Coreless Fiber‐Based Whispering‐Gallery‐Mode Assisted Lasing from Colloidal Quantum Well Solids

Whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonators are shown to hold great promise to achieve high‐performance lasing using colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) in solution phase. However, the low packing density of such colloidal gain media in the solution phase results in increased lasing thresholds and poor lasing stability in these WGM lasers. To address these issues, here optical gain in colloidal quantum wells (CQWs) is proposed and shown in the form of high‐density close‐packed solid films constructed around a coreless fiber incorporating the resulting whispering gallery modes to induce gain and waveguiding modes of the fiber to funnel and collect light. In this work, a practical method is presented to produce the first CQW‐WGM laser using an optical fiber as the WGM cavity platform operating at low thresholds of ≈188 µJ cm^?2 and ≈1.39 mJ cm^?2 under one‐ and two‐photon absorption pumped, respectively, accompanied with a record low waveguide loss coefficient of ≈7 cm^?1 and a high net modal gain coefficient of ≈485 cm^?1. The spectral characteristics of the proposed CQW‐WGM resonator are supported with a numerical model of full electromagnetic solution. This unique CQW‐WGM cavity architecture offers new opportunities to achieve simple high‐performance optical resonators for colloidal lasers.     

影响柱形微腔回音廊模激光抽运阈值能量的因素

将石英光纤浸入染料溶液中形成圆柱形微腔,并采用近轴向消逝场抽运的方式,激发染料溶液的激光增益。柱形微腔回音廊模(WGM)激光抽运阈值能量的高低与抽运激光的消逝场和回音廊模消逝场的空间重叠程度有直接关系,同时也需要考虑低阶与高阶回音廊模损耗的影响。通过改变染料溶液的折射率以及光纤直径,来改变回音廊模的消逝场分布,从而改变两种消逝场空间重叠的体积以及回音廊模的损耗。实验结果表明,柱腔直径不变时,存在一个最佳的溶液折射率值;同时,溶液折射率不变时,也存在一个最佳的柱腔直径,使得一阶回音廊模激光抽运阈值能量最低。     

Ultrabright Fluorescent and Lasing Microspheres from a Conjugated Polymer

Fluorescent microspheres are used for biomarkers, assay substrates, chemical diagnostics, flow cytometry, and biological imaging. These applications demand the highest fluorescence intensity achievable; however, concentration quenching limits the amount of dye that can be practically incorporated in conventional fluorescent microspheres. Conjugated polymers (CPs) can be less susceptible to concentration quenching, suggesting that they can be excellent candidates for a new class of light‐emitting microspheres. Due to their long‐chain‐conjugated backbone, however, CPs can be resistant to forming smoothly curved or spherical structures. Here, strongly fluorescent CP microspheres as large as 100 µm in diameter are synthesized. Whispering gallery modes (WGMs) appear in the fluorescence spectra, and the microspheres show clear evidence of lasing above a threshold pump intensity. These conjugated polymer beads are up to 50 times larger than CP microspheres obtained by other methods, and they exceed the emission intensity of conventional fluorescent microspheres by more than an order of magnitude.     

Lasing Action in Dye Doped Polymer Nanofiber Knot Resonator

Here we demonstrated laser emission from a dye doped polymer nanofiber knot ring resonator. Dye doped polymer nanofiber was fabricated by flame assisted general fiber drawing technique. After bending the fiber to a knot ring resonator, lasing action with 0.07-nm linewidth was observed. From the relation between mode spacing and diameter of ring cavity, the lasing action was considered to be formed by whispering gallery modes.      

