Dual frequency comb generation is a field which has seen considerable interest in recent years, with notable implementations such as dual wavelength operation of a Mode-locked Integrated External-cavity Surface Emit- ting Laser (MIXSEL), CW pumping of orthogonal polarisation states in a microring resonator, and optical phase-locking of discrete frequency combs. Dual frequency operation of CW Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VECSEL) has been demonstrated in a particularly well controlled way using sub-wavelength metallic masks fabricated onto the surface of the laser gain structure. We present a variation of this technique in which patterned loss masks are machined onto a VECSEL cavity mirror using a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD)-enabled femtosecond-laser ablation system, where the DMD is used as an intensity spatial light mod- ulator. Interaction of the loss mask with the laser mode area results in the VECSEL oscillating preferentially on the spatial modes that observe the least loss within the aperture, and modulation of pump power enables control of the oscillating mode frequency separation. We describe the characteristics of the masks and the properties of the laser operation as progress towards eventual pulsed emission. Our technique has the advan- tages of discrete gain and Semiconductor Saturable Absorber Mirror (SESAM) structures, very fast fabrication times and the ability to fabricate multiple apertures on a single mirror.
The THz time domain spectrometer (THz-TDS) has revolutionized the adoption of THz science in fields such as medicine, material characterization, pharmaceutical research and biology among others. Traditionally a THz-TDS was based on a titanium sapphire laser, while most of the commercially sold spectrometers today adopt fiber lasers. Vertical External Cavity Surface emitting lasers or VECSELs have potential to be the future laser of choice for the implementation of THz spectrometers, as they are small, low-cost, low noise and high repetition rate. Here I will outline the progress in our laboratory and the general community concerning VECSEL-THz technology and I will account the problems that have to be solved for the VECSEL-THz technology to succeed.
Tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) is a promising material for mass-producible, multi-functional, integrated photonics circuits on silicon, exhibiting robust electrical, mechanical and thermal properties, as well as good CMOS compatibility. In addition, Ta2O5 has been reported to demonstrate a non-linear response comparable to that of chalcogenide glass, in the region of 3-6 times larger than that of materials such as silica (SiO2) or silicon nitride (Si3N4). In contrast to Si-based dielectrics, it will accept trivalent ytterbium and erbium dopant ions, opening the possibility of on-chip amplification. The high refractive index of Ta2O5 is consistent with small guided mode cross-section area, and allows the construction of micro-ring resonators. Propagation losses as low as 0.2 dB=cm have been reported. In this paper we describe the design of a planar Ta2O5 waveguides optimised for the generation of coherent continuum with near infrared pulse trains at kW peak powers. The Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF) of the VECSEL can be tuned to a sub-harmonic of the planar micro-ring and the optical pump power applied to the VECSEL can be adjusted so that mode-matching of the VECSEL pulse train with the micro-ring resonator can be achieved. We shall describe the fabrication of Ta2O5 guiding structures, and the characterisation of their nonlinear and other optical properties. Characterisation with conventional lasers will be used to assess the degree of coherent spectral broadening likely to be achievable using these devices when driven by mode-locked VECSELs operating near the current state-of- art for pulse energy and duration.
Mode-locked Vertical External-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (ML-VECSELs) have seen advances in pulse energy and peak power thanks to improved power handling techniques and structure designs. The significant increase in gain and intra-cavity power, coupled with the VECSEL's accessible external-cavity, has made the addition of intra-cavity elements for frequency conversion possible even for lossy conversion mechanisms. In this paper, we report a gold-patterned Semiconductor Saturable Absorbing Mirror (SESAM) that functions both as a slow saturable absorber in a ML-VECSEL and as an intracavity strip line Photo-Conductive Antenna (PCA) for THz emission. Here we describe the design of the strip emitter, THz-Time Domain Spectroscopy (TDS) performed with a ML-Yb fibre laser and the mode-locked characterisation of a ML-VECSEL built with the patterned SESAM.
We present reflection z-scan measurements of a quantum well VECSEL gain structure under pumped and unpumped conditions. The implications for the design of mode-locked cavities will be discussed; both in relation to SESAM mode-locked lasers and the possibility of self-mode-locking.
We report a passively mode-locked InGaAs-quantum well VECSEL, emitting a constant pulse train at an average output power of 18 mW and emission wavelength of 1035 nm, with a continuously tunable pulse repetitionfrequency (PRF) between 0.88 - 1.88 GHz. Pulse duration was 230 fs over 80% of that range. Here we propose a technique making use of the demonstrated VECSEL PRF tunability for a resonant frequency-domain pumpprobe spectroscopic technique for acoustic interrogation of nanostructures. Simulation of suitable GHz acoustic resonators to demonstrate this technique is described.
We present a VECSEL based on a gain sample design which utilizes only a single-layer dielectric Al2O3 coating for dispersion management. The gain structure generated pulse durations down to 193 fs in combination with a surface-recombination SESAM, with an average power of 400 mW at 1.6 GHz setting a new peak power record for sub-200 fs mode-locked VECSELs. The pulses obtained were, however, 2x transform-limited and a further FROG measurement of a similar laser is presented revealing a linear chirp and cubic spectral phase.
We present a study of the transient onset of lasing and ultrashort pulse formation in a 1-μm InGaAs/GaAs quantum well (QW) vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) that is mode-locked using an intracavity semiconductor saturable absorber mirror. The intra-cavity power build-up transient is observed following modulation of the laser mode in the cavity. Measuring the rise of the frequency-doubled laser output with respect to the fundamental allows determination of mode-locking onset times and pulse-shortening per round trip. A grating monochromator has been used to resolve the optical spectrum of the fundamental intracavity radiation during pulse formation. Combining both measurements we can begin to provide a comprehensive description of pulse formation in VECSELs.
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