Pitchfork bifurcation polarization bistability in laser diodes withexternal cavities

A new pitchfork bifurcation polarization bistability in laser diodes with a two-armed polarization-selective external cavity is examined theoretically and experimentally. The rate-equation analysis taking into account gain saturation has been carried out using the model for a laser diode whose laser thresholds of the TE and the TM modes can be changed independently through the changing of their photon lifetimes. It is shown from the analysis that pitchfork bifurcation polarization bistability appears when the laser thresholds for both modes are very close to each other and the switching between two stable states is obtained by means of a photon lifetime changing or a coherent or incoherent light injection. In the experiment, a 1.3-μm InGaAsP laser diodes with a T-shaped polarization-selective external cavity mas used. A new type of polarization bistability was observed when one arm was blocked and then recoupled. The two stable states mere also switched by means of an optical injection. All-optical flip-flop operation has been successfully demonstrated by using both TE and TM trigger inputs     

利用偏振光谱对外腔式半导体激光器实现无调制锁频

将激光器输出频率相对于合适的参考频率标准进行锁定,可以有效地抑制激光器的频率起伏,提高激光器的频率稳定度。对铯原子偏振光谱进行平衡探测,当偏振光谱透射方向与偏振分束棱镜(PBS)偏振面之间的夹角选择合适时,平衡探测后的输出信号即为铯原子D2跃迁线的色散形鉴频信号。实验上实现了波长为852 nm的外腔式半导体激光器对应于铯原子6S1/2(F=4)→6P3/2(F′=5)超精细跃迁线的频率锁定。研究获得在50 s内激光器频率起伏小于±250 kHz,较相同时间内激光器自由运转时的频率起伏3 MHz有显著改善。这种频率锁定的方法不需要对激光器进行调制。     

Polarization bistability in tuned, external-grating diode lasers

Spectral domains showing polarization-wavelength hysteresis regions up to 0.3 nm wide were observed when the emission frequency of a diode laser having a nearly polarization-independent confinement factor was tuned in a simple external cavity with grating. In these regions the laser emits in a stable single mode with either TE or TM polarization, depending on whether the region was entered from lower or higher wavelengths. We explain the observed phenomenon on the basis of nonlinear gain saturation between TE and TM polarization     

两台独立激光器拍频线型对线宽测量的影响

根据两台独立激光器拍频的理论模型,计算得到了洛伦兹线型和高斯线型的拍频线宽随衰减值的变化关系。为了提高激光线宽测量精度,在未知拍频线型时应选取较小的衰减值计算激光线宽;在已知拍频线型的情况下可选取较大的衰减值计算激光线宽。实验上采用窄线宽半导体激光器拍频测量其激光线宽,根据几个特殊衰减值处的线宽比值关系来判别拍频线型。选用较大衰减值处的拍频线宽计算激光线宽,测量结果与仪器出厂指标相比,误差仅为0.23%。该方法对其他线型仍然适用。     

一种8字腔结构激光器中的双脉冲现象

设计了一种8字腔结构的激光器,用980 nm的泵浦源泵浦保偏掺铒光纤,得到了重复频率约是10 MHz双脉冲的输出,为了检验双脉冲的组成,在激光器的输出放置一个掺铒光纤放大器、偏振控制器和偏振分束,在不同的偏振态下获得了单脉冲的输出,证明双脉冲是偏振态不同的两个单脉冲组成的。     

LBO倍频1.8 W连续671 nm红光激光器

Nd：YVO4晶体中掺杂的Nd^3 除了1．064μm的受激辐射跃迁外，还可产生1．342μm波段的弱辐射，经腔内倍频，最终可输出671nm的红色激光。报道了一种光纤耦合半导体激光二极管(LD)阵列端面抽运Nd：YVO4晶体，腔内采用Ⅰ类临界相位匹配LBO(LiB3O5)晶体倍频，实现波长为671nm的全固态红光激光器瓦级输出的理论分析和实验结果。采用短三镜折叠腔结构，通过对激光晶体热透镜焦距的估算，用计算机优化设计选取了合适的谐振腔参数，在芯径为400μm的光纤耦合808nm半导体激光二极管阵列抽运下，当注入功率为8W时，获得了波长为671nm的红光基模稳定输出．最高输出功率达1．8W，光-光转换效率达22．5％。     