Dye-doped step-index polymer optical fiber for broadband opticalamplification

We report the development of a novel and simple technique for fabricating polymer optical fibers of good optical quality for special device applications. This technique aims at polymer fibers doped with various functional organic materials. On the basis of the technique, step-index polymer optical fibers doped with laser dyes have been fabricated. High-gain and high-efficiency optical amplification has been achieved in a Rhodamine B-doped polymer fiber with a low pump power of less 1 kW and pulse width 5 ns. Because a high dye concentration is used, the optimal wavelength range of optical amplification in this fiber is significantly red-shifted toward the center of the communication window (at 650 nm wavelength) of methyl methacrylate-based polymer optical fiber. The shift is from the originally 560 and 590 nm to presently 610 to 640 nm. We also present experimental results that show good photostability of the Rhodamine B-doped polymer fiber, compared with those recently reported in the improved polymer material systems. From the experimental observation, we identified the thermally induced bleach of dye molecules as the major contributing factor to the lifetime of our material system     

波导耦合回音壁模式光学微球腔结构耦合特性分析

提出了一种耦合微球和波导系统的有效方法,并在数值和实验上进行了论证.为了研究微球腔和波导系统的耦合特性,首先通过耦合模理论研究了这个系统的2D模型.通过有限时域差分法设计了一个数值仿真系统.在快速傅里叶变换(FFT)处理样本数据后,得到了波长范围从600 nm到1 000 nm的相对强度谱曲线和传输谱曲线.在实验中,采用熔融单模光纤顶端的方法制得了石英材料微球腔.采用热拉技术制得了锥形光纤,用来作为激发微球腔中回音壁模式的波导.测试了这个微球腔-锥形光纤耦合系统,通过优化微球腔与锥形光纤的相对位置得到其品质因数高达2.3×106,耦合效率高达92.5%.这些耦合特性可以很好地用理论结果解释.这些特性表明了其在实际微腔传感和微型激光器中极具潜力.     

Study of whispering gallery modes in anisotropic single-crystaldielectric resonators

The Rayleigh-Ritz method and the finite element method nongenerating spurious solutions are employed for analysis of whispering gallery modes (WGMs) in cylindrical single-crystal anisotropic dielectric resonators. These methods allow accurate computation of the resonant frequencies, the Q-factors (depending on the dielectric and on the conductor losses), and the electromagnetic field distributions for all WGMs in the presence of additional elements like metal shields, MIC substrate, or supports. Different families of modes are studied both theoretically and experimentally. The mode coupling phenomenon is investigated. A WGM single-crystal quartz resonator is presented having an unloaded Q-factor greater than 30000 at about 100 GHz, including radiation and dielectric losses     

一种新颖的自反馈光注入单频窄线宽光纤激光器

报道一种基于自反馈光注入的单频窄线宽光纤激光器。激光器采用线形腔结构,用高掺杂Er3+光纤作为增益介质,利用输出信号光分束反馈与腔内振荡激光干涉,形成折射率光栅与增益光栅共同作用选择纵模,获得稳定的1 549.85 nm单频窄线宽激光输出。在975 nm单模激光二极管(LD)抽运下,激光器的抽运阈值光功率为13 mW。当抽运光功率为112 mW时,最大输出信号光功率为30.6 mW,对应的光-光转换效率为27.3%,斜率效率为30.2%,信噪比大于50 dB。采用延时自外差方法测量线宽,当使用30 km单模光纤延迟线时,测量得到激光器的3 dB线宽为4.0 kHz。     

Investigations of whisper gallery mirrors for extreme ultraviolet(EUV) and soft X-rays

The authors have examined optical constants and predicted reflectivities of candidate surface coatings for whisper gallery mirrors (WGMs) in the extreme ultraviolet. The spectral regime near 100-150 Å has been identified in the literature as particularly promising due to the high WGM reflectivities of the noble metals in the vicinity of their Cooper minima in this regime. The authors confirm this basic result using newer EUV optical data, and they have sought candidate surface materials which would extend the range over which WGMs may be used to longer wavelengths. It is found that substantial WGM reflectivities are predicted for a variety of elements in the EUV, and that TE peak reflection is larger than TM peak reflection by on the order of 10%; however, most of the elements which do reflect well have surfaces which are vulnerable to oxygen contamination     

Laser emission from conjugated polymer in fibre waveguide structure

Lasing from a conjugated polymer, poly(9,9-di-(2-ethylhexyl)fluorenyl-2,7'-diyl), incorporated into a glass-clad step index optical fibre structure is reported. The fibre is fabricated by filling a glass capillary with a toluene solution containing polystyrene and the conjugated polymer. Under nanosecond transverse photopumping, the fibre 1.5 cm in length exhibits laser emission at 436 nm from a Fabry-Perot cavity formed by the Fresnel reflections at the fibre end-air interfaces     

