Progress in ultra-high modulation efficiency tapered lasers for free-space communications

Simultaneous high power (2W), high modulation speed (1Gb/s) and high modulation efficiency (14 W/A) operation of a two-electrode tapered laser is reported. © 2011 IEEE.

Ultrafast switching liquid crystals for electro-optic transmissive and reflective displays and microscopic lasers

We report on novel liquid crystals with extremely large flexoelectric coefficients in a range of ultra-fast photonic modes, namely 1) the uniform lying helix, that leads to in-plain switching, birefringence phase devices with 100 μs switching times at low fields, i.e.2-5 V/μm, and analogue or grey scale capability, 2) the uniform standing helix, using planar surface alignment and in-plane fields, with sub ms response times and optical contrasts in excess of 5000:1 with a perfect optically isotropic or black "off state", 3) the wide temperature range blue phase that leads to field controlled reflective color, 4) chiral nematic optical reflectors electric field tunable over a wide wavelength range and 5) high slope efficiency, wide wavelength range tunable narrow linewidth microscopic liquid crystal lasers. © 2011 Materials Research Society.

Ultrafast lasers mode-locked by nanotubes and graphene

Ultrafast lasers play an increasingly important role in many applications. Nanotubes and graphene have emerged as promising novel saturable absorbers for passive mode-locking. Here, we review recent progress on the exploitation of these two carbon nanomaterials in ultrafast photonics. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Printed red-green-blue liquid crystal lasers

We present printable laser devices formed by dispersing dye-doped chiral nematic liquid crystals in solution-processible polymers. Unlike current technology, this allows lasers to be formed on a wide variety of surfaces, e.g. paper, plastic, metal. © 2012 OSA.

Double-wall carbon nanotube Q-switched and mode-locked two-micron fiber lasers

We fabricate double-wall carbon nanotube polymer composite saturable absorbers and demonstrate stable Q-switched and Mode-locked Thulium fiber lasers in a linear cavity and a ring cavity respectively. © 2012 OSA.

Graphene passively Q-switched two-micron fiber lasers

We demonstrate a passively Q-switched thulium fiber laser, using a graphene-based saturable absorber. The laser is based on an all-fiber ring cavity and produces ∼2.3 μs pulses at 1884nm, with a maximum pulse energy of 70 nJ. © 2012 OSA.

Widely and continuously tuneable liquid crystal lasers

Liquid crystal lasers offer wide, continuous tuneability across the visible and near-infrared (450-850 nm). Compared to conventional tuneable laser technology, liquid crystal lasers are highly compact and have simple and scalable manufacturability. Their ability to emit multiple simultaneous emissions of arbitrarily selectable wavelength also gives them functional advantages over competing technologies. This paper describes Förster transfer techniques that have enabled this extended continuously tunable emission range, whilst maintaining a common pump source. © 2012 OSA.

Ultrafast Diode Lasers

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