Energy Scaling of Infrared Femtosecond Pulses by Dual-Chirped Optical Parametric Amplification
TL;DR: In this article, an energy-scaling experiment on a femtosecond infrared pulse using dual-chirped optical parametric amplification (DC-OPA) was presented.
Abstract: We present an energy-scaling experiment on a femtosecond infrared pulse using dual-chirped optical parametric amplification (DC-OPA) A total output energy exceeding 100 mJ with 36-fs pulse duration was achieved in the infrared region, which is the highest energy ever reported for an ultrafast optical parametric amplifier scheme We also discuss the generation of high-energy 15–30–THz pulses through difference frequency generation between chirped signal and idler pulses based on DC-OPA By manipulating the phase of a seed pulse in the DC-OPA system, the spectral phase of a THz pulse can be indirectly controlled precisely, which is very helpful for compressing THz pulses
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TL;DR: In this article, a carrier-envelope phase stable X-ray source was proposed for near-edge absorption spectroscopy with attosecond time resolution and high harmonic generation.
Abstract: As a compact and burgeoning alternative to synchrotron radiation and free-electron lasers, high harmonic generation has proven its superiority in static and time-resolved XUV spectroscopy for the past two decades and has recently gained many interests and successes in generating soft X-ray emissions covering the biologically important water window spectral region. Unlike synchrotron and free-electron sources, which suffer from relatively long pulse width or large time jitter, soft X-ray sources from high harmonic generation could offer attosecond time resolution and be synchronized with their driving field to investigate time-resolved near edge absorption spectroscopy, which could reveal rich structural and dynamical information of the interrogated samples. In this paper, we review recent progresses on generating and characterizing attosecond light sources in the water window region. We show our development of an energetic, two-cycle, carrier-envelope phase stable laser source at 1.7~$\mu$m and our achievement in producing a 53~attosecond soft X-ray pulse covering the carbon K-edge in the water window. Such source paves the ways for the next generation X-ray spectroscopy with unprecedented temporal resolution.
62 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used a dual-chirped optical parametric amplification (DC-OPA) scheme using MgO:LiNbO3 crystals to generate a 31mJ mid-infrared (MIR) pulse with a repetition rate of 10Hz near 3.3μm.
Abstract: We report on the generation of a 31 mJ mid-infrared (MIR) pulse with a repetition rate of 10 Hz near 3.3 μm by a dual-chirped optical parametric amplification (DC-OPA) scheme using MgO:LiNbO3 crystals. The MIR pulse is compressed to 70 fs (6.3 optical cycles), which is close to the transform-limited duration of 66 fs, by a CaF2 bulk compressor with 70% throughput efficiency, resulting in 0.3 TW peak power. Our demonstration presents notable progress in the generation of high-energy MIR pulses and proves that DC-OPA is a suitable method for efficiently generating few-cycle MIR pulses with TW-class peak power.
40 citations
TL;DR: This work successfully generates a multi-TW IR femtosecond laser pulse with an energy of 100 mJ order, which is higher than that reported in previous works, and obtains excellent energy scaling ability, ultrashort pulses, flexible wavelength tunability, and high-energy stability, which prove that DC-OPA is a superior method for the energy scaling of IR pulses to the 10 J/PW level.
Abstract: Expansion of the wavelength range for an ultrafast laser is an important ingredient for extending its range of applications. Conventionally, optical parametric amplification (OPA) has been employed to expand the laser wavelength to the infrared (IR) region. However, the achievable pulse energy and peak power have been limited to the mJ and the GW level, respectively. A major difficulty in the further energy scaling of OPA results from a lack of suitable large nonlinear crystals. Here, we circumvent this difficulty by employing a dual-chirped optical parametric amplification (DC-OPA) scheme. We successfully generate a multi-TW IR femtosecond laser pulse with an energy of 100 mJ order, which is higher than that reported in previous works. We also obtain excellent energy scaling ability, ultrashort pulses, flexiable wavelength tunability, and high-energy stability, which prove that DC-OPA is a superior method for the energy scaling of IR pulses to the 10 J/PW level.
30 citations
TL;DR: This work contributes experimental demonstrations and comprehensive comparisons of various modulation and coding techniques for 200 Gb/s intensity modulation and direct detection links including four-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4), PAM-6, trellis-coded modulation over PAM and discrete multi-tone (DMT) transmission.
Abstract: This work contributes experimental demonstrations and comprehensive comparisons of various modulation and coding techniques for 200 Gb/s intensity modulation and direct detection links including four-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4), PAM-6, trellis-coded modulation (TCM) over PAM and discrete multi-tone (DMT) transmission. Both C-band Mach-Zehnder modulator and O-band electro-absorption modulated laser transmitters were examined for intra-data center applications based on state-of-the-art commercial components.
25 citations
TL;DR: There exists a performance balance among linewidth narrowing, output power and SBS threshold, and the output coupling exerted a significant influence on the BTFL performance.
Abstract: In this paper, an ultra-narrow linewidth hybrid Brillouin/thulium fiber laser (BTFL) was demonstrated. By optimizing the output coupling, pump scheme, fiber length and Brillouin pump power for the linewidth narrowing, 344-mW output power with a narrow linewidth of 0.93 kHz was obtained from the BTFL, in which the linewidth of Stokes light was suppressed more than 43 times compared with the 40 kHz linewidth of the Brillouin pump. Besides, the influences of output coupling and pump scheme on the power and linewidth behavior of a single-frequency BTFL were also experimentally investigated, and there exists a performance balance among linewidth narrowing, output power and SBS threshold. The output coupling exerted a significant influence on the BTFL performance.