Numerical investigation of ultrahigh frequency polarizationself-modulation in semiconductor lasers

Numerical simulations performed show that polarization self-modulation in suitably designed semiconductor lasers into the tens of GHz frequency region should be possible. The calculations are based on a simple model developed to describe polarization self-modulation in a ring laser cavity with a traveling-wave semiconductor laser amplifier as the gain medium. A set of difference-differential equations is derived and numerically solved. Periodic oscillations in the two polarization modes are obtained as previously reported experimentally. An examination of the various parameters and their roles in maintaining this instability is also conducted. The results indicate that, in an appropriately designed semiconductor laser with a monolithically integrated intracavity TE-TM mode converter, ultrahigh frequency polarization self-modulation to at least 50 GHz should be possible     

全固态皮秒径向偏振激光器及其加工特性

在自主研制的全固态皮秒激光器基础上,腔外加入偏振转换元件输出皮秒径向偏振激光,并对其进行侧泵Nd:YAG晶体放大,最终得到中心波长1 064 nm、平均功率1.95 W、重复频率1 kHz、峰值功率1.77108 W、光束质量2.95以及纯度92%的皮秒径向偏振激光器。用该激光器对0.5 mm厚不锈钢材料进行钻孔和刻槽实验,并与同等加工工艺参数条件下皮秒线偏振激光器钻孔圆度和刻槽深度进行对比,分析两种激光器对加工效果的影响。实验结果表明,相比皮秒线偏振激光,利用皮秒径向偏振激光进行加工,钻孔圆度更好、刻槽深度更深且槽侧壁更为平坦。该结果为皮秒径向偏振激光器在材料加工领域的应用提供参考。     

石墨烯锁模的全保偏光纤激光器

报道了一种基于反射式石墨烯可饱和吸收镜锁模的全保偏掺铒光纤激光器。分别使用单层和十层石墨烯作为可饱和吸收器件,通过全保偏结构,避免了外界环境对腔内偏振态的影响,获得了高稳定性、高偏振度、易自启动的锁模脉冲输出,脉冲宽度分别为697 fs和502 fs。实验表明,十层石墨烯相比于单层石墨烯能够获得更窄的脉冲宽度,更高的峰值功率,具有好的锁模效果。研究同时发现,经十层石墨烯锁模,进一步提高泵浦功率,可在全保偏光纤腔中获得重复频率62.94 MHz的二阶谐波锁模脉冲输出。并通过非线性薛定谔方程对谐波锁模产生的机理进行了分析。这种基于反射式可饱和吸收镜的全保偏锁模光纤激光器有望成为实现基频锁模与谐波锁模可切换的单偏振激光源。     

基于频移和偏振烧孔的多波长掺铒光纤激光器

为了研究能够在室温下实现稳定多波长输出的掺铒光纤激光器,采用了在激光谐振腔中引入正弦相位调制和偏振烧孔来抑制腔中模式竞争的方法。在线形谐振腔中,利用半导体光波导作为一个反射腔镜,并用正弦信号对其进行驱动。这样,半导体光波导可以等效成一个对光信号产生移频反馈效果的正弦相位调制器和一个诱使掺铒光纤中产生偏振烧孔的非线性相位延时器。通过实验,得到了10波长输出的稳定光谱。相邻波长间隔为0．32nm,功率谱比较平坦,起伏小于3dB。结果表明,相位调制和偏振烧孔的共同作用,可有效地抑制由于掺铒光纤的均匀展宽效应引起的模式竞争。     

