Pulse shortening of gain switched single mode semiconductor lasers using a variable delay interferometer

We propose a pulse shaping and shortening technique for pulses generated from gain switched single mode semiconductor lasers, based on a Mach Zehnder interferometer with variable delay. The spectral and temporal characteristics of the pulses obtained with the proposed technique are investigated with numerical simulations. Experiments are performed with a Distributed Feedback laser and a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser, emitting at 1.5 µm, obtaining pulse duration reduction of 25-30%. The main asset of the proposed technique is that it can be applied to different devices and pulses, taking advantage of the flexibility of the gain switching technique.

High-frequency signal generation using 1550 nm VCSEL subject to two-frequency optical injection

We experimentally investigate high-frequency microwave signal generation using a 1550 nm single-mode VCSEL subject to two-frequency optical injection. We first consider a situation in which the injected signals come from two similar VCSELs. The polarization of the injected light is parallel to that of the injected VCSEL. We obtain that the VCSEL can be locked to one of the injected signals, but the observed microwave signal is originated by beating at the photodetector. In a second situation we consider injected signals that come from two external cavity tunable lasers with a significant increase of the injected power with respect to the VCSEL-by-VCSEL injection case. The polarization of the injected light is orthogonal to that of the free-running slave VCSEL. We show that in this case it is possible to generate a microwave signal inside the VCSEL cavity. © (2013) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Vertical-cavity semiconductor optical amplifiers (VCSOAs) as optical sensing elements

Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers (SOAs) have mainly found application in optical telecommunication networks for optical signal regeneration, wavelength switching or wavelength conversion. The objective of this paper is to report the use of semiconductor optical amplifiers for optical sensing taking into account their optical bistable properties. As it was previously reported, some semiconductor optical amplifiers, including Fabry-Perot and Distributed-Feedback Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers (FPSOAs and DFBSOAs), may exhibit optical bistability. The characteristics of the attained optical bistability in this kind of devices are strongly dependent on different parameters including wavelength, temperature or applied bias current and small variations lead to a change on their bistable properties. As in previous analyses for Fabry-Perot and DFB SOAs, the variations of these parameters and their possible application for optical sensing are reported in this paper for the case of the Vertical-Cavity Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (VCSOA). When using a VCSOA, the input power needed for the appearance of optical bistability is one order of magnitude lower than that needed in edge-emitting devices. This feature, added to the low manufacturing costs of VCSOAs and the ease to integrate them in 2-D arrays, makes the VCSOA a very promising device for its potential use in optical sensing applications.

Low-power vertical cavity NAND gate

The study of the Vertical-Cavity Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers (VCSOAs) for optical signal processing applications is increasing his interest. Due to their particular structure, the VCSOAs present some advantages when compared to their edge-emitting counterparts including low manufacturing costs, high coupling efficiency to optical fibers and the ease to fabricate 2-D arrays of this kind of devices. As a consequence, all-optical logic gates based on VCSOAs may be very promising devices for their use in optical computing and optical switching in communications. Moreover, since all the boolean logic functions can be implemented by combining NAND logic gates, the development of a Vertical-Cavity NAND gate would be of particular interest. In this paper, the characteristics of the dispersive optical bistability appearing on a VCSOA operated in reflection are studied. A progressive increment of the number of layers compounding the top Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) of the VCSOA results on a change on the shape of the appearing bistability from an S-shape to a clockwise bistable loop. This resulting clockwise bistability has high on-off contrast ratio and input power requirements one order of magnitude lower than those needed for edge-emitting devices. Based on these results, an all-optical vertical-cavity NAND gate with high on-off contrast ratio and an input power for operation of only 10|i\V will be reported in this paper.

Modeling Reflective Bistability in Vertical-Cavity Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers

The characteristics of optical bistability in a vertical- cavity semiconductor optical amplifier (VCSOA) operated in reflection are reported. The dependences of the optical bistability in VCSOAs on the initial phase detuning and on the applied bias current are analyzed. The optical bistability is also studied for different numbers of superimposed periods in the top distributed bragg reflector (DBR) that conform the internal cavity of the device. The appearance of the X-bistable and the clockwise bistable loops is predicted theoretically in a VCSOA operated in reflection for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. Moreover, it is also predicted that the control of the VCSOA’s top reflectivity by the addition of new superimposed periods in its top DBR reduces by one order of magnitude the input power needed for the assessment of the X- and the clockwise bistable loop, compared to that required in in-plane semiconductor optical amplifiers. These results, added to the ease of fabricating two-dimensional arrays of this kind of device could be useful for the development of new optical logic or optical signal regeneration devices.

