A high-efficiency vertical-cavity surface-emitting switching laserfabricated with post-growth cavity mode positioning

The first room-temperature continuous-wave (CW) operation of the double heterostructure optoelectronic switching laser implemented as a vertical-cavity laser is described. A deposited dielectric top reflector of SiO₂/TiO₂ allowed the use of a cavity etch back technique after the sample was grown, to position the cavity mode at the desired wavelength. Room temperature CW threshold currents as low as 4.8 mA for a 14-μm-diameter device were obtained with slope efficiencies of 0.45 mW/mA. The maximum CW output power was 2.5 mW and the resistivity was 4×10^-4 Ωcm²     

Design and analysis of a coaxial coupler for a 35-GHz gyroklystronamplifier

A single rectangular TE₁₀ feed four-slot coaxial coupler is designed and built for excitation of a TE₀₁₁ cylindrical cavity mode for use in high-power millimeter-wavelength gyroklystron amplifiers. A high degree of mode purity is obtained and matching of the cavity to the input line is studied. A model based on the mode-matching technique and dipole radiators has been formulated to predict operation of this coupler. The resulting numerical code is capable of finding resonant frequency and cavity bandwidth in a small fraction of the time taken by more general finite-difference/finite-element design tools. The model can be extended to self-consistently include an electron beam, and the model is compared to a coupler design based on Hewlett-Packard's High-Frequency Structure Simulator code. The coupler has been successfully used in a high-power gyroklystron-amplifier experiment     

Design of triple mode TE01δ resonator transmissionfilters

The use of triple mode TE_01δ cubic resonators for the design of transmission mode filters is presented. Frequency tuning and coupling between modes are studied experimentally. The tunability of all inter-cavity couplings, necessary for the realization of a wide range of transfer functions, is demonstrated with a 6th degree, 5 MHz wide filter at 2 GHz. With an insertion loss of 0.7 dB in a volume of 260 cm³, the filter presents a 2:1 volume reduction over conventional TE_01δ filters     

高品质因子氧化硅微腔的制备和光频梳产生(特邀)

基于超高品质因子（Q值）和非线性光学微腔产生的光学频率梳（微腔光频梳）在大容量光通信、光学数据中心、光子神经形态运算以及大规模并行激光雷达等方面有着重要的应用。回音壁模式（WGM）微腔是研究微腔光频梳技术的一个重要平台,具有创纪录的超高Q值和超高精细度（Finesse）,能够实现超窄线宽激光、窄线宽光学频率梳,合成超低噪声的光子微波;同时也是研究腔内孤子动力学的重要平台,对掌握孤子态的光学频率梳特性起到了重要的支撑作用。利用二氧化碳（CO₂）激光器熔融氧化硅（SiO₂）石英棒制备了高Q值的WGM微腔。其自由光谱范围（FSR）在10 GHz以上,Q值达到了108。对腔的谐振和耦合理想特性进行了表征,并在开放环境下观察到微腔受潮引起的Q值退化现象,通过二次退火实现了Q值的回升。在SiO₂微腔中验证了基于非线性克尔（Kerr）效应的光学频率梳产生,其主要状态为调整不稳定性主导的低相干频率梳。同时,实验中也观察到了对应于全相干耗散孤子态频率梳的“阶跃”信号,表明目前制备的SiO₂微腔具备实现低噪声孤子光频梳的能力,并具有微腔光频梳的应用潜力。     

双/三模基片集成波导和共面波导混合结构滤波器设计

针对微波带通滤波器小型化、高性能的应用需求,提出使用双/三模方形基片集成波导和共面波导混合结构设计带通滤波器.通过改变双模基片集成波导中TE₁₀₂和TE₂₀₁的谐振频率和外部耦合的强弱,可实现具有近似椭圆、非对称和无传输零点响应的双模滤波器;两个相同尺寸的共面波导作为谐振器蚀刻在基片集成波导表面,与TE₁₀₂和TE₂₀₁共同形成一个通带,设计具有多样性响应的四阶滤波器.在具有非对称响应四阶滤波器的基础上,使主模TE₁₀₁频率移动到该通带附近,设计更宽带宽的五阶滤波器.并对设计的滤波器进行加工和测试.测试结果与仿真结果吻合,表明了该混合结构设计高性能滤波器方法的可行性.     