基于偏振混叠的氦氖激光器纳米测尺系统

提出一种基于偏振混叠的氦氖激光器纳米测尺系统,将双折射元件插入He-Ne激光器谐振腔内产生频率分裂,使激光器变成了频差可调的双频激光器。运用频率分裂、模竞争、双纵模功率调谐等激光物理效应,使用偏振混叠方法和设定浮动阈值,研制了新型的激光器纳米测尺。以激光波长为尺子,具有可溯源性,在没有任何电细分的条件下达到了纳米量级的分辨率,与激光干涉仪的比对实验表明,该系统的分辨率为79 nm,量程为20 mm,线性度为5.8×10-5,标准差为520 nm。     

Sequential TE/TM polarization emission from a tunable externalcavity diode laser

A tunable external cavity diode laser that emits in a closely spaced sequence of alternating TE and TM wavelength intervals in the range between 1256 and 1282 nm is reported. In each interval, stable single longitudinal mode TE and then TM emission occurs that can be tuned in wavelength. Two consecutive intervals are separated by a wavelength region where emission instabilities are observed. The wavelength spacing between two successive intervals belonging to the same polarization state corresponds to the mode spacing of the solitary diode laser. As the laser is tuned beyond 1282 nm and up to 1316 nm, the emitted radiation is only TM polarized. The above-mentioned phenomena are based on the composite cavity gain modulation with the wavelength, and on the comparable losses of the system for the TE and TM polarization     

偏振态稳定型光纤激光器的仿真与实验

提出了一种以价格较为经济的非保偏掺铒光纤作为增益介质的新型结构的Sigma谐振腔光纤激光器.使用Jones矩阵对该光纤激光器的偏振特性进行了分析,并在不同温度条件下进行了实验的验证.实验表明Sigma腔光纤激光器能够提供偏振状态稳定的输出光,因而可应用于光网络测量系统和光纤传感等领域.     

具有两个瑞利长度三镜折叠腔的设计

为了提高倍频效率、分析倍频晶体内束腰位置对倍频效率的影响,根据基模高斯光束传输特性,结合稳定三镜折叠腔中端镜处等相位面曲率半径与腔镜曲率半径相等这一特点,在激光光束传输的合适位置上,放入与等相位面曲率半径相同的腔镜,构成倍频晶体内具有两个瑞利长度的三镜折叠腔,提高了倍频效率。对比了相同端镜构成的具有一个瑞利长度和两个瑞利长度谐振腔,相对于分臂长度变化的稳区范围。结果表明,使用5W光纤耦合880nm激光二极管,端面抽运3mm×3mm×5mm的Nd:YVO₄,采用10mm×2.1mm×0.5mm的PPMgOLN为倍频晶体,使用具有两个瑞利长度的谐振腔比具有一个瑞利长度的谐振腔,整体提高倍频效率约18%,两种腔型的光束质量相同,倍频光与基频光偏振方向一致,输出稳定的低噪声绿光,验证了谐振腔设计的有效性。该研究对腔内倍频效率的提高是有帮助的。     

Vectorial equations and polarization characteristics of pulsedlasers

Incorporating the vector feature of the laser field, the longitudinal spatial length, and the orientation distribution of the dipole moment in the gain medium, we develop a set of equations that describe the polarization dynamics of a class B laser with a modulated pump, a self-mode-locking laser, and an actively mode-locked laser with a modulated loss. Numerical results show that the first two types of laser operate in a linearly polarized state which changes direction while the third type of laser operates in an elliptical polarization state. In class B lasers with a modulated pump, because the coupling between the light and the medium depends on the dipole moment orientation of the population inversion, and the dominant gain appears alternately in different directions, the changing linear polarization state is induced by the cross-saturation effect of the two orthogonal linearly polarized laser fields. On the other hand, in the self-mode-locking laser the linear polarization state is the result of the coincidence of the dominant field polarization and gain preference for any of the two pulses within the cavity. For the actively mode-locked laser, the gain preference and the dominant polarization of the only pulse in the cavity are always perpendicular to each other, which makes the laser run in an elliptical polarization state     

Diode-pumped and packaged acoustooptically tunableTi:Er:LiNbO3 waveguide laser of wide tuning range

