1
|
Jayalath Arachchige C, Stephen JA, Hammond TJ. Amplification of femtosecond pulses based on χ (3) nonlinear susceptibility in MgO. OPTICS LETTERS 2021; 46:5521-5524. [PMID: 34724516 DOI: 10.1364/ol.437749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We experimentally demonstrate large, widely tunable gain using Kerr instability amplification in MgO. By pumping the crystal near optical damage at 1.4×1013W/cm2 by a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser, we amplify visible and near-infrared pulses by factors >5000 or a gain g≈17/mm. We temporally characterize the pulses to show that they are 42 fs in duration, much shorter than the pump pulse. In the non-collinear setup, the angle between the pump and seed selects the amplified wavelength, where we find certain angles amplify both the visible and near-infrared simultaneously. We find that near the maximum pumping intensities, higher-order nonlinearities may play a role in the amplification process.
Collapse
|
2
|
Liu X, Wang H, Cao H, Yuan H, Huang P, Wang Y, Zhao W, Fu Y. Dispersed pulses created by aperiodic binary spectral phase jump and applications for pulse shaping. OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 29:12319-12329. [PMID: 33984994 DOI: 10.1364/oe.419450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Inspired by pulse-pair generation with periodic phase jump, the generation of dispersed pulses with aperiodic binary spectral phase jump (ABSPJ) is proposed and theoretically investigated. It is presented by the numerical simulations that two dispersed pulses can be generated by ABSPJ of π. The dispersion of one pulse is opposite to the other and can be tuned freely with engineering of the phase jump. The generated dispersed pulse-pair is potentially of great interest for various applications, such as two-dimensional spectroscopy, double pulses laser-wakefield acceleration (LWFA) and chirp management in dual-chirped optical parametric amplification (DC-OPA) system to generate TW single-cycle mid-infrared (MIR) pulses. Furthermore, a pulse shaper configured as a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) located at the Fourier plane of a 4-f dispersion-free compressor is suggested and the implementation in a high repetition optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) system with picosecond pump has been numerically studied. The simulations showed that MEMS of 900 pixels is enough to pre-compensate TOD of 200000 fs3 for a pulse of 20 fs. Because pixel with only two piston-levels is necessary for such MEMS, the pulse shaper is expected to be compact and reliable.
Collapse
|
3
|
Wan Y, Chang W. Effect of decreasing pressure on soliton self-compression in higher-order modes of a gas-filled capillary. OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 29:7070-7083. [PMID: 33726215 DOI: 10.1364/oe.418217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We numerically investigate soliton self-compression in the higher-order modes of a gas-filled capillary with decreasing pressure. We demonstrate four times enhancement in the compression with the decreasing pressure compared to the equivalent constant pressure case in the HE12 mode, reaching sub-cycle duration of 1.85 fs at its output. Moreover, the negative pressure gradient effectively suppresses the intermodal coupling in the later stage of the compressor, which helps to maintain high output mode purity. These findings are of direct benefit for applications that require ultrashort light pulses in unconventional spatial beam profiles, including in nonlinear frequency conversion, microscopy, micromachining, and particle manipulation.
Collapse
|
4
|
Musheghyan M, Lücking F, Cheng Z, Frei H, Assion A. 0.24 TW ultrabroadband, CEP-stable multipass Ti:Sa amplifier. OPTICS LETTERS 2019; 44:1464-1467. [PMID: 30874677 DOI: 10.1364/ol.44.001464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate a single-stage, multipass Ti:sapphire amplifier capable of delivering sub-13 fs, 3.2 mJ pulses at a 1 kHz repetition rate. Gaussian filters are used to suppress the gain-narrowing effect, thereby enabling the achievement of an ultrabroadband flat-top spectrum with a FWHM>130 nm. The carrier-envelope phase (CEP) of the output pulses is actively stabilized via the feed-forward scheme (for the oscillator) and a fast 1 kHz f-to-2f interferometer, which corrects the amplifier-induced CEP drift. The single-shot 75 h CEP measurement yielded rms noise of <150 mrad.