Nd:Y2O3透明陶瓷4F3/2-4I11/2跃迁光谱及高效激光输出

报道了采用真空烧结法结合热等静压技术制备的Nd:Y₂O₃透明陶瓷的荧光光谱特性及相关激光输出。通过与Nd:YAG透明陶瓷的荧光光谱对比,表明Nd:Y₂O₃透明陶瓷的4F_3/2-4I_11/2跃迁光谱存在着多个增益相当的谱线,这更有利于实现同时双波长段激光振荡;不同斯塔克子跃迁光谱的离散特性有利于通过腔镜镀膜控制不同波长损耗,获得丰富的1.0~1.1 μm波段激光。利用简单的平平两镜腔结构完成进一步的实验,通过选择的输出镜片镀膜获得了输出功率3.62 W、转换效率40.4%的1074.6 nm和1078.8 nm的双波长输出和输出功率1.7 W、转换效率19.4%的1130.3 nm波长输出。     

High-power CO2 laser using Gauss-core resonator for 6-kWlarge-volume TEM00 mode operation

A novel resonator based on a stable resonator configuration designed to yield a highly focusing beam operating in a large-volume TEM ₀₀ is presented. An output coupler of the new stable resonator has a circular partial-reflection region in the center that is surrounded by an antireflection region. Main-beam mode is determined by the partial-reflection region existing in the “core” of the output coupler. A diffraction beam spread from the center of the optical path in the cavity is amplified by a laser medium. By combining part of the core beam transmitted from the partial-reflection region with the amplified diffraction beam under the phase-unified condition, a diffraction-limited laser beam having a large diameter is obtained. A 6.2-kW linearly polarized output beam with the M² factor of 1.7 is obtained experimentally for a high-power CW CO₂ laser. In laser-materials processing, we can cut 1:mm thin mild steel with a cutting speed as high as 64 m/min, at 5.9 kW     

W波段宽带SIW背腔缝隙天线

W波段（75~110 GHz）的电磁波大气吸收率低、波长短、可用频带宽,在雷达、通信等领域应用广泛.文章设计了一种W波段基片集成波导（substrate integrated waveguide,SIW）背腔缝隙天线,-10 dB的阻抗带宽达到28.6%（78.93~105.24 GHz）,覆盖了W波段75%的频带范围.天线采用双层基片结构.上层为SIW谐振腔及四条辐射缝隙构成的谐振辐射单元,谐振腔内同时存在TM₁₃₀与TM₃₁₀混合模、TM₃₂₀模以及TM₃₃₀模三种高次模,和辐射缝隙一起形成多谐特性,实现带宽拓展;底层为通过耦合缝隙馈电的集成波导,易于扩展成平面网络,构建高增益背腔缝隙天线阵列.该天线频带宽、交叉极化低、剖面低、易于与平面微波电路集成、加工成本低,具有良好的应用前景.     

High-power, tunable, high-repetition rate TEA-13C18O2 laser

The authors report the power enhancement of a high-repetition-rate TEA-¹³C¹⁸O₂ laser by substitution of rare ¹⁵N₂ isotope instead of ¹⁴N₂ and its tunable single-mode operation. Efficient, high-power operation with a maximum average power of 25 W (100 Hz) at a slope efficiency of 5.6%, which is improved by a factor of 2 by substitution of ¹⁵N₂ instead of ¹⁴N₂, has been successfully achieved from a discharge volume of 57.5 cm³ with an active length of 26 cm. In addition, high-power, tunable, single-mode operation has been achieved with a three-mirror cavity consisting of two mirrors and a Littrow grating     

Study on spectral characteristics and operating parameters ofoptically pumped NH3 FIR cavity laser

