Technique for continuous tuning of optical fiber lasers

For the first time to the authors' knowledge, we have demonstrated how thermally controlled overcoupled fused fiber couplers and fiber loop mirrors based on these couplers can be used as broadband tuning elements in a fiber laser cavity. No bulk optical elements play any role in this technique. Temperature tuning the coupler results in a shift in the coupling ratio or in the effective output coupler transmission. For a fixed pump source, and for a given laser cavity, this shift causes the lasing wavelength to shift. We have continuously tuned an Er silica fiber laser in this manner over the range of 1527-1570 nm in a ring configuration, and, using a fiber loop mirror with these couplers in a linear Tm silica fiber laser cavity, we have achieved more than 50-nm broadband tuning over the range of 1850-1910 nm. The tuning range and the sensitivity to temperature depend on the degree of overcoupling of the loop mirror coupler.     

Wavelength tuning and spectral properties of distributed feedback diode lasers with a short external optical cavity

We report on the wavelength tuning and spectral properties of distributed feedback (DFB) diode lasers operated with a plane external cavity (XC) mirror positioned as close as possible to the diode-laser front facet. These lasers generate single-frequency near IR radiation at wavelengths of 1392, 1580, 1602, and 1653 nm. A piezoelectric variation of the XC length provided continuous single-frequency tuning to as high as 19 GHz. A further benefit of XC DFB lasers is a residual amplitude modulation per gigahertz tuning of less than 10(-3). The XC feedback also suppresses residual side-mode oscillations to less than 60 dB. The laser's total intensity noise is close to the shot noise limit. The laser linewidth (measured in a beat note experiment) is less than 90 kHz within an acquisition time of 40 ms. The advantageous properties of XC DFB lasers for molecular spectroscopy are demonstrated by recording R(3) 2nu(3) overtone spectra of methane by single-scan single-pass absorption or frequency-modulation spectroscopy.     

Fast tuning of external-cavity diode lasers

We report on a method for characterizing the tuning capabilities of small-bandwidth external-cavity diode lasers. The step response of a piezo-driven Littman-Metcalf external-cavity diode laser and the compensation of its optoelectromechanical frequency response is investigated. When an approximately 50-V compensated Gaussian pulse is applied to the piezo element, a detuning of 13.6 GHz is observed. This modification of the laser is useful for several spectroscopical applications and as a tunable seed laser for lidar applications.     

Electro-optic polymer waveguide grating with fast tuning capability

A novel fast tunable electro-optic (EO) polymer waveguide grating is proposed and designed. Its resonant wavelength can be linearly tuned via the first-order EO effect with a high sensitivity of 6.1 pm/V. We find that the spectrum characteristics of EO polymer waveguide gratings depend strongly on many grating parameters, such as refractive-index modulation, modulation function, grating period, and period number. Material selection, fabrication technology, EO tuning ability, and polarization dependence of EO polymer waveguide gratings are also discussed. Such a waveguide grating not only overcomes the disadvantages of fiber-optic gratings, such as slow wavelength tuning ability and large-scale integration inconvenience, but also has many advantages, such as high resonant-wavelength tuning sensitivity, the same fabrication technology used for semiconductors, and polarization independence.     

Synchronous acousto-optic tuning of free-space external-cavity lasers

Mechanically tuned external-cavity lasers in which the cavity and the mode filter are tuned synchronously are well known and commercially available. The synchronicity allows phase-continuous tuning to be obtained. Acousto-optic tuning has potential advantages in terms of speed, stability, and precision, but a method for synchronous tuning is required. We propose such a method and describe its experimental verification.     

Thermal tuning of mechanically induced long-period fiber grating

We have developed a wideband tunable optical filter that uses a long-period fiber grating (LPFG) in which both resonance wavelength and its signal attenuation can be adjusted. We create the grating mechanically by pressing a spring coil to an optical fiber. We achieve continuous fine tuning of wavelength and attenuation by varying the temperature of the LPFG. The adjustable ranges of the LPFG are more than 200 nm in resonance wavelength and more than 10 dB in signal attenuation.     