Collapse
|
5
|
Universal route to optimal few- to single-cycle pulse generation in hollow-core fiber compressors. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2256. [PMID: 29396420 PMCID: PMC5797182 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20580-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Gas-filled hollow-core fiber (HCF) pulse post-compressors generating few- to single-cycle pulses are a key enabling tool for attosecond science and ultrafast spectroscopy. Achieving optimum performance in this regime can be extremely challenging due to the ultra-broad bandwidth of the pulses and the need of an adequate temporal diagnostic. These difficulties have hindered the full exploitation of HCF post-compressors, namely the generation of stable and high-quality near-Fourier-transform-limited pulses. Here we show that, independently of conditions such as the type of gas or the laser system used, there is a universal route to obtain the shortest stable output pulse down to the single-cycle regime. Numerical simulations and experimental measurements performed with the dispersion-scan technique reveal that, in quite general conditions, post-compressed pulses exhibit a residual third-order dispersion intrinsic to optimum nonlinear propagation within the fiber, in agreement with measurements independently performed in several laboratories around the world. The understanding of this effect and its adequate correction, e.g. using simple transparent optical media, enables achieving high-quality post-compressed pulses with only minor changes in existing setups. These optimized sources have impact in many fields of science and technology and should enable new and exciting applications in the few- to single-cycle pulse regime.
Collapse
|
6
|
Rohrbacher A, Olarte OE, Villamaina V, Loza-Alvarez P, Resan B. Multiphoton imaging with blue-diode-pumped SESAM-modelocked Ti:sapphire oscillator generating 5 nJ 82 fs pulses. OPTICS EXPRESS 2017; 25:10677-10684. [PMID: 28468438 DOI: 10.1364/oe.25.010677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We report a directly blue diode pumped Ti:Sapphire oscillator that generates 5 nJ pulses. This is five times higher pulse energy than previously reported for a directly diode pumped Ti:sapphire laser. With 460 mW of average power at 92 MHz and 82 fs pulses, its peak power reaches 61 kW, also several times higher the value than previously published. Direct diode pumping significantly reduces the complexity and therefore the footprint and the cost of the laser, while SESAM modelocking ensures reliable selfstarting and robust operation. Such a laser is ideally suited for biomedical imaging and nanostructuring applications. As a demonstration of sufficient peak power for microscopy applications, we perform different modalities of nonlinear microscopy of biological samples.
Collapse
|
7
|
Burton H, Debardelaben C, Amir W, Planchon TA. Temperature dependence of Ti:Sapphire fluorescence spectra for the design of cryogenic cooled Ti:Sapphire CPA laser. OPTICS EXPRESS 2017; 25:6954-6962. [PMID: 28381037 PMCID: PMC5772427 DOI: 10.1364/oe.25.006954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Revised: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The fluorescence spectra of titanium doped sapphire (Ti:Sapphire) crystals were measured for temperature ranging from 300K to 77K. The resulting gain cross-section line shapes were calculated and used in a three-dimensional amplification model to illustrate the importance of the precise knowledge of these fluorescence spectra for the design of cryogenic cooled Ti:Sapphire based chirped-pulse laser amplifiers.