By solving the density matrix equations of a quantum system and taking into account the multibeam interference characteristics of a Fabry-Perot cavity, the output power density of an optically pumped NH ₃ far-infrared (FIR) cavity laser was calculated by means of the iteration method. Based on the calculations, the spectral characteristics and operating parameters of the laser were studied. Experimentally, by using inductive metallic meshes as reflectors and couplers, a series of FIR cavity lasers with a sample tube of 10, 20, and 100 cm in length were designed and constructed, and the emissions of the NH₃ cavity lasers pumped by a TEA-CO₂ laser with a 10R(8) or 9R(16) line were measured. The experimental results were in good agreement with theoretical calculations     

Temperature-controlled efficient microchip green laser for mobile projection displays

A compact-packaged diode-pumped Nd:YVO₄/KTP microchip green laser is demonstrated, which is specially designed for application to mobile projection displays. By adopting two independent built-in thermoelectric coolers, the wavelength of the pump laser diode and the cavity resonance of the microchip can be adjusted for optimal operation. The volume of the laser is less than 0.7 cm³ and the average power of 35.7 mW is achieved under the condition of modulation frequency of 60 Hz, duty ratio of 25 , and peak current of 600 mA.     

High-repetition-rate optical pulse generation using a rationalharmonic mode-locked fiber laser

Rational harmonic mode locking takes place in an actively mode-locked fiber laser when the modulation frequency f_m=(n+1/p)f_c, where n and p are both integers and f_c is the inverse of the cavity round-trip time, the 22nd order of rational harmonic mode locking has been observed when f_m ≈1 GHz. An optical pulse train with a repetition rate of 40 GHz has been obtained using a modulation frequency f_m=10 GHz. The theory of rational harmonic mode locking has also been developed. The stability of the mode-locked pulses is improved considerably when a semiconductor optical amplifier is incorporated into the fiber laser cavity. The supermode noise in the RF spectrum of a mode-locked laser is removed for a certain range of current in the semiconductor optical amplifier     

Acoustooptic Coherent Mode Coupling in Polarization-Maintaining Fiber and Its Application as a Variable-Polarization-Dependent Loss Element

In this letter, we investigate coherent acoustooptic coherent mode coupling from the LP₀₁ core mode to LP_1m cladding mode of a polarization-maintaining fiber (PMF) induced by two acoustic gratings. We show narrowband variable attenuation along either birefringent axis of the PMF by varying the relative phase between the two acoustic gratings. By launching two acoustic gratings at different frequencies, variable attenuation and low crosstalk along either birefringent axis within the acoustooptic coupling bandwidth are demonstrated     

Study of TE0 and TM0 modes in dielectricresonators by a finite difference time-domain method coupled with thediscrete Fourier transform

An application of a numerical method of finite differences in the time domain (FDTD) coupled with the discrete Fourier transform is presented to determine the resonant frequencies of the TE₀ and TM₀ modes of axially symmetric dielectric resonators closed in a cavity. The technique is conceptually and computationally simple, and it allows access at once to information on the entire modal spectrum by means of the fast Fourier transform (FFT) applied to the time series. The cylindrical cavity dielectrically loaded at the base and the resonant frequency of the TE_01δ mode are analyzed in two systems: a cylindrical cavity with a cylindrical dielectric resonator of variable radius, and the shielded dielectric resonator on a microstrip substrate. The results obtained are compared with the rigorous (exact) theoretical solutions and with experimental results     

Compact quasi-periodic and aperiodic TE0n modeconverters in overmoded circular waveguides for use with gyrotrons

Designs of compact quasi-periodic and aperiodic TE_0n-TE _0n-1 circular waveguide converters for use with gyrotrons in an electron cyclotron heating (ECH) system are developed by analytically and numerically solving the coupled-mode differential equations. Quasi-periodic mode transducer designs which convert the TE₀₂ mode to the TE₀₁ mode, and in some cases also include a taper (waveguide radius reduction), are developed. A 60-GHz aperiodic mode converter-taper combines a 6.35-cm-2.779-cm waveguide diameter taper and a TE₀₂-TE₀₁ mode converter. A 140-GHz aperiodic mode converter-taper combines a 6.35-cm-2.779-cm waveguide diameter taper and a TE₀₃-TE₀₂-TE₀₁ mode converter. The resulting designs are highly efficient (conversion efficiencies ⩾99.4%), are shorter, have a broader bandwidth than previous designs, and have a waveguide radius greater than or equal to 1.389 cm over the entire length of the transducer to allow for high-power transmission. Experimental results consistent with theoretical calculations are presented     

