Accuracy analysis of parallel plate interferometer for angular displacement measurement

The measurement accuracy of a parallel-plate interferometer for angular displacement measurement is analyzed. The measurement accuracy of angular displacement is not only related to the accuracy of phase extraction, but also related to initial incident angle, refraction index and thickness of plane-parallel plate as well as wavelength's stability of laser diode, etc. Theoretical analysis and computer simulation show that the measurement error of the angular displacement bears a minimum value when choosing an optimal initial incident angle in a large range. These analytical results serve as a guide in practical measurement. In this interferometer, reducing the refraction index or increasing the thickness of the parallel plate can improve the measurement accuracy; and the relative error of the phase measurement is 3.0 x 10(-4) corresponding to 1 degrees C temperature variation. Based on these theoretical and experimental results, the measurement accuracy of the parallel-plate interferometer is up to an order of 10(-8) rad. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gas laser discharge noise and its effect on the laser output

A large portion of the noise in the light output of a laser oscillator is associated with the noise in the laser discharge. The effect of the discharge noise on the laser output has been studied. The discharge noise has been explained through an ac equivalent circuit of the laser discharge tube.

The discharge noise corresponds to time-varying spatial fluctuations in the electron density, the inverted population density and the dielectric permittivity of the laser medium from their equilibrium values. These fluctuations cause a shift in the resonant frequencies of the laser cavity. When the fluctuation in the dielectric permittivity of the laser medium is a longitudinally traveling wave (corresponding to the case in which moving striations exist in the positive column of the laser discharge), the laser output is frequency modulated.

The discharge noise has been analyzed by representing the laser discharge by an equivalent circuit. An appropriate ac equivalent circuit of a laser discharge tube has been obtained by considering the frequency spectrum of the current response of the discharge tube to an ac voltage modulation. It consist of a series ρLC circuit, which represents the discharge region, in parallel with a capacitance C', which comes mainly from the stray wiring. The equivalent inductance and capacitance of the discharge region have been calculated from the values of the resonant frequencies measured on discharge currents, gas pressures and lengths of the positive column. The experimental data provide for a set of typical values and dependencies on the discharge parameters for the equivalent inductance and capacitance of a discharge under laser operating conditions. It has been concluded from the experimental data that the equivalent inductance originates mainly from the positive column while the equivalent capacitance is due to the discharge region other than the positive column.

The ac equivalent circuit of the laser discharge has been shown analytically and experimentally to be