Development of high-power OPCPA laser at 1064 and 780 nm

A compact 10-TW/100-fs level ultrashort-pulse and ultra-intense laser system at 1064 nm based on optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) scheme is described, at which the pump and seed for the optical parametric amplification (OPA) process is optically synchronized. We investigated the output stability and the conversion efficiency of the system. Moreover, a design toward higher peak power output is given and an optically synchronized amplifier based on the concept of OPCPA at 800 nm is preliminarily explored.

Study of noncollinear quasi-phase matching optical parametric amplification with group-velocity matching based on periodically poled crystals

The properties of noncollinear optical parametric amplification (NOPA) based on quasi-phase matching of periodically poled crystals are investigated, under the condition that the group velocity matching (GVM) of the signal and idler pulses is satisfied. Our study focuses on the dependence of the gain spectrum upon the noncollinear angle, crystal temperature, and crystal angle with periodically poled KTiOPO4 (PPKTP), periodically poled LiNbO3 (PPLN), and periodically poled LiTaO3 (PPLT), and the NOPA gain properties of the three crystals are compared. Broad gain bandwidth exists above 85 nm at a signal wavelength of 800 nm with a 532 nm pump pulse, with proper noncollinear angle and grating period at a fixed temperature for GVM. Deviation from the group-velocity-matched noncollinear angle can be compensated by accurately tuning the crystal angle or temperature with a fixed grating period for phase matching. Moreover, there is a large capability of crystal angle tuning.

消色差相位匹配在光参量啁啾脉冲放大中的应用

Optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) supplies broadband gain for ultrashort pulses. A new theoretic explanation of OPCPA has been obtained by introducing the concept of tilted pulse front in this paper, and the distribution of broadband amplification has been twice expanded by introducing the technology of achromatic phase matching (APM). The prospect of APM in OPCPA has been discussed in detail. Finally, a design for the amplification of chirped pulses at 1600 nm has been firstly proposed and numerically simulated. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimal feedback control of two-photon fluorescence based on genetic algorithm

An optimal feedback control of two-photon fluorescence in the ethanol solution of 4-dicyanomethylene-2-methyl-6-p-dimethyl-amiiiostryryl-4H-pyran (DCM) using pulse-shaping technique based on genetic algorithm is demonstrated experimentally. The two-photon fluorescence of the DCM ethanol solution is enhanced in intensity of about 23%. The second harmonic generation frequency-resolved optical gating (SHG-FROG) trace indicates that the effective population transfer arises from the positively chirped pulse. The experimental results appear the potential applications of coherent control to the complicated molecular system.

Parasitic lasing suppression in high gain femtosecond petawatt Ti: sapphire amplifier

New parasitic lasing suppression techniques are developed and high gain amplification is demonstrated in a petawatt level Ti:sapphire amplifier based on the chirped pulse amplification (CPA) scheme. Cladding the large aperture Ti: sapphire with refractive-index matched liquid doped with absorber suppresses the transverse lasing. The acousto-optic programmable dispersive filter (AOPDF) is used to realize side-lobe suppression in the temporal profile of the compressed pulse. The 800 nm laser output with peak power of 0.89 PW and pulse width of 29.0 fs is demonstrated. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America.

Generation of double pulses in-line by using reflective Dammann gratings

Doubled femtosecond laser pulses in-line are needed in the collinear pump-probe technique, collinear second harmonic generation frequency-resolved optical gating (SHG FROG) and the spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction (SPIDER), etc. Normally, it is generated by using a Michelson's structure. In this paper, we proposed a novel structure with two-layered reflective Dammann gratings and the reflective mirrors to generate doubled femtosecond laser pulses in line without transmission optical elements. Angular dispersion and spectral spatial walk-off are both compensated. In addition, this structure can also compress the positive chirped pulse, which cannot be realized with a Michelson's structure. By adopting triangular grating and blazed gratings, the efficiency of the system would in principle be increased as the Michelson's scheme. Experiments demonstrated that this method should be an alternative approach for generation of the double compressed pulses of femtosecond laser for practical applications. (c) 2006 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Spectral shaping of femtosecond pulses with a prism-waveguide coupler

We report a novel technique for spectral shaping of femtosecond pulses employing a prism-waveguide coupler (PWC). It is demonstrated that the PWC is capable of producing a frequency-dependent loss with greater attenuation at the peak of the spectrum profile of femtosecond pulses than in the wings, which is especially useful for compensation for gain narrowing in most chirped-pulse amplification laser systems.