Graphene–Polymer Nanofiber Membrane for Ultrafast Photonics

A freestanding membrane composed of a nanofiber network of a graphene–polymer nanocomposite is fabricated by electrospinning and applied as an optical element in fiber lasers. The functionalization of graphene with conjugated organic molecules provides a handle for improving mechanical and thermal properties as well as tuning the optical properties. A small loading (0.07 wt%) of functionalized graphene enhances the total optical absorption of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) by 10 times. The electrospun graphene–polymer nanocomposites exhibit wideband saturable absorbance for laser pulse shaping, and attain a larger modulation depth and smaller nonsaturable loss than single‐walled carbon nanotubes. The results show that electrospun graphene nanocomposites are promising candidates as practical and efficient photonic materials for the generation of ultrashort pulses in fiber lasers.     

Semiconductor laser optical amplifiers for use in future fibersystems

The application of semiconductor laser amplifiers to long-wavelength optical fiber systems is discussed. The basic equations defining laser amplifier characteristics are presented together with experimental results. Linear and nonlinear modes of operation are considered; the former includes use as an optical gain block, a linear repeater, and a preamplifier, while the latter includes use as a bistable element, an electrically controlled optical switch, and an injection-locked amplifier     

InxGa1-xAs-AlyGa1-yAs-GaAs strained-layer quantum-well heterostructure circular ringlasers

The growth, processing, and optical characterization of a single Y-junction In_xGa_1-xAs-Al_yGa_1-y As-GaAs strained-layer quantum-well heterostructure circular ring laser (6 μm width, 11~251 μm outer radius) are described. The circular ring lasers have been grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, etched by SiCl₄ reactive ion etching, and planarized by polyimide. The dependences of laser threshold current density and peak emission wavelength (950~1015 nm) on outer radius are presented. The emission spectra show that the circular ring lasers lase mainly in high-order whispering gallery modes, with smaller outer radius ring lasers operating in low-order whispering gallery modes     

Surface High-Energy Laser

We describe a design strategy for high-power solid-state laser oscillators using local correction of thermally induced optical distortion. This offers a potential for scaling lowest order Gaussian mode solid-state laser oscillators directly to high average power, e.g. >100 kW, while using a relatively simple near confocal ring resonator. The waste heat is necessarily produced in the gain region; however, the design strategy facilitates scaling by allowing the laser oscillator to function as though the waste heat was produced in a surface region external to the gain medium.     

基于啁啾光纤光栅的五波长掺铒光纤激光器

提出并实验验证了一种新型的基于啁啾光纤光栅的全光纤的可切换的五波长掺铒光纤激光器,该激光器采用简洁的线性腔结构,使用一段高掺铒的光纤作为增益介质,利用一个内含宽带啁啾光纤光栅的萨格纳克环作为激光器的谐振腔腔镜,担当了一个梳状滤波器的作用,另一个腔镜由一个宽带光纤反射镜担当,适当调整环中的偏振控制器,可以获得最多五波长的激光输出,并具有4种不同的激光输出模式,所有激发线均具有大于32 dB的光学信噪比,小于0.6 nm的线宽以及小于8 dB的峰值功率差异。     

Effects of thermally induced optical fiber shifts in V-groove arrays for optical MEMS

Thermally induced optical fiber shifts in the joints consisting of an optical fiber, epoxy adhesive and silicon substrate were simulated using a FEA (finite element analysis) package. Experiments using a real-time micro-moiré system were also performed at temperatures of 25, 40, 60, 85 and 100 °C for confirmation of the FEA results. The optical coupling loss, caused by the fiber shifts, of a single-mode fiber to fiber and a laser diode to a fiber was studied. The results revealed that thermally induced fiber shifts increased with the number of V-groove channels. The optical coupling loss is the greatest during thermal loading for the outer fiber in the four channels V-groove array. Optical losses of 0.334 and 0.346 dB for fiber-to-fiber coupling and 1.54 and 1.56 dB for laser diode to fiber coupling were calculated using the fiber shift values obtained from the FEA and experiments, respectively, for the outermost fiber joint in the four channels V-groove array at 100 °C. The effects of fiber shifts especially the shift of the fiber that is positioned at the outermost V-groove in the array cannot be ignored.     