Design, fabrication, and properties of an acoustooptically tunable Ti:Er:LiNbO₃ waveguide laser of up to 31-nm tuning range in the wavelength band 1530 nm<λ<1575 nm are discussed. The laser cavity is formed by an Au mirror and a dielectric mirror as output coupler, both vacuum-deposited on the polished waveguide endfaces. As tunable intracavity wavelength filter with zero frequency shift, two monolithically integrated single-stage acoustooptical TE-TM-mode converters are used together with two polarization splitters operated as TE- and TM-pass polarizers, respectively. The minimum threshold of about 54 mW (coupled) pump power is obtained at λ≈1561-nm emission wavelength for diode laser pumping at λ_p≈1480 nm. With about 110-mW coupled pump power, up to 320-μW output power is achieved; the emission linewidth is 0.3 nm     

单光束叠加脉冲Nd:YAG激光器的研究

在使用叠加脉冲方式进行激光打孔时,为了在一台激光器上实现大能量的长脉冲与高峰值的短脉冲激光叠加输出,采用同一工作物质不同增益区域来分别获得两种特性的脉冲激光同轴叠加输出的方法、在单台激光器上获得了两种脉冲激光的叠加输出。结果表明,在双氙灯脉冲抽运Nd:YAG激光器中,腔长840mm、使用双平-平腔结构、工作物质长度150mm的情况下,采用高电阻率的磷酸钛氧钾电光Q开关对中心光束进行调Q,得到了脉宽10ms的长脉冲与63ns窄脉宽脉冲序列的稳定叠加脉冲输出,在抽运频率9Hz的情况下,最高得到了93.4W的平均功率,叠加脉冲包络能量10.4J,峰值功率46.7kW。此结果说明输出的叠加脉冲激光可以很好地满足激光打孔的需求。     

Polarization dragging in injected lasers

The vectorial injection locking of a slave laser by a linearly polarized master laser is theoretically and experimentally investigated, taking the nature and the stability of the eigenstates of the slave laser into account. It is proved that the behavior of the polarization, intensity, and frequency of the slave laser can be described by four nonlinear coupled differential equations, for lasers in which population inversion remains quite constant. In particular, it is shown that the stability of the eigenstates of the slave laser plays a dramatic role in the response of this laser to injection. Isotropic slave lasers are shown to follow adiabatically the polarization of the master laser in the frequency locking range. Loss anisotropic slave lasers exhibit a specific Adler tongue behavior and can support the transfer of the polarization of the master laser only along their eigenstates. Phase anisotropic slave lasers are shown to exhibit two bistable or simultaneous Adler curves and to offer new possibilities of all-optical command. In all of these cases, a good agreement is obtained between theory and experiment and the study of polarization throws light on the physics of injection locking     

24-line multiwavelength operation of erbium-doped fiber-ring laser

Simultaneous lasing at up to 24 wavelengths is demonstrated in an erbium-doped fiber-ring laser using a simple design. This result is achieved using a low-loss cavity, controlled polarization evolution and liquid nitrogen cooling to enhance spectral hole-burning, polarization hole-burning, and polarization selectivity. The design does not include any wavelength-selective components; instead, it utilizes wavelength selectivity provided by polarization evolution in the cavity. The amplitude variation between emission peaks is less than 3 dB over a 17-nm spectral range. A narrow linewidth of 0.15 nm, dense line spacing of 1.1 nm, and a good signal-to-noise ratio of more than 30 dB are achieved over most of the erbium bandwidth. The comb spectrum location and width are adjustable by changing and adjusting cavity components.     

低噪声671 nm红光激光器

介绍了一种在腔内插入全波片实现671 nm激光低噪声稳定运转的方法。该方法利用全波片和Nd∶YVO4激光器的偏振特性构成双折射滤光片,使用I类临界相位匹配LBO作为倍频晶体,在注入泵浦功率2.7 W的情况下获得149 mW的671 nm低噪声红光输出,光-光转换率为5.6%。使用该方法研制的激光器结构简单、紧凑,适用于中低功率激光器。