are fabricated by depositing an amorphous germanium (Ge) film to form a zero-contrast (ZC) waveguide-grating (WGG) on a polished zinc selenide (ZnSe) substrate. In general, the backside of a ZnSe substrate with refractive index 2.41 is uncoated causing a 17% Fresnel-reflection loss in the light transmitted through the filter due to a large impedance mismatch at the ZnSe/air interface. Because we use such filters in the LWIR laser experiments for notch filtering, to improve the filter transmittance we used ZnSe substrates coated on one-side with broadband antireflection coating (ARC) covering the 7 to 12 μm spectral range to fabricate GMRFs with one-dimensional (1D) Ge ZC WGG. We employed high-spatial resolution e-beam lithography and reactive-ion etching nanofabrication techniques to achieve high-performance large-area (12 × 12 mm2) 1D notch filters with subwavelength periods. We characterized polarization dependent spectral performance of the prototype filters with both coherent and incoherent incident light using a tunable quantum cascade laser system that spans the 7 to 12 μm region, and a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer with collimated incident beam to achieve close to 15% improvement in the peak transmittance as well as significant reduction in coherent noise compared to our earlier results with GMRFs without ARC. Here, we present the filter design simulation and measurement results.

XUV Fluorescence Detection of Laser-Cooled Stored Relativistic Ions

An improved moveable in vacuo XUV fluorescence detection system was employed for the laser cooling of bunched relativistic (β = 0.47) carbon ions at the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) of GSI Helmholtzzentrum Darmstadt, Germany. Strongly Doppler boosted XUV fluorescence (∼90 nm) was emitted from the ions in a forward light cone after laser excitation of the 2s–2p transition (∼155 nm) by a new tunable pulsed UV laser system (257 nm). It was shown that the detected fluorescence strongly depends on the position of the detector around the bunched ion beam and on the delay (∼ns) between the ion bunches and the laser pulses. In addition, the fluorescence information could be directly combined with the revolution frequencies of the ions (and their longitudinal momentum spread), which were recorded using the Schottky resonator at the ESR. These fluorescence detection features are required for future laser cooling experiments at highly relativistic energies (up to γ∼ 13) and high intensities (up to 1011 particles) of ion beams in the new heavy ion synchrotron SIS100 at FAIR.

Continuously and widely tunable frequency-stabilized laser based on an optical frequency comb.

Continuously and widely tunable lasers, actively stabilized on a frequency reference, are broadly employed in atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics. The frequency-stabilized optical frequency comb (OFC) provides a novel optical frequency reference, with a broadband spectrum that meets the requirement of laser frequency stabilization. Therefore, we demonstrate a frequency-stabilized and precisely tunable laser system based on it. In this scheme, the laser frequency locked to the OFC is driven to jump over the ambiguity zones, which blocks the wide tuning of the locked laser, and tuned until the mode hopping happens with the always-activated feedback loop. Meanwhile, we compensate the gap of the frequency jump with a synchronized acoustic optical modulator to ensure the continuity. This scheme is applied to an external cavity diode laser (ECDL), and we achieve tuning at a rate of about 7 GHz/s, with some readily available commercial electronics. Furthermore, we tune the frequency-stabilized laser only with the feedback of diode current, and its average tuning speed can exceed 100 GHz/s. Due to the resource-efficient configuration and the simplicity of completion, this scheme can be referenced and can find wide applications in AMO experiments.

Simple high-precision diode laser system with digital control.

A simple wavelength tunable diode laser system has been designed and fabricated for laboratory use. Both the current and temperature controllers are based on an AVR microcontroller, and the experimental controls have been implemented with the help of daemon programs running in a message passing interface environment, which allows the users to run the control server and client programs on separate computers. The stability of the controllers has been tested using a distributed feedback (DFB) diode laser with a central wavelength of 852.3nm. A noise spectral analysis of the current controller with and without the use of the diode laser as the active load has been demonstrated. The absorption spectra of 6S 1/2→6P 3/2 transition of 133 C s, as recorded by using the DFB laser system developed, are also presented.