Wide-bandwidth mode-hop-free tuning of extended-cavity GaN diode lasers

We present a new approach for extended-cavity diode-laser tuning to achieve wide mode-hop-free tuning ranges. By using a multiple piezoactuated grating mount, the cavity length and grating angle in the laser can be adjusted independently, allowing mode-hop-free tuning without the need for a mechanically optimized pivot-point mount. Furthermore, synchronized diode injection-current tuning allows diode lasers without antireflection coatings to be employed. In combination these two techniques make the construction of a cheap, efficient, and easily optimized extended-cavity diode laser possible. A theoretical analysis is presented for optimal control of piezoactuator displacements and injection current to achieve the widest possible mode-hop-free tuning ranges, and a comparison is made with measurements. The scheme is demonstrated for blue and violet GaN lasers operating at approximately 450 nm and approximately 410 nm, for which continuous tuning ranges exceeding 90 GHz have been achieved. Examples of applications of these lasers are also given.     

Multipass grating interferometer applied to line narrowing in excimer lasers

The line narrowing of excimer lasers is discussed. The theory for an optical two-effect intracavity line narrowing device, the multipass grating interferometer (MGI), is presented. An MGI contains a grating aligned in its second-order Littrow configuration and a mirror aligned parallel to the grating surface reflecting back the beam normal to the grating corresponding to the first-order diffraction. The Littrow grating is doing the coarse line narrowing, and the mirror aligned parallel to the grating has similar line narrowing properties as tilted intracavity Fabry-Perot etalons. An MGI is applied to a KrF laser cavity to achieve a linewidth of 0.03 cm(-1).     

腔面镀膜分布反馈量子级联激光器

报道了后腔面蒸镀高反射率镀膜工艺及其对分布反馈量子级联激光器性能影响的研究结果.与没有腔面镀膜的器件相比,采用了腔面镀膜工艺的器件,室温下的阈值电流密度降低了20%,前腔面出光峰值功率提高了50%,斜率效率提高了44%.通过对比镀膜和未镀膜器件的闻值电流密度,估算出器件的波导损耗约为7.25cm-1.     

Synchronous tuning of extended cavity diode lasers: the case for an optimum pivot point

Diode lasers can be tuned by simultaneous rotation and translation of an external grating. This can be achieved by rotating the grating about a displaced pivot point. We derive the tuning range as a function of pivot point position for various extended cavity geometries. In each case, the geometric problem reduces to the solution of a quadratic equation. For near-infrared wavelengths, placement of the pivot is relatively noncritical for tuning ranges of the order of 10 GHz, but requires millimeter accuracy for a tuning range >100 GHz.     

Influence of grating parameters on the linewidths of external-cavity diode lasers

We investigate experimentally the influence of the grating reflectivity, grating resolution, and diode facet antireflection (AR) coating on the intrinsic linewidth of an external-cavity diode laser built with a diffraction grating in a Littrow configuration. Grating lasers at 399, 780, and 852 nm are determined to have typical linewidths between 250 and 600 kHz from measurements of their frequency noise power spectral densities. The linewidths are little affected by the presence of an AR coating on the diode facet but narrow as the grating reflectivity and grating resolution are increased, with the resolution exerting a greater effect. We also use frequency noise measurements to characterize a laser mount with improved mechanical stability.     

Polarisation behaviour of diode lasers with frequency selective feedback

The paper reviews recent results obtained with diode lasers used in external hybrid cavities with frequency selective feedback. Such cavities attract continuing interest for several reasons. They generate a tunable single laser mode with very low linewidths (usually a few tens of kilohertz). Very wide discrete tunable ranges over 100 nm for Fabry-Perot type and over 200 nm for quantum well lasers are achieved. They can be made to oscillate in a tunable mode having the desired polarization state,TE orTM and, in some cases, simultaneously atTE andTM. This is done by designing a cavity that increases strongly theTM/TE intensity ratio and by using coatings on one laser facet that greatly lower bothTE andTM reflectivities. High-speed polarization switching in the gigahertz range is possible by inserting passive or active polarization selecting elements in the cavity. For all these reasons hybrid external cavities are attractive for applications in optical metrology, spectroscopy and optical communications. Moreover, the external cavity configuration allows the study of physical mechanisms in the laser diode by inducing on purpose phenomena that would have been otherwise impossible to achieve with free-running lasers.     