19 citations
References
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TL;DR: During strong-field multiphoton ionization, a wave packet is formed each time the laser field passes its maximum value, and one important parameter which determines the strength of these effects is the rate at which the wave packet spreads in the direction perpendicular to the laser electric field.
Abstract: During strong-field multiphoton ionization, a wave packet is formed each time the laser field passes its maximum value Within the first laser period after ionization there is a significant probability that the electron will return to the vicinity of the ion with very high kinetic energy High-harmonic generation, multiphoton two-electron ejection, and very high energy above-threshold-ionization electrons are all conssequences of this electron-ion interaction One important parameter which determines the strength of these effects is the rate at which the wave packet spreads in the direction perpendicular to the laser electric field; another is the polarization of the laser It will be essential for experimentalists to be aware of these crucial parameters in future experiments
5,334 citations
Proceedings Article•
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TL;DR: In this paper, an attosecond "oscilloscope" was used to visualize the oscillating electric field of visible light with an oscillator and probe multi-electron dynamics in atoms, molecules and solids.
Abstract: Summary form only given. Fundamental processes in atoms, molecules, as well as condensed matter are triggered or mediated by the motion of electrons inside or between atoms. Electronic dynamics on atomic length scales tends to unfold within tens to thousands of attoseconds (1 attosecond [as] = 10-18 s). Recent breakthroughs in laser science are now opening the door to watching and controlling these hitherto inaccessible microscopic dynamics. The key to accessing the attosecond time domain is the control of the electric field of (visible) light, which varies its strength and direction within less than a femtosecond (1 femtosecond = 1000 attoseconds). Atoms exposed to a few oscillations cycles of intense laser light are able to emit a single extreme ultraviolet (XUV) burst lasting less than one femtosecond. Full control of the evolution of the electromagnetic field in laser pulses comprising a few wave cycles have recently allowed the reproducible generation and measurement of isolated sub-femtosecond XUV pulses, demonstrating the control of microscopic processes (electron motion and photon emission) on an attosecond time scale. These tools have enabled us to visualize the oscillating electric field of visible light with an attosecond "oscilloscope", to control single-electron and probe multi-electron dynamics in atoms, molecules and solids. Recent experiments hold promise for the development of an attosecond X-ray source, which may pave the way towards 4D electron imaging with sub-atomic resolution in space and time.
1,618 citations
"Energy Scaling of Infrared Femtosec..." refers background in this paper
...investigating the effect of the magnetic component of laser fields [2], studying the role of the coulomb potential in electron ionization and revisiting [3], and so forth [1], [4]....
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...source through the interaction between an intense laser field with atoms or molecules [4]–[6], a high-energy IR femtosecond laser source is a highly desirable tool for extending the photon energy of HHG [7]–[10]....
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors summarized the recent progress in the development of ultrafast optical parametric amplifiers, giving the basic design principles for different frequency ranges and in addition presenting some advanced designs for the generation of ultrabroadband, few-optical-cycle pulses.
Abstract: Over the last decade there have been spectacular developments in ultrafast laser technology, due to the introduction of solid state active materials and of new mode-locking and amplification techniques. These advances, together with the discovery of new nonlinear optical crystals, have fostered the introduction of ultrafast optical parametric amplifiers as a practical source of femtosecond pulses tunable across the visible and infrared spectral ranges. This article summarizes the recent progress in the development of ultrafast optical parametric amplifiers, giving the basic design principles for different frequency ranges and in addition presenting some advanced designs for the generation of ultrabroadband, few-optical-cycle pulses. Finally, we also briefly discuss the possibility of applying parametric amplification schemes to large-scale, petawatt-level systems.
914 citations
"Energy Scaling of Infrared Femtosec..." refers background or methods in this paper
...In fact, a BBO crystal has a much broader phase-match bandwidth in the 1–2 μm under a type-I cutting angle [15] when it is pumped by a Ti:sapphire laser (800 nm)....
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...tion with an angle of less than 1° was employed in the second stage, the idler pulse had a angular dispersion [15], [18]....
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TL;DR: In this article, the results of laser-induced breakdown experiments in fused silica (SiO2) employing 150 fs −7 ns, 780 nm laser pulses are reported and the avalanche ionization mechanism is found to dominate over the entire pulse width range.
Abstract: Results of laser‐induced breakdown experiments in fused silica (SiO2) employing 150 fs–7 ns, 780 nm laser pulses are reported. The avalanche ionization mechanism is found to dominate over the entire pulse‐width range. Fluence breakdown threshold does not follow the scaling of Fth∼ √τp, when pulses are shorter than 10 ps. The impact ionization coefficient of SiO2 is measured up to ∼3×108 V/cm. The relative role of photoionization in breakdown for ultrashort pulses is discussed.
848 citations
"Energy Scaling of Infrared Femtosec..." refers methods in this paper
...The maximum acceptable laser intensity for the AGSe crystal is ∼20 GW/cm2, as estimated using the empirical square root scaling law [33]....
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TL;DR: Phase-locked terahertz transients with peak electric fields of 108 MV/cm and center frequencies continuously tunable from 10 to 72 THz are generated via difference-frequency mixing of two parametrically amplified pulse trains from a single white-light seed.
Abstract: Phase-locked terahertz transients with peak electric fields of 108 MV/cm and center frequencies continuously tunable from 10 to 72 THz are generated via difference-frequency mixing of two parametrically amplified pulse trains from a single white-light seed. Free space electro-optic sampling with 8 fs gating pulses from a two-branch Er:fiber laser allows us to monitor all transients directly in the time domain. We identify extreme terahertz nonlinearities in the detector crystal with subcycle resolution.
430 citations
"Energy Scaling of Infrared Femtosec..." refers background in this paper
..., 10–30–THz with a wavelength of 10-30 μm), the pulse energy is only of microjoule order [24], [25]....
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