Polarization independent electron-beam written 2-D longwave infrared guided-mode resonant filters

We fabricated guided mode resonance filters (GMRFs) with two-dimensional (2-D) gratings operating in the 8 to 12 µm long-wave infrared (LWIR) region by depositing amorphous germanium (Ge) film to form a zero-contrast (ZC) waveguide-grating (WGG) on polished zinc selenide (ZnSe) substrates with and without antireflection coating (ARC). We employed high-spatial resolution e-beam lithography and reactive-ion etching (RIE) nanofabrication techniques. We characterized the fabricated filters for their polarization independent spectral performance using a tunable quantum cascade laser (QCL) system and a modified Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. Here, we will present both theoretical and experimental results and their comparison.

Pulsed-ramped-field-ionisation zero-kinetic-energy photoelectron spectroscopy of the metastable rare-gas atoms Ar, Kr and Xe.

The photoionisation of the metastable rare-gas atoms Rg = Ar, Kr and Xe is investigated at the Rg+ […](ns)2(np)5 2P3/2 ← Rg[…](ns)2(np)5((n + 1)s) 13P2 photoionisation threshold (n = 3, 4 and 5 for Ar, Kr and Xe) using the technique of pulsed-ramped-field-ionisation zero-kinetic-energy (PRFI-ZEKE) photoelectron spectroscopy. This technique, which monitors the field ionisation of high Rydberg states induced by a slowly growing electric-field ramp after a prepulse of opposite polarity, was recently introduced to record photoelectron spectra with high resolution and high sensitivity [Harper, Chen, Boyé-Péronne and Gans, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2022, 117, 9353]. A tunable UV laser system with a bandwidth of 30 MHz is used here to establish the factors determining the resolution and overall accuracy of this new method. In particular, the effects of stray electric fields, and of the magnitude of the prepulse and the field ramp on PRFI-ZEKE photoelectron spectra are studied by combining experiments with numerical simulations of the field-ionisation of high Rydberg states and of the electron flight times from the ionisation spot to the detector. A spectral resolution of 0.05 cm-1 is demonstrated in the photoelectron spectrum of metastable Ar.

Comparison of Output Performance of Tunable Lasers with Two Different External Cavities

Based on the simplified model of the tunable fiber laser system, the tuning performance of the laser was analyzed. Two kinds of tunable setups were established, which are the configurations with an external cavity and the configuration of the Littrow cavity. The tuning output characteristics experimentally were analyzed by means of setups. The simulation gives the output efficiency of two tunable lasers as 40% and 30%. In the experiment, the measured slope efficiency of the two lasers was 24% and 18.3%, and the tunable range of the two lasers was 32 nm and 40 nm, respectively. Both lasers could achieve laser output with good beam quality.

Influence of optical transmissivity on signal characteristics of photoacoustic guided waves in long cortical bone

Long cortical bone allows axial transmission of ultrasonic guided waves, which has been utilized for osteoporosis evaluation. Benefiting structural and molecular sensitivity, photoacoustic has been used for tissue composition characterization. However, photoacoustic guided waves (PAGWs) in long cortical bone as well as the influence of optical transmissivity on PAGWs have not been thoroughly investigated. In the study, the influence of optical transmissivity on the signal characteristics of PAGWs was experimentally studied with a 1064 nm pulsed laser ultrasonic system and a tunable laser system (wavelength range: 650–2600 nm). Results show that dispersion curves of PAGWs are not significantly affected by the optical transmissivity; while photoacoustic guided modes and signal spectrum are sensitive to the optical transmissivity in cortical bone. In experiments, the lasers with high transmissivity can emit pure A0 mode PAGWs at the low frequency, around 22 kHz, in the relatively thick 6.2 mm bone plate; on the contrary, both A0 and S0 modes are generated. The slope of power spectrum density (PSD) of PAGWs decreases with the increase of transmissivity, and the decline rate is around −0.229. The study proves the correlation between the signal characteristics of PAGWs and the optical transmissivity, it is helpful for the development of PAGWs in long cortical bone towards the osteoporosis evaluation.

