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Near-infrared, mode-locked waveguide lasers with multi-GHz repetition rates

Near-infrared, mode-locked waveguide lasers with multi-GHz repetition rates
Near-infrared, mode-locked waveguide lasers with multi-GHz repetition rates
Ultrafast lasers with multi-GHz repetition rates have a range of important applications in optical frequency metrology, non-linear microscopy, optical sampling and for the calibration of astronomical spectrographs. Solid-state waveguide lasers offer various advantages like a low-threshold operation, high laser efficiency, low mode-locking threshold and the possibility for the realization of compact and integrated systems.

We have fabricated low-loss, ion-exchanged channel waveguides in a phosphate-glass doped with Yb3+ and Er3+/Yb3+ for operation around 1 micron and 1.5 micron, respectively. Using the Yb3+:phosphate glass waveguide, mode-locking was achieved at a wavelength of 1052 nm with a repetition rate of 4.9 GHz and a pulse duration of 800 fs at an output power of 80 mW. A commercially available quantum well semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) with a modulation depth of 0.4% was employed for passive mode-locking. Using shorter cavity lengths, repetition rates of 10.4 GHz, 12 GHz and 15.2 GHz were achieved with pulse durations in the range of 750-830 fs.

Mode-locking around 1.5 micron was achieved in the Er3+,Yb3+ co-doped phosphate glass waveguides by using a novel SESAM based on a quantum dot in well (DWELL) structure. Stable, self-starting mode-locked operation was observed at a repetition rate of 4.8 GHz with a pulse width of 2.5 ps and an output power of 9 mW. Using a shorter device length, a repetition rate of 6.8 GHz was achieved, with a pulse-width of 5.4 ps and an output power of 30 mW. The repetition rate was tuned by more than 1 MHz by varying the pump power. This simple technique could offer a way for on-chip stabilization of the repetition frequency from a monolithic waveguide-based laser system.
Choudhary, A.
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Lagatsky, A.A.
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Zhang, Z.Y.
edef997e-19db-418f-915c-f1238707cb42
Zhou, K.J.
bb8343c0-fe4b-4a55-9092-e0b0faa4b7db
Wang, Q.
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Hogg, R.A.
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Pradeesh, K.
d264c1f5-cbaf-42ac-a939-10fce00fa5cb
Rafailov, E.U.
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Sibbett, W.
df1e4663-9f03-4de8-a8e1-aa7b53539213
Brown, C.T.A.
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Shepherd, D.P.
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Choudhary, A.
a5540b54-f153-43e4-a59a-e3ed9360904b
Lagatsky, A.A.
bdf6d8b0-3e63-46d2-9dc8-f89f1366bc17
Zhang, Z.Y.
edef997e-19db-418f-915c-f1238707cb42
Zhou, K.J.
bb8343c0-fe4b-4a55-9092-e0b0faa4b7db
Wang, Q.
55f8a112-bd52-4444-a5ba-88f920bd9a75
Hogg, R.A.
a9139f5f-2b28-4c6d-9a4e-1554d7d4ea0a
Pradeesh, K.
d264c1f5-cbaf-42ac-a939-10fce00fa5cb
Rafailov, E.U.
8eef3bd5-81d4-4319-b9ff-fb8435999529
Sibbett, W.
df1e4663-9f03-4de8-a8e1-aa7b53539213
Brown, C.T.A.
7a30f6bb-ac13-457c-9c14-c6bbc12156c4
Shepherd, D.P.
9fdd51c4-39d6-41b3-9021-4c033c2f4ead

Choudhary, A., Lagatsky, A.A., Zhang, Z.Y., Zhou, K.J., Wang, Q., Hogg, R.A., Pradeesh, K., Rafailov, E.U., Sibbett, W., Brown, C.T.A. and Shepherd, D.P. (2014) Near-infrared, mode-locked waveguide lasers with multi-GHz repetition rates. SPIE Photonics West 2014, , San Francisco, United States. 01 - 06 Feb 2014. (doi:10.1117/12.2035639).

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

Ultrafast lasers with multi-GHz repetition rates have a range of important applications in optical frequency metrology, non-linear microscopy, optical sampling and for the calibration of astronomical spectrographs. Solid-state waveguide lasers offer various advantages like a low-threshold operation, high laser efficiency, low mode-locking threshold and the possibility for the realization of compact and integrated systems.

We have fabricated low-loss, ion-exchanged channel waveguides in a phosphate-glass doped with Yb3+ and Er3+/Yb3+ for operation around 1 micron and 1.5 micron, respectively. Using the Yb3+:phosphate glass waveguide, mode-locking was achieved at a wavelength of 1052 nm with a repetition rate of 4.9 GHz and a pulse duration of 800 fs at an output power of 80 mW. A commercially available quantum well semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) with a modulation depth of 0.4% was employed for passive mode-locking. Using shorter cavity lengths, repetition rates of 10.4 GHz, 12 GHz and 15.2 GHz were achieved with pulse durations in the range of 750-830 fs.

Mode-locking around 1.5 micron was achieved in the Er3+,Yb3+ co-doped phosphate glass waveguides by using a novel SESAM based on a quantum dot in well (DWELL) structure. Stable, self-starting mode-locked operation was observed at a repetition rate of 4.8 GHz with a pulse width of 2.5 ps and an output power of 9 mW. Using a shorter device length, a repetition rate of 6.8 GHz was achieved, with a pulse-width of 5.4 ps and an output power of 30 mW. The repetition rate was tuned by more than 1 MHz by varying the pump power. This simple technique could offer a way for on-chip stabilization of the repetition frequency from a monolithic waveguide-based laser system.

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More information

Published date: February 2014
Venue - Dates: SPIE Photonics West 2014, , San Francisco, United States, 2014-02-01 - 2014-02-06
Organisations: Optoelectronics Research Centre

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 363256
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/363256
PURE UUID: 2f0fba5f-239d-4439-ba90-23f28a45e996
ORCID for D.P. Shepherd: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4561-8184

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 21 Mar 2014 12:08
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:40

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Contributors

Author: A. Choudhary
Author: A.A. Lagatsky
Author: Z.Y. Zhang
Author: K.J. Zhou
Author: Q. Wang
Author: R.A. Hogg
Author: K. Pradeesh
Author: E.U. Rafailov
Author: W. Sibbett
Author: C.T.A. Brown
Author: D.P. Shepherd ORCID iD

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