Hooting modes in a CO2 waveguide laser

CO₂ waveguide lasers `hoot' when, instead of the solitary resonator mode expected from a homogeneously broadened gas laser, two or more resonator transverse modes laser simultaneously on a common laser line. The unwanted mode or modes, even if very faint and present only occasionally, can impede heterodyne measurements where a clean frequency spectrum is required. The authors report measurements of transverse-mode beat frequencies from a small RF-excited CO₂ laser with a hybrid Al/Al₂O₃ square-bore waveguide and plane mirrors; these frequencies alter with mirror tilt by up to 70 MHz mrad^-1. A minimum beat frequency is seen when the laser is well assigned. The authors suggest that a model of the misaligned resonator may help to identify the faint modes responsible for hooting     

Time-varying beam quality factor and mode evolution in TEA CO2 laser pulses

The time evolution of the transversal modes in a TEA CO₂ laser cavity has been investigated from the analysis of the time-varying beam quality factor M² of the emitted pulses. The experiments reveal a significant change in this parameter during the pulse evolution, which can be translated into an evolution of the modes of the laser cavity to reach a nearly stationary behavior. Attention is focused on both the appearance of a particular mode and the duration of its growing process     

Spectral purity and long-term stability of CO2 lasers atthe Hertz level

Ultra-high-resolution spectroscopy and metrology require very stable lasers with a high-spectral purity. For spectroscopy with a resolution in the range 10-100 Hz at 30 THz, we are developing a new stabilization scheme which acts separately on the long and short term stabilities. We present the results achieved with the first part of our new scheme, which is based upon the stabilization on a saturation signal detected in transmission of an active Fabry-Perot cavity. With a laser linewidth of 3.4 Hz (FWHM) and a flicker plateau of 0.7 Hz (Δν/ν=2.10^-14) obtained using a strong OsO₄ line as reference, this stabilization system already improves the both short and long-term stabilities obtained by our previous setup which involved an external cell instead of a Fabry-Perot cavity. We present also the results using a CO₂ laser line as frequency reference     

基于组合激光光源的双组分微量气体检测系统

CH₄和C₂H₂是变压器发生故障时两种重要的特征气体。为了实现对变压器中溶解的微量CH₄和C₂H₂气体含量检测的需求, 采用激光光声光谱气体检测技术, 通过分析CH₄和C₂H₂气体的近红外吸收谱线, 选取合适的激光光源并确定激光调制参数; 设计并搭建了一套以双激光光源和非共振光声池为核心的光声光谱微量CH₄和C₂H₂气体检测系统, 获得了系统对CH₄和C₂H₂气体检测灵敏度和低含量检测误差。结果表明, CH₄和C₂H₂气体分别在体积分数为0~1000×10-6和0~500×10-6的范围内具有良好的线性响应, 每10-6体积分数的检测响应度分别为5.8969μV和16.1831μV; 在低含量CH₄/C₂H₂混合气体对系统的重复性和精度测试中, CH₄气体体积分数为3.00×10-6时的检测最大绝对误差为0.30×10-6, C₂H₂气体体积分数为0.50×10-6时的检测最大绝对误差为0.20×10-6。此研究结果满足测量误差的技术指标要求, 实现了对微量CH₄和C₂H₂气体的高灵敏度检测。     

Single-frequency operation in solid-state laser materials withshort absorption depths

Single-frequency output power of 35 mW has been observed in 3.0% doped Nd:YVO₄ pumped with a 200-mW laser diode. The single-frequency operation is due to the spatial overlap of longitudinal modes at the surface of a mirror in the laser cavity where the material is pumped. The strong absorption coefficient at 808.7 nm and narrow bandwidth of the Nd:YVO₄ only allow a single laser mode to operate. The effect is modeled theoretically and compared with the experiment