Absolute Radiometric Calibration of an Imaging Spectroradiometer Using a Laboratory Detector-Based Approach

The HyperSpectral Imager for Climate Science (HySICS) is the core instrument of the Climate Absolute Refractivity and Reflectance Observatory (CLARREO) Pathfinder (CPF) mission and is currently scheduled to be launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2023. HySICS is an Offner–Chrisp imaging spectrometer designed to meet an unprecedented radiometric uncertainty requirement of 0.3% (k = 1) over its entire spectral range of 350–2300 nm. The approach represents the need for significant improvement over the Radiometric Calibration (RadCal) of existing space-borne spectrometers. One strategy to demonstrate that HySICS achieves this level of accuracy is through an Independent Calibration (IndCal) effort that can provide an alternative referencing RadCal, which follows a traceability chain independent of the operational RadCal of ratioing approach. The IndCal relies on a pre-launch detector-based absolute RadCal of HySICS, using a tunable laser system as source, and the system planned for the HySICS absolute RadCal is the Goddard Laser for Absolute Measurement of Radiance (GLAMR). GLAMR was developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and has been used to calibrate multiple operational remote sensing instruments, as well as the SOlar, Lunar Absolute Reflectance Imaging Spectroradiometer (SOLARIS), a calibration demonstration system developed for the CLARREO mission. In this work, the data of SOLARIS GLAMR RadCal conducted in 2019 are processed to derive the Absolute Spectral Response (ASR) functions and other key characterization parameters of SOLARIS detectors. The results are further analyzed with the goals to plan the HySICS GLAMR RadCal, in particular to optimize its configuration, to demonstrate the traceability route to the NIST standard, and to develop the error budget of the calibration approach. The SOLARIS calibration is also compared with other source- and detector-based calibrations to validate the absolute radiometric accuracy achieved.

High power ultralow-intensity noise continuous wave laser tunable from orange to red.

We report here on the development of a multi-Watt power tunable single frequency ultra-low noise laser system emitting around 620 nm. More than 5 W of output power is obtained between 616.5 nm and 630.8 nm using sum frequency generation of 1050 nm and 1550 nm tunable laser sources in a periodic poled lithium niobate crystal. The tunability is achieved through temperature and channel shift, and only limited by the crystal characteristics. An output power of 10.1 W and an optical-optical efficiency of 45% are reached at 624.5 nm. The relative intensity noise properties of the conversion process have been experimentally investigated in different configurations showing excellent agreement with the analytical prediction.

A reliable method for the isolation and characterization of microplastics in fish gastrointestinal tracts using an infrared tunable quantum cascade laser system

Societal and environmental concern due to frequent reports of microplastics in fish stomachs raised as they may accumulate along the trophic chain. The request for analysing microplastics in fish stresses two major analytical issues: sample treatment and final characterization. The, so far, workhorse for chemical characterization is infrared spectroscopy which is time-consuming. Here, a quantum cascade laser-based device is used to accelerate the characterization stage. Its novelty poses new challenges for sample processing and particle handling because the unknown particles must be transferred to a reflective slide. In this study, three sample digestion protocols (alkaline-oxidative with H2O2, and alkaline-oxidative with NaClO and enzymatic-oxidative) and three different procedures to transfer the filter cake to reflective slides are compared. A simplified enzymatic-oxidative digestion (validated through an interlaboratory exercise) combined with a Syncore® automatic evaporation system and a Laser Direct Infrared Imaging (LDIR) device is proposed first time as a reliable and relatively fast method to treat gastrointestinal tracts of fish. Analytical recoveries were studied using samples of Scomber scombrus and they were ca. 100% for big –i.e., >500 μm- and ca. 90% for medium –i.e., 200–300 μm- particles and ca. 75% for 10 μm thick fibres.