不同泵浦波长光纤激光器模式不稳定效应对比

一般认为,光纤激光器模式不稳定效应主要来自于泵浦源量子亏损和增益光纤泵浦吸收所产生的热效应。理论分析了光纤中的热源,发现诱发模式不稳定的热效应主要来源于泵浦吸收、其次是量子亏损;利用课题组开发的仿真软件SeeFiberLaser对该结论进行仿真。仿真结果表明:泵浦吸收系数越低,光纤中的最高温度和温度梯度越低,越有利于抑制热致折射率光栅的形成,提高模式不稳定阈值。搭建了纤芯/包层直径为30/400 μm的前向泵浦掺镱光纤激光振荡器,对比研究了中心波长为976 nm 、915 nm和940 nm的泵浦源泵浦时激光器的模式不稳定阈值特性。结果表明,分别采用中心波长为976 nm 、915 nm和940 nm 的半导体激光器作为泵浦源时,激光器模式不稳定阈值分别为279 W、502 W和697 W,光光转化效率分别为67.7%、61%和63%。由此可以发现,泵浦吸收系数对模式不稳定阈值的影响大于量子亏损对模式不稳定阈值的影响,通过改变泵浦波长降低泵浦吸收系数可以有效提升模式不稳定阈值。优化泵浦波长,兼顾量子效率和泵浦吸收系数,是光纤激光器实现高光束质量高模式不稳定阈值的重要技术路线之一。     

A Taper-Fused Microspherical Laser Source

We report on the realization of an integrated lasing device consisting of a microsphere optical resonator fused to a tapered optical fiber. A microsphere fabricated from Er: Yb-codoped phosphate glass is heated above its glass transition temperature of 375degC by pumping it at 977 nm with 70 mW via a tapered optical fiber. The onset of thermal stress in the glass at a maximum pumping power results in the sphere melting and fusing to the taper coupler, without inhibition of whispering gallery mode lasing. A taper-fused microsphere laser with ~4.5 muW of lasing power at 1593 nm is demonstrated.     

Mode Coupling and Vertical Radiation Loss for Whispering-Gallery Modes in 3-D Microcavities

The characteristics of whispering-gallery modes (WGMs) in 3-D cylindrical, square, and triangular microcavities with vertical optical confinement of semiconductors are numerically investigated by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique. For a microcylinder with a vertical refractive index 3.17/3.4/3.17 and a center layer thickness 0.2 mum, Q-factors of transverse electric (TE) WGMs around wavelength 1550 nm are smaller than 10³, as the radius R < 4 mum and reach the orders of 10⁴ and 10⁶ as R = 5 and 6 mum, respectively. However, the Q-factor of transverse magnetic (TM) WGMs at wavelength 1.659 mum reaches 7.5 times 10⁵ as R = 1 mum. The mode coupling between the WGMs and vertical radiation modes in the cladding layer results in vertical radiation loss for the WGMs. In the microcylinder, the mode wavelength of TM WGM is larger than the cutoff wavelength of the vertical radiation mode with the same mode numbers, so TM WGMs cannot couple with the vertical radiation mode and have high Q -factor. In contrast, TE WGMs can couple with the corresponding vertical radiation mode in the 3-D microcylinder as R < 5 mum. However, the mode wavelength of the TE WGM approaches (is larger than) the cutoff wavelength of the corresponding radiation modes at R = 5 mum (6 mum), so TE WGMs have high Q-factors in such microcylinders too. The results show that a critical lateral size is required for obtaining high Q-factor TE WGMs in the 3-D microcylinder. For 3-D square and triangular microcavities, we also find that the Q-factor of TM WGM is larger than that of TE WGM.