Mechanically tunable conjugated polymer distributed feedback lasers

Herein we report a low-threshold organic laser device based on semiconducting poly(9, 9′ -dioctylfluoren-2,7-diyl-alt-benzothiadiazole) (F8BT) encapsulated in a mechanically stretchable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix. We take advantage of the natural flexibility of PDMS to alter the periodicity of the distributed feedback grating which in turn tunes the gain wavelength at which the resonant feedback is obtained. This way, we demonstrate that low-threshold lasing [6.1 μJ cm-2 (5.3 nJ)] is maintained over a large stretching range of 0%-7% which translates into a tuning range of about 20 nm. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.

High-conversion-efficiency and broadband tunable femtosecond noncollinear optical parametric amplifier

We build a compact high-conversion-efficiency and broadband tunable noncollinear optical parametric amplifier (OPA) in the infra-red (IR) pumped by a femtosecond Ti:sapphire CPA laser. The OPA consists of an internal seed of white-light continuum generator (WLG) and two noncollinear optical parametric amplifiers. The tunable wavelength range is from 1.2 mu m to 2.4 mu m for both signal and idle pulses. The total OPA efficiency in the last OPA stage reaches about 40% in a wider tunable spectral range (from 1.3 mu m to 1.7 mu m for signal pulse, from 1.5 mu m to 2.0 mu m for idle pulse respectively).

Tunable high-order harmonic generation and the role of the folded quantum path

We theoretically demonstrate the selective enhancement of high-order harmonic generation (HHG) in two-color laser fields consisting of a single-cycle fundamental wave (800 nm wavelength) and a multicycle subharmonic wave (2400 nm wavelength). By performing time-frequency analyses based on a single-active-electron model, we reveal that such an enhancement is a result of the modified electron trajectories in the two-color field. Furthermore, we show that selectively enhanced HHG gives rise to a bandwidth-controllable extreme ultraviolet supercontinuum in the plateau region, facilitating the generation of intense single isolated attosecond pulses.

Widely tunable quasi-phase-matched optical parametric amplification in infrared region using periodically poled lithium niobate

Widely tunable optical parametric amplification (OPA) in the IR region through quasi-phase-matching technology is demonstrated theoretically in periodically-poled lithium niobate (PPLN). For a 532nm pump wavelength and a broadband signal wavelength near 1300 nm, we can obtain the optimum grating period from phase-matching curves for different grating periods to achieve continuously tunable OPA by tuning the angle in a small range. Tunable OPA range of 200nm near 1300 mn can be obtained with a tuning incidence signal angle of 2.2 degrees.

Tunable and efficient diode-pumped Yb3+: GYSO laser

Effective diode-pumped cw tunable laser action of a new alloyed crystal Yb:Gd(2(1-)x) Y2xSiO5 (Yb:GYSO, x = 0.5) is demonstrated for the first time. The alloyed crystal retains excellent laser properties of Gd2SiO5 (GSO), as well as the favorable growth properties and the desirable physical of Y2SiO5 (YSO). With a 5-at.% Yb: GYSO sample, we achieved 2.44 W output power at 1081.5 nm and a slope efficiency of 57%. And its laser wavelength could be tuned from 1030nm to 1089 nm. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.

Novel Mach-Zehnder interferometer structure for tunable optical interleaver

A novel optical interleaver scheme based on nested optical glass pairs is proposed. The assembly of pairs behaves as a cascaded Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The interleaver, with simple structure, low cost, and compact size, can be easily implemented with inexpensive material and mature preparation technology. Small channel spacing (<= 50 GHz), high isolation (<-30 dB), a wide, flat passband and stop band (> 2/11 period), and center-frequency tunability can be obtained simultaneously. An optimum design of a 50-GHz tunable interleaver based on this structure is given as an example. Its environmental temperature sensitivity and fabrication tolerance are also analyzed. (c) 2006 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Efficient tunable diode-pumped Yb : LYSO laser

We demonstrated efficient laser action of a new ytterbium-doped oxyorthosilicate crystal Yb:LuYSiO5 ( Yb: LYSO) under high-power diode-pumping. The spectroscopic features and laser performance of the alloyed oxyorthosilicate crystal are compared with those of ytterbium-doped lutetium and yttrium oxyorthosilicates. In the continuous-wave laser operation of Yb: LYSO, a maximal slope efficiency of 96% and output power of 7.8 W were respectively achieved with different pump sources. The Yb: LYSO laser exhibits not only little sensitivity to the pump wavelength drift but also a broad tunability. By using a dispersive prism as the intracavity tuning element, we demonstrated that the continuous-wave Yb: LYSO laser exhibit a continuous tunability in the spectral range of 1014-1091 nm. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.