Experimental and numerical study of cw green laser crystallization of a-Si:H thin films

Crystallization and grain growth technique of thin film silicon are among the most promising methods for improving efficiency and lowering cost of solar cells. A major advantage of laser crystallization and annealing over conventional heating methods is its ability to limit rapid heating and cooling to thin surface layers. Laser energy is used to heat the amorphous silicon thin film, melting it and changing the microstructure to polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) as it cools. Depending on the laser density, the vaporization temperature can be reached at the center of the irradiated area. In these cases ablation effects are expected and the annealing process becomes ineffective. The heating process in the a-Si thin film is governed by the general heat transfer equation. The two dimensional non-linear heat transfer equation with a moving heat source is solve numerically using the finite element method (FEM), particularly COMSOL Multiphysics. The numerical model help to establish the density and the process speed range needed to assure the melting and crystallization without damage or ablation of the silicon surface. The samples of a-Si obtained by physical vapour deposition were irradiated with a cw-green laser source (Millennia Prime from Newport-Spectra) that delivers up to 15 W of average power. The morphology of the irradiated area was characterized by confocal laser scanning microscopy (Leica DCM3D) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM Hitachi 3000N). The structural properties were studied by micro-Raman spectroscopy (Renishaw, inVia Raman microscope).

Study of a-Si crystallization dependence on power and irradiation time using a CW green laser

An advantage of laser crystallization over conventional heating methods is its ability to limit rapid heating and cooling to thin surface layers. Laser energy is used to heat the a-Si thin film to change the microstructure to poly-Si. Thin film samples of a-Si were irradiated with a CW-green laser source. Laser irradiated spots were produced by using different laser powers and irradiation times. These parameters are identified as key variables in the crystallization process. The power threshold for crystallization is reduced as the irradiation time is increased. When this threshold is reached the crystalline fraction increases lineally with power for each irradiation time. The experimental results are analysed with the aid of a numerical thermal model and the presence of two crystallization mechanisms are observed: one due to melting and the other due to solid phase transformation.

Top-Hat HELLISH-VCSOA for optical amplification and wavelength conversion for 0.85 to 1.3ìm operation

The Top-Hat hot electron light emission and lasing in semiconductor heterostructure (HELLISH)-vertical cavity semiconductor optical amplifier (VCSOA) is a modified version of a HELLISH-VCSOA device. It has a shorter p-channel and longer n-channel. The device studied in this work consists of a simple GaAs p-i-n junction, containing 11 Ga0.35In0.65 N0.02As0.08/GaAs multiple quantum wells in its intrinsic region; the active region is enclosed between six pairs of GaAs/AlAs top distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) mirrors and 20.5 pairs of AlAs/GaAs bottom DBR mirrors. The operation of the device is based on longitudinal current transport parallel to the layers of the GaAs p-n junction. The device is characterised through I-V-L and by spectral photoluminescence, electroluminescence and electro-photoluminescence measurements. An amplification of about 25 dB is observed at applied voltages of around V = 88 V.

UV laser-induced high resolution cleaving of Si wafers for micro-nano devices and polymeric waveguide characterization

In this work we propose a method for cleaving silicon-based photonic chips by using a laser based micromachining system, consisting of a ND:YVO4laser emitting at 355 nm in nanosecond pulse regime and a micropositioning system. The laser makes grooved marks placed at the desired locations and directions where cleaves have to be initiated, and after several processing steps, a crack appears and propagate along the crystallographic planes of the silicon wafer. This allows cleavage of the chips automatically and with high positioning accuracy, and provides polished vertical facets with better quality than the obtained with other cleaving process, which eases the optical characterization of photonic devices. This method has been found to be particularly useful when cleaving small-sized chips, where manual cleaving is hard to perform; and also for polymeric waveguides, whose facets get damaged or even destroyed with polishing or manual cleaving processing. Influence of length of the grooved line and speed of processing is studied for a variety of silicon chips. An application for cleaving and characterizing sol–gel waveguides is presented. The total amount of light coupled is higher than when using any other procedure.