Collapse
|
8
|
Quantum Path Interference and Multiple Electron Scattering in Soft X-Ray High-Order Harmonic Generation. PHOTONICS 2015. [DOI: 10.3390/photonics2010104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
9
|
Li L, Yu Y, Wang G, Zhang L, Lin Z. Crystal growth, spectral properties and crystal field analysis of Cr3+:MgWO4. CrystEngComm 2013. [DOI: 10.1039/c3ce40483h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
10
|
Zhu J, Tanigawa T, Chen T, Fang S, Yamane K, Sekikawa T, Yamashita M. Ultrabroadband spectral amplitude modulation using a liquid crystal spatial light modulator with ultraviolet-to-near-infrared bandwidth. APPLIED OPTICS 2010; 49:350-357. [PMID: 20090799 DOI: 10.1364/ao.49.000350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The first demonstration to our knowledge in the spectral range from 300 to 1100 nm is presented for the amplitude modulation characteristics of a two-channel 648-pixel liquid crystal spatial light modulator. The broadest spectral amplitude modulation for UV (380-420 nm) and visible-to-near-IR (500-900 nm) pulses to generate a spectral-shifted pulse pair is experimentally realized. The results show that the liquid crystal spatial light modulator has a potential application for attosecond extreme-UV pulse characterization with the conventional SPIDER algorithm and the capability to shape monocycle optical pulses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiangfeng Zhu
- Department of Applied Physics, Hokkaido University, Kita-13, Nishi-8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8628, Japan.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Seres J, Seres E, Spielmann C. Monitoring the He+ ion channel formation by high-order harmonic generation. OPTICS EXPRESS 2009; 17:1493-1501. [PMID: 19188978 DOI: 10.1364/oe.17.001493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The macroscopic build-up of the high-order harmonic signal depends on the free electron density in the generation medium. The free electrons affect the harmonic yield and spectral shape through modifying the refractive index and the phase matching conditions. These dependences allow studying the He(+) ion channel formation in a He gas jet. The evolution of an ion channel created by an ultrashort laser pulse via optical field ionization was monitored using the harmonic signal generated by a collinear propagating second laser pulse. From the measured high harmonic signal as function of the delay we are able to gain information about the free electron density. Under our experimental condition, the ion channel has been fully formed 300 fs after the first laser pulse, resulting in an enhancement of harmonic yield of the second laser pulse by two orders of magnitude.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jozsef Seres
- Universität Würzburg, Physikalisches Institut, Würzburg, Germany.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Amani Eilanlou A, Nabekawa Y, Ishikawa KL, Takahashi H, Midorikawa K. Direct amplification of terawatt sub-10-fs pulses in a CPA system of Ti:sapphire laser. OPTICS EXPRESS 2008; 16:13431-13438. [PMID: 18711582 DOI: 10.1364/oe.16.013431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
We have developed a chirped pulse amplification system of Ti:sapphire laser generating a 9.9 fs pulse with a pulse energy of 11 mJ at a repetition rate of 10 Hz. Spectral narrowing during amplification is successfully compensated by using specially designed partial mirrors and broadband high-damage-threshold mirrors. This is the first demonstration, to the best of our knowledge, of the direct amplification of terawatt sub-10-fs pulses in a chirped pulse amplification system of Ti:sapphire laser.
Collapse
|
13
|
Liu H, Mu G, Lin L, Fan Z. Pulse compression beyond the Fourier-transform limit. JOURNAL OF THE OPTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA. A, OPTICS, IMAGE SCIENCE, AND VISION 2006; 23:848-57. [PMID: 16604766 DOI: 10.1364/josaa.23.000848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Theories of a technique for compression of an ultrashort femtosecond laser pulse beyond its Fourier-transform limit based on the pulse shaping technique are proposed. The technique is called superresolution in time domain (STD). Global optimization theories for the design of a mask to modulate the spectrum of an input pulse to obtain a STD output pulse are proposed. Several design examples illustrate the feasibility of STD. Some fundamental limits of STD are also provided.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haitao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Opto-electronic Information Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Modern Optics, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Seres J, Seres E, Verhoef AJ, Tempea G, Streli C, Wobrauschek P, Yakovlev V, Scrinzi A, Spielmann C, Krausz F. Source of coherent kiloelectronvolt X-rays. Nature 2005; 433:596. [PMID: 15703738 DOI: 10.1038/433596a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 241] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Generating X-rays that have the properties of laser light has been a long-standing goal for experimental science. Here we describe the emission of highly collimated, spatially coherent X-rays, at a wavelength of about 1 nanometre and at photon energies extending to 1.3 kiloelectronvolts, from atoms that have been ionized by a 5-femtosecond laser pulse. This means that a laboratory source of laser-like, kiloelectronvolt X-rays, which will operate on timescales relevant to many chemical, biological and materials problems, is now within reach.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Seres