Low-threshold and continuously tunable Yb : Gd2SiO5 laser

Yb:Gd2SiO5 (Yb:GSO) exhibits a large fundamental manifold splitting. Its long-wavelength emission band around 1088 nm, which has the largest emission cross section, encounters the lowest reabsorption losses caused by thermal population of the terminal laser level. As a result, low-threshold and tunable continuous-wave Yb:GSO lasers were demonstrated. A slope efficiency up to 86% and a pumping threshold as low as 127 mW were achieved for a continuous-wave Yb:GSO laser at 1092.5 nm under the pump of a high-brightness laser diode. A continuous tunability between 1000 and 1120 nm was realized with an SF14 prism as the intracavity tuning element. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

Pulsewidth switchable, wavelength tuneable ultrafast fiber laser mode-locked by carbon nanotubes

Employing a nanotube-based saturable absorber, we demonstrate a continuously tunable (1533-1563nm) ultrafast fiber laser, with output pulsewidth switchable between picosecond (1.2 ps) and femtosecond (610 fs) regimes. © 2012 IEEE.

First demonstration of a full C-band tunable WDM-PON system with novel high-temperature DS-DBR lasers

We demonstrate automatic operation of a cooler-less tunable-laser based WDM-PON system. Using a pilot-tone based overhead channel and centralized wavelength locking scheme, 1 Gb/s and 10 Gb/s data transmission is demonstrated in a multi-user set-up. © 2013 Optical Society of America.

Vertically-coupled microring laser array for dual-wavelength generation

We report the first demonstration of continuous-wave operation of a tunable, compact microring laser array based on a vertical-coupling architecture, well suited to larger-scale integration. Wavelength separation tunability from 4.9 to 6.3nm is observed. © 2006 Optical Society of America.

Wavelength Coded Optical Time-Domain Reflectometry

This paper presents a wavelength coded optical timedomain reflectometry based on optical heterodyne technique. In this scheme, the probe and reference optical pulses have different wavelengths. This enables optical heterodyne detection to be used to improve the system performances significantly. We demonstrate a spatial resolution of 2.5 m within a range of 60 km in weak-reflection signal detection and direct observation of Brillouin scattering over a long optical fiber, suggesting online fiber sensing possible. The principle of wavelength coding is applicable to other systems like lidar and radar to increase receiver sensitivity and simplify system structure.

Degenerate four-wave mixing based all-optical wavelength conversion in a semiconductor optical amplifier and highly-nonlinear photonic crystal fiber parametric loop mirror

The idler is separated from the co-propagating pump in a degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) with a symmetrical parametric loop mirror (PALM), which is composed of two identical SOAs and a 70 m highly-nonlinear photonic crystal fiber (HN-PCF). The signal and pump are coupled into the symmetrical PALM from different ports, respectively. After the DFWM based wavelength conversion (WC) in the clockwise and anticlockwise, the idler exits from the signal port, while the pump outputs from its input port. Therefore, the pump is effectively suppressed in the idler channel without a high-speed tunable filter. Contrast to a traditional PALM, the DFWM based conversion efficiency is increased greatly, and the functions of the amplification and the WC are integrated in the smart SOA and HN-PCF PALM. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Single mode operation of a Fabry-Perot laser locked by a tunable laser

In this article, the single mode operation of a Fabry-Perot laser (FP-LD) subject to the optical injection from a tunable laser is investigated. The maximum side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) is 53 dB, and the locked wavelength range is about 46 nm, which can cover 58 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) wavelengths with 100 GHz spacing or 115 ITU wavelengths with 50 GHz spacing for wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) system. In the wavelength range front 1535 to 1569 nm, the SMSR is over 46 dB, and the frequency response of the injection-locked FP-LD can be improved with the proper wavelength detuning. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

DISCRETELY TUNABLE FIBER RING LASER USING FBG TUNABLE FILTER AND MACH-ZEHNDER INTERFEROMETER

A discretely tunable Er-doped fiber-ring laser using a fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) and a tunable fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is proposed. In this scheme, the combination of MZI and FBG acts as a discrete wavelength selector. Analysis of its transmission function shows that discrete wavelength tuning can be realized, and experiments demonstrate 64 single-mode outputs with a mode spacing of 181.7 pm, and the output power is quite stable in the whole tuning range. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51 2595-2598, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www. interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24690