FM and AM mode locking of the homogeneous laser - Part II: Experimental results in a Nd:YAG laser with internal FM modulation
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present experimental results for the Nd:YAG laser with internal phase modulation, and a method to measure the single-pass phase retardation of the modulator accurately at 1.06 μ is described in detail.
Abstract: In Part I of this paper [1], a theoretical analysis of the mode-locked homogeneous laser was given. In this part we present experimental results for the Nd:YAG laser with internal phase modulation. LiNbO 3 was used as the modulator crystal, and a method to measure the single-pass phase retardation of the modulator accurately at 1.06 μ is described in detail. The pulsewidth and spectral width of the mode-locked laser were measured as a function of depth of modulation, and good agreement with theory was obtained. Etalon effects in the laser were observed, and the results agreed very well with the theory. Mode-locked spectral bandwidths of up to 16 GHz, implying mode-locked pulses as short as 40 ps, were obtained.
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the landmarks of the 30-odd-year evolution of ultrashort-pulse laser physics and technology culminating in the generation of intense few-cycle light pulses and discuss the impact of these pulses on high-field physics.
Abstract: The rise time of intense radiation determines the maximum field strength atoms can be exposed to before their polarizability dramatically drops due to the detachment of an outer electron. Recent progress in ultrafast optics has allowed the generation of ultraintense light pulses comprising merely a few field oscillation cycles. The arising intensity gradient allows electrons to survive in their bound atomic state up to external field strengths many times higher than the binding Coulomb field and gives rise to ionization rates comparable to the light frequency, resulting in a significant extension of the frontiers of nonlinear optics and (nonrelativistic) high-field physics. Implications include the generation of coherent harmonic radiation up to kiloelectronvolt photon energies and control of the atomic dipole moment on a subfemtosecond $(1{\mathrm{f}\mathrm{s}=10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}15}\mathrm{}\mathrm{s})$ time scale. This review presents the landmarks of the 30-odd-year evolution of ultrashort-pulse laser physics and technology culminating in the generation of intense few-cycle light pulses and discusses the impact of these pulses on high-field physics. Particular emphasis is placed on high-order harmonic emission and single subfemtosecond extreme ultraviolet/x-ray pulse generation. These as well as other strong-field processes are governed directly by the electric-field evolution, and hence their full control requires access to the (absolute) phase of the light carrier. We shall discuss routes to its determination and control, which will, for the first time, allow access to the electromagnetic fields in light waves and control of high-field interactions with never-before-achieved precision.
2,547 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the requirements for stable ultrashort pulse generation in these novel femtosecond sources are addressed and theoretical considerations are backed up by experimental results obtained with a number of different laser systems.
Abstract: The emergence of new ultrafast optical modulation techniques has opened the way towards a new femtosecond laser technology based on solid-state gain media. The authors address the requirements for stable ultrashort pulse generation in these novel femtosecond sources. The theoretical considerations are backed up by experimental results obtained with a number of different laser systems. The conclusions drawn from the presented theoretical and experimental investigations provide general guidelines for the design and optimization of a wide range of femtosecond solid-state laser oscillators. >
261 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors derived differential equations for forced mode locking of a homogeneously broadened laser in the frequency domain and time domain, and presented simple methods for the analysis of pulse shapes for other than sinusoidal modulation.
Abstract: Differential equations are derived for forced mode locking of a homogeneously broadened laser in the frequency domain and time domain. Simple methods are presented for the analysis of pulse shapes for other than sinusoidal modulation. The higher order Hermite-Gaussian solutions of the synchronous sinusoidal modulation are shown to be unstable and hence unrealizable in the steady state.
255 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, it was shown that the metal-insulating phase transition, observed at the parity-time (PT) symmetry breaking point, is of topological nature and can be expressed in terms of a winding number.
Abstract: The discovery of topological phases in non-Hermitian open classical and quantum systems challenges our current understanding of topological order. Non-Hermitian systems exhibit unique features with no counterparts in topological Hermitian models, such as failure of the conventional bulk-boundary correspondence and non-Hermitian skin effect. Advances in the understanding of the topological properties of non-Hermitian lattices with translational invariance have been reported in several recent studies; however little is known about non-Hermitian quasicrystals. Here we disclose topological phases in a quasicrystal with parity-time (PT) symmetry, described by a non-Hermitian extension of the Aubry-Andre-Harper model. It is shown that the metal-insulating phase transition, observed at the PT symmetry breaking point, is of topological nature and can be expressed in terms of a winding number. A photonic realization of a non-Hermitian quasicrystal is also suggested.
233 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the ultrashort pulse-forming properties of laser systems are reviewed in terms of the master equation time-domain description of mode locking, and the pulse shortening strengths and steady-state operating characteristics of a broad range of modern experimental systems are discussed within the framework of the classic slow-saturable-absorber and fast-Saturable absorbber analytical models.
Abstract: The ultrashort pulse-forming properties of lasers are reviewed in terms of the master equation time-domain description of mode locking. The pulse shortening strengths and steady-state operating characteristics of a broad range of modern experimental systems are discussed within the framework of the classic slow-saturable-absorber and fast-saturable-absorber analytical models.
233 citations
References
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01 Oct 1999
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss various topics about optics, such as geometrical theories, image forming instruments, and optics of metals and crystals, including interference, interferometers, and diffraction.
Abstract: The book is comprised of 15 chapters that discuss various topics about optics, such as geometrical theories, image forming instruments, and optics of metals and crystals. The text covers the elements of the theories of interference, interferometers, and diffraction. The book tackles several behaviors of light, including its diffraction when exposed to ultrasonic waves.
19,503 citations
942 citations
695 citations
TL;DR: In this article, standing wave excitation of two-photon fluorescence in solutions or organic molecules was reported, allowing the direct display and measurement of optical pulses as short as 1−2 × 10−2 sec.
Abstract: Standing wave excitation of two‐photon fluorescence in solutions or organic molecules is reported. The observations allow the direct display and measurement of optical pulses as short as 1−2 × 10−2 sec.
392 citations