- Institut für Photonik, Technische Universität Wien, 1040 Wien, Austria
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Zinkstok RT, Witte S, Hogervorst W, Eikema KSE. High-power parametric amplification of 11.8-fs laser pulses with carrier-envelope phase control. OPTICS LETTERS 2005; 30:78-80. [PMID: 15648644 DOI: 10.1364/ol.30.000078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Phase-stable parametric chirped-pulse amplification of ultrashort pulses from a carrier-envelope phase-stabilized mode-locked Ti:sapphire oscillator (11.0 fs) to 0.25 mJ/pulse at 1 kHz is demonstrated. Compression with a grating compressor and a LCD shaper yields near-Fourier-limited 11.8-fs pulses with an energy of 0.12 mJ. The amplifier is pumped by 532-nm pulses from a synchronized mode-locked laser, Nd:YAG amplifier system. This approach is shown to be promising for the next generation of ultrafast amplifiers aimed at producing terawatt-level phase-controlled few-cycle laser pulses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Th Zinkstok
- Atomic, Molecular, and Laser Physics Group, Laser Centre Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Fernandez A, Fuji T, Poppe A, Fürbach A, Krausz F, Apolonski A. Chirped-pulse oscillators: a route to high-power femtosecond pulses without external amplification. OPTICS LETTERS 2004; 29:1366-1368. [PMID: 15233437 DOI: 10.1364/ol.29.001366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate a Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire oscillator that generates 130-nJ, 26-fs and 220-nJ, 30-fs pulses at a repetition rate of 11 MHz. The generation of stable broadband, high-energy pulses from an extended-cavity oscillator is achieved by the use of chirped multilayer mirrors to produce a small net positive dispersion over a broad spectral range. The resultant chirped picosecond pulses are compressed by a dispersive delay line that is external to the laser cavity. The demonstrated peak powers, in excess of 5 MW, are to our knowledge the highest ever achieved from a cw-pumped laser and are expected to be scalable to tens of megawatts by an increase in the pump power and (or) a decrease in the repetition rate. The demonstrated source permits micromachining of any materials under relaxed focusing conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Fernandez
- Photonics Institute, Christian Doppler Laboratory, Vienna University of Technology, Gusshausstrasse 27, A-1040 Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Seres E, Seres J, Krausz F, Spielmann C. Generation of coherent soft-X-ray radiation extending far beyond the titanium L edge. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2004; 92:163002. [PMID: 15169224 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.92.163002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2003] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Coherent soft-x-ray radiation up to photon energies of 700 eV is obtained by focusing several-mJ, 10-fs near infrared laser pulses into a He gas jet. The observed nearly constant photon yield over several hundred eVs may be attributed to nonadiabatic self-phase matching, originating from a substantial ionization within a fraction of the optical cycle of the driving laser pulse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Enikö Seres
- Institut für Photonik, Technische Universität Wien, Gusshausstrasse 27/387, 1040 Wien, Austria
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Nabekawa Y, Midorikawa K. High-order pulse front tilt caused by high-order angular dispersion. OPTICS EXPRESS 2003; 11:3365-3376. [PMID: 19471467 DOI: 10.1364/oe.11.003365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We have found general expressions relating the high-order pulse front tilt and the high-order angular dispersion in an ultrashort pulse, for the first time to our knowledge. The general formulae based on Fermat's principle are applicable for any ultrashort pulse with angular dispersion in the limit of geometrical optics. By virtue of these formulae, we can calculate the high-order pulse front tilt in the sub-20-fs UV pulse generated in a novel scheme of sum-frequency mixing in a nonlinear crystal accompanied by angular dispersion. It is also demonstrated how the high-order angular dispersion can be eliminated in the calculation.
Collapse
|