Real-time digital holographic beam-shaping system with a genetic feedback tuning loop

A novel implementation of a real-time digital holographic system with a genetic feedback tuning loop is proposed. The proposed genetic feedback tuning loop is effective in encoding optimal phase holograms on a liquid-crystal spatial light modulator in the system. Optimal calibration of the liquid-crystal spatial light modulator can be achieved via the genetic feedback tuning loop, and the optimal phase hologram can then overcome the aberration of the internal optics of the system.     

Measuring the coherence function of continuous-wave lasers by a photorefractive grating method

We demonstrate a simple, adjustment-insensitive technique for measuring the temporal coherence function of cw multimode and monomode semiconductor lasers, using two-beam coupling in photorefractive InP and CdTe crystals. The emission spectra of the diodes are measured independently. The coherence functions are also calculated from these spectra and agree with the photorefractive measurements. Coupling of two partially coherent waves in low-speed photorefractive media is described theoretically. The range of the experimental parameters in which the method of coherence measurement is correct is given.     

分布反馈量子级联激光器的光栅制备

利用全息曝光方法制备了分布反馈量子级联激光器的光栅掩模,选择和发展了恰当的用于InGaAs/InP材料的光栅腐蚀优化工艺,得到腐蚀规律,讨论了腐蚀机制。在量子级联激光器的InGaAs/InP层上制备光栅得到分布反馈量子级联激光器,其单模特性较好,信噪比大于30dB。     

Thermal tuning of laser pulse parameters in passively Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers

Modifying the output pulses of a passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, operating at 1064 nm, was realized by heating the laser crystal. With the demonstrated laser setups, a 100 K temperature rise led to a more than 50% increase in the pulse energy and a more than 10% decrease in the pulse length. This method offers an effective way to tune the output of the laser without mechanical adjustment or a change of components.     

基于时间加权反馈控制的永磁同步风力发电机混沌振荡研究

研究基于时间加权的反馈控制方法抑制永磁同步风力发电机(PMSG)的混沌行为。以两台PMSGs作为驱动和响应的发电系统,利用相同和不同状态变量间的反馈信息建立不同的动力学方程,分析相同状态变量反馈控制和不同状态变量反馈控制对PMSGs系统混沌振荡行为的影响。发现了相同状态变量反馈控制对PMSGs系统可实现混沌同步行为,而不同状态变量反馈控制对PMSGs系统具有抑制混沌振荡的作用。在周期时间内把这两种反馈控制结合在一起,分析不同时间加权下PMSGs系统的动力学行为,发现时间分数因子和耦合参数的不同取值可使PMSGs系统产生混沌、混沌同步和混沌抑制等动力学行为。数值仿真验证了基于时间加权的反馈控制器对抑制PMSGs系统混沌行为的有效性。研究结果对提高风能利用率,保证电力系统的安全稳定运行具有重要的参考价值。     

High-powered green light generation by intracavity frequency doubling using grating feedback optics

Grating feedback optics is shown to contribute to narrowing the spectral bandwidth of a multilongitudinal-mode laser diode to less than 0.2 nm and tuning the lasing wavelength to the peak absorption wavelength of Nd:YVO(4). A continuous green light of 31 mW was efficiently generated by intracavity frequency doubling of the Nd:YVO(4) laser with a KTiOPO(4) crystal. A relative intensity noise of less than -140 dB/Hz was obtained in the frequency region greater than 2 MHz. The noise characteristics of generated green light are discussed as compared with the case of using a single-longitudinal-mode laser diode as the pumping source.