Longwave infrared polarization independent monolithic guided-mode resonance filters with double-sided orthogonal linear gratings

We present novel polarization independent, high-quality monolithic spectral filters based on the guided-mode resonance (GMR) effect with orthogonal linear gratings on either side of the substrate operating in the longwave infrared (LWIR) spectral region. We employ high-spatial resolution e-beam lithography and reactive-ion etching (RIE) nanofabrication techniques to achieve large-area (10×10 mm2) notch filters with subwavelength features. We fabricated prototype filters and characterized their polarization independent spectral performance with both coherent and incoherent incident light using a tunable quantum cascade laser (QCL) system that spans the ∼8–12 µm spectral band as well as a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer with collimated incident beam.

Fabrication and amplified spontaneous emission behavior of FAPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots in solid polymer rods

Abstract Formamidinium lead tribromide (FAPbBr3) perovskite quantum dot (PQ-Dot) solution was incorporated in a polymer sol, which was used to fabricate solid nanocomposite rods and disks. The solid nanocomposite samples were studied by different characterization techniques. The absorption, emission, and excitation spectra of the PQ-Dot in the solid rods/disks were quite significant as compared to the spectra of the PQ-Dot solution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to inspect the structural morphology of the PQ-Dot in the solid environment. The PQ-Dot particles were evidently present in the solid matrix and were confirmed by the SEM images and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) spectra. The size of the PQ-Dots was examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The majority of the particles were about 3–8 nm in size. The spontaneous and stimulated emission profiles of the solid composite rods/disks were studied using pumping energy ranging from 2 μJ to 18 μJ from a high-power picosecond neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) tunable laser system. The observed emission signal was quite significant. The emission peak of the PQ-Dot solution had a slight change when it was included in the solid matrix. Amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) behavior was obtained from the PQ-Dot composite rod. The ASE peaks were quite steady at different levels of excitation energy. ASE was achieved at low threshold energy. The composite rod with ASE behavior indicates that it is a promising composite material that can be used to achieve lasing in the future. The ASE obtained from the composite rods/disks may improve to achieve lasing if a high concentration of PQ-Dot solution is used in the matrix.

Growth and characterization of barium bis para-nitrophenolate para-nitrophenol tetrahydrate single crystal for NLO applications

Single crystals of barium bis para-nitrophenolate para-nitrophenol tetrahydrate (BBPNT) was grown using slow evaporation technique with the crystal dimensions of 15 × 10 × 6 mm3. The structure of the BBPNT crystal was examined by X-ray diffraction and the functional groups present in the compound were identified using FTIR spectrum. The optical and electrical properties were characterized by UV–Vis spectrum and dielectric studies respectively. Thermal properties of the grown crystal were investigated by using thermo-gravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analyses (DTA). The mechanical behavior of the grown crystal was studied using Vickers microhardness test. Using the Kurtz-Perry powder method, the second-harmonic generation efficiency was found to be 15.75 times greater than to that of KDP. Third-order nonlinear response was studied using Z-scan technique with a He-Ne laser (632.8 nm) and NLO parameters such as intensity dependent refractive index, nonlinear absorption coefficient and third-order susceptibility were also estimated. In the PL spectra, a broad band observed at 525 nm suggests its applications for fabricating green laser and new tunable laser system. The laser damage threshold value of BBPNT was found to be 5.09 GW/cm2 using an Nd: YAG laser.

Partially coherent UV–VIS light generation in photonic crystal fiber using femtosecond pulses

Light generated in optical fibers due to various nonlinear processes often has a broad spectrum and is commonly considered as a potentially convenient source of seed for tunable wavelength laser systems and many other applications. The nonlinear processes usually considered when discussing this spectrum broadening are coherent.In this paper we present experimental and theoretical investigation of a partially coherent nonlinear phenomenon occurring at the same time — ultraviolet–visible light (375 nm–500 nm) generation in a short photonic crystal fiber pumped by ∼110 fs duration and 1028 nm wavelength pulses.