展宽器元件失调及带通分析

通过光线追迹法给设计的反射式单光栅展宽器建立了一个数学计算模型。利用这个数学模型计算和分析了元件失调对反射式单光栅展宽器二阶色散量和输出光束发散角的影响，并考虑了反射式单光栅展宽器中衍射光栅和球形凹面镜的尺寸与展宽器带通的关系。发现当平面反射镜M1的纵向偏离角为0．2°时．展宽器的二阶色散量最大，偏离角大于或小于0．2°时，展宽器的二阶色散量随之减小；得到了元件失调会增加输出光束发散角的结论；并发现展宽器中衍射光栅和球形凹面镜尺寸的有限大小对带通有限制作用。提出了利用反射镜M1纵向的适当偏离增大展宽器二阶

变栅距光栅实现啁啾脉冲光谱整形

为了充分利用放大介质的增益带宽，获得脉宽更短，功率更高的输出脉冲，需要将输入到主放大链的种子脉冲进行光谱整形来补偿放大过程中的增益窄化效应。提出了利用变栅距反射光栅实现中心波长1053nm，谱宽6nm啁啾脉冲的光谱整形。运用严格的光栅衍射耦合波理论分析光栅的衍射特性，发现该方案不会引入相位畸变。分别计算和分析了刻槽深度、入射角大小、光栅周期以及入射光波长的变化对衍射效率的影响，通过选取适当的光栅参量可获得0．5％～84％的光谱调制深度。

有限尺寸光栅压缩器的优化设计

分析了超短超强激光系统中有限尺寸光栅压缩器设计的关键物理参数及约束条件,得到了压缩器优化的三项基本变量。给出了一种输出能量最大化的压缩器优化方法,进而确定了有限尺寸光栅压缩器的最大工作能力。针对传统的圆光束方案提出了改进的椭圆光束方案,增大了聚焦能量,减小了焦斑尺寸,提高了峰值聚焦功率密度。通过数值模拟对500 mm曝光口径介质膜光栅在圆光束和椭圆光束两种方案下的最大输出能力进行分析比较,指出单块光栅在椭圆光束方案下可以实现500 fs,500 J,1 PW的脉冲输出。

宽光束进入展宽器提高输出脉冲对比度分析

根据分析啁啾脉冲对比度模型,通过光线追迹法详细分析了展宽器对输出脉冲对比度的影响.发现当扩大进入展宽器的入射光束口径,从2mm扩大到40mm时,输出脉冲的对比度提高了近两个数量级;同时发现在相同条件下,当输入脉冲为双曲正割函数时,其输出脉冲的对比度明显好于输入脉冲为高斯脉冲和矩形脉冲的情形。

展宽器中非对称光谱剪切对输出脉冲对比度的影响

在展宽器中,光谱的剪切情况非常重要,它直接影响输出脉冲的质量。以ffner展宽器为例,参照以往建立的光线追迹模型,建立了分析展宽器中光谱剪切的模型。发现当展宽器的参数确定好后,光栅放置的位置对激光脉冲光谱剪切有非常重要的影响。当光栅相对于光轴中心对称放置时,展宽器容许通过的光谱相对于激光中心波长将是非对称分布的,即此时在展宽器中发生的光谱剪切为非对称光谱剪切,在神光II第9路拍瓦激光装置中,这种非对称光谱剪切将使输出脉冲对比度下降一个数量级。为了使展宽器中通过的光谱相对于激光中心波长对称分布,需要将光栅相对于光轴非中心对称放置。

基于电光调制的激光光谱整形技术

提出了一种新型的基于电光调制的激光光谱整形方案，该整形技术可以减轻啁啾脉冲放大系统中的增益窄化效应。傅立叶变换限的宽带种子激光脉冲通过光学展宽器线性展宽后，耦合到加载有整形电脉冲的集成波导调制器中进行整形，整形电脉冲由孔径耦合带状线电脉冲发生器产生。由于线性啁啾脉冲时间-频率的直接对应关系，在时域内对宽带种子激光脉冲整形，其光谱也得到了同样形状的整形。模拟了整形光谱形状，相应的整形电脉冲波形，分析了该整形技术的光谱整形分辨率，以及整形过程中引入的相位畸变。

Offner展宽器曲面镜误差对输出脉冲对比度的影响

在ffner展宽器的设计研究中,对曲面镜曲率半径的误差研究非常重要,它直接影响输出脉冲的质量。因此有必要分析ffner展宽器中曲面镜曲率半径的误差对输出脉冲对比度的影响。参考ffner展宽器的光线追迹模型,建立了ffner展宽器中曲面镜曲率半径存在误差时的光线追迹模型;根据建立的模型,详细分析了曲面镜曲率半径的误差对输出脉冲质量的影响;发现在目前曲面镜曲率半径的加工误差在0.2%~0.5%的情况下,完全可以满足神光II拍瓦激光装置中对展宽器的要求;同时发现如果曲面镜曲率半径存在误差时,应该尽量使两曲面镜之间的距离保持为凹面反射镜曲率半径的一半,而不是使两曲面镜保持同心。

脉宽压缩光栅用的多层膜设计和性能分析

应用于啁啾脉冲放大技术中的脉宽压缩光栅是基于多层膜作为基底，利用全息干涉技术和离子束技术刻蚀而成。脉宽压缩光栅的衍射效率和抗激光损伤阈值一方面依赖于光栅结构的设计，另一方面很大程度上取决于作为基底的多层膜的设计。给出了以413．1nm作为写入波长，1053nm作为使用波长的多层介质光栅膜的设计．样品在ZZS-800F、型真空镀膜机上采用电子束蒸发方式沉积而成，并给出了膜系结构对光学性能影响因素的详细分析，结果表明膜系H3L(H2L)^9H0．5L2．03H满足光栅膜的指标。给出了样品光学特性测试，其使用波