Real-time observation of round-trip resolved spectral dynamics in a stabilized fs fiber laser

High energy and low noise soliton fiber laser comb based on nonlinear merging of Kelly sidebands

Optical solitons in mode-locked laser cavities with dispersion-nonlinearity interaction, delivers pulses of light that retain their shape. Due to the nature of discretely distributed dispersion and nonlinearity, optical solitons can emit Kelly-sidebands via the frequency coupling of soliton and dispersive waves. In this paper, we generate a high-energy femtosecond laser comb, by using the intracavity Kelly radiations and 3^rd order nonlinearities. By increasing the intracavity power, the soliton envelop and the Kelly-sidebands merge together via four-wave-mixing, forming a super-continuum spectrum, obtaining 3.18 nJ pulse energy. A supercontinuum span covering from 1100 nm to 2300 nm for further self-referenced f-2f stabilization can be directly achieved by using an amplification-free external supercontinuum technique. Our finding not only demonstrates a non-trivial frequency-time evolution based on 'erbium + χ⁽³⁾' nonlinear gains, but also offers a new opportunity to develop practically compact fiber frequency combs for frequency metrology or spectroscopy.

Polarization-independent parametric time magnifier based on four-wave mixing

A time magnifier based on space-time duality has demonstrated comprehensive applications owing to its promising temporal resolution. However, conventional parametric time magnifiers are inherently polarization-sensitive; their output intensity depends not only on the intensity but also the polarization of signal under test (SUT). Therefore, they are mainly applied to SUT with fixed polarization. On the other hand, many complex optical signals exhibit simultaneous intensity and polarization dynamics. In this Letter, a polarization-independent (PI) time magnifier at 485-fs temporal resolution is first demonstrated, which provides accurate intensity information even for polarization-related signals. The PI time magnifier de-convolves intensity and polarization information. It, therefore, paves the way for in-depth analysis of various complex ultrafast phenomena involving simultaneous intensity and polarization dynamics such as rogue waves and vector solitons.

Precise dynamic characterization of microcombs assisted by an RF spectrum analyzer with THz bandwidth and MHz resolution

The radio frequency (RF) spectrum of microcombs can be used to evaluate its phase noise features and coherence between microcomb teeth. Since microcombs possess characteristics such as high repetition rate, narrow linewidth and ultrafast dynamical evolution, there exists strict requirement on the bandwidth, resolution and frame rate of RF measurement system. In this work, a scheme with 1.8-THz bandwidth, 7.5-MHz spectral resolution, and 100-Hz frame rate is presented for RF spectrum measurement of microcombs by using an all-optical RF spectrum analyzer based on cross-phase modulation and Fabry Perot (FP) spectrometer, namely FP-assisted light intensity spectrum analyzer (FP-assisted LISA). However, extra dispersion introduced by amplifying the microcombs will deteriorate the bandwidth performance of measured RF spectrum. After compensating the extra dispersion through monitoring the dispersion curves measured by FP-assisted LISA, the more precise RF spectra of microcombs are measured. Then, the system is used to measure the noise sidebands and line shape evolution of microcombs within 2s temporal window, in which dynamic RF combs variation at different harmonic frequencies up to 1.96 THz in modulation instability (MI) state and soliton state are recorded firstly. Therefore, the improved bandwidth and resolution of FP-assisted LISA enable more precise measurement of RF spectrum, paving a reliable way for researches on physical mechanism of microcombs.

Real-time characterization of spectral instabilities in a mode-locked fibre laser exhibiting soliton-similariton dynamics

The study of dissipative solitons in mode-locked lasers reveals a rich landscape of interaction dynamics resulting from the interplay of nonlinearity, dispersion and dissipation. Here, we characterize a range of instabilities in a dissipative soliton fibre laser in a regime where both conventional soliton and similariton propagation play significant roles in the intracavity pulse shaping. Specifically, we use the Dispersive Fourier Transform technique to perform real-time spectral measurements of buildup dynamics from noise to the generation of stable single pulses, phase evolution dynamics of bound state “similariton molecules”, and several examples of intermittent instability and explosion dynamics. These results show that the instabilities previously seen in other classes of passively mode-locked fibre lasers are also observed in the presence of strong nonlinear attraction of similariton evolution in an optical fibre amplifier.

Experimental study on polarization evolution locking in a stretched-pulse fiber laser

Polarization evolution locking (PEL) of a stretched-pulse fiber laser is experimentally investigated with a simple pulse selection method based on a fast electrooptic modulator, capable of revealing the temporal and spectrum evolution of the PEL pulses. Moreover, the wavelength dependence of PEL is observed by spectrally filtering the pulses and is further investigated for individual fiber laser comb lines through beat note measurements with narrow-linewidth cw lasers.