Laser Shock Processing: An Emerging Technique for the Enhancement of Surface Properties and Fatigue Life of High Strength Metal Alloys

Profiting by the increasing availability of laser sources delivering intensities above 10 9 W/cm 2 with pulse energies in the range of several Joules and pulse widths in the range of nanoseconds, laser shock processing (LSP) is being consolidating as an effective technology for the improvement of surface mechanical and corrosion resistance properties of metals and is being developed as a practical process amenable to production engineering. The main acknowledged advantage of the laser shock processing technique consists on its capability of inducing a relatively deep compression residual stresses field into metallic alloy pieces allowing an improved mechanical behaviour, explicitly, the life improvement of the treated specimens against wear, crack growth and stress corrosion cracking. Following a short description of the theoretical/computational and experimental methods developed by the authors for the predictive assessment and experimental implementation of LSP treatments, experimental results on the residual stress profiles and associated surface properties modification successfully reached in typical materials (specifically steels and Al and Ti alloys) under different LSP irradiation conditions are presented

Laser shock peening without absorbent coating (LSPwC) effect on 3D surface topography and mechanical properties of 6082-T651 Al alloy

The influence of nanosecond laser pulses applied by laser shock peening without absorbent coating (LSPwC) with a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser operating at a wavelength of λ = 1064 nm on 6082-T651 Al alloy has been investigated. The first portion of the present study assesses laser shock peening effect at two pulse densities on three-dimensional (3D) surface topography characteristics. In the second part of the study, the peening effect on surface texture orientation and micro-structure modification, i.e. the effect of surface craters due to plasma and shock waves, were investigated in both longitudinal (L) and transverse (T) directions of the laser-beam movement. In the final portion of the study, the changes of mechanical properties were evaluated with a residual stress profile and Vickers micro-hardness through depth variation in the near surface layer, whereas factorial design with a response surface methodology (RSM) was applied. The surface topographic and micro-structural effect of laser shock peening were characterised with optical microscopy, InfiniteFocus® microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Residual stress evaluation based on a hole-drilling integral method confirmed higher compression at the near surface layer (33 μm) in the transverse direction (σmin) of laser-beam movement, i.e. − 407 ± 81 MPa and − 346 ± 124 MPa, after 900 and 2500 pulses/cm2, respectively. Moreover, RSM analysis of micro-hardness through depth distribution confirmed an increase at both pulse densities, whereas LSPwC-generated shock waves showed the impact effect of up to 800 μm below the surface. Furthermore, ANOVA results confirmed the insignificant influence of LSPwC treatment direction on micro-hardness distribution indicating essentially homogeneous conditions, in both L and T directions.

Laser shock processing: an emerging technique for the improvement of fatigue life and surface properties of high reliability metallic components

•Introduction •Process Experimental Setup •Experimental Procedure •Experimental Results for Al2024 - T351, Ti6Al4V and AISI 316L - Surface Roughness and Compactation - Residual stresses - Tensile Strength - Fatigue Life •Discussion and Outlook - Prospects for technological applications of LSP

Dynamical characterization of monolithic MOPAs emitting at 1.5 μ�m

Eye-safety requirements in important applications like LIDAR or Free Space Optical Communications make specifically interesting the generation of high power, short optical pulses at 1.5 um. Moreover, high repetition rates allow reducing the error and/or the measurement time in applications involving pulsed time-of-flight measurements, as range finders, 3D scanners or traffic velocity controls. The Master Oscillator Power Amplifier (MOPA) architecture is an interesting source for these applications since large changes in output power can be obtained at GHz rates with a relatively small modulation of the current in the Master Oscillator (MO). We have recently demonstrated short optical pulses (100 ps) with high peak power (2.7 W) by gain switching the MO of a monolithically integrated 1.5 um MOPA. Although in an integrated MOPA the laser and the amplifier are ideally independent devices, compound cavity effects due to the residual reflectance at the different interfaces are often observed, leading to modal instabilities such as self-pulsations.

Discussion of “Initial Pore Pressure from Vertical Surface Loads” by Jacobo Bielak (September, 1982)

The author presents a very interesting application of the ideas developed by Scott to determine the initial pore pressure in excess of the hydrostatic pore pressure in linear, elastic, homogeneous and isotropic soil-skeleton. Scott demonstrates that under vertical surface loads the problem is governed by Laplace's equation. Nevertheless the writers' think that it could be interesting to state clearly the conditions under which this analogy can be applied.

Laser sounding from space; report of the ESA Technology Working Group on Space Laser Sounding and Ranging

The purpose and principles of spaceborne lidar are described, giving particular attention to candidates for space deployment, including simple backscatter lidar for measuring of cloud top height, cloud extend and optical properties, differential absorption lidar providing high vertical resolution measurements of humidity, temperature and pressure, a wind profiling lidar with the unique capability of improved weather forecasting and global dynamics, and a ranging and altimeter lidar for very accurate measurement of surface features, including ground, sea and ice cap height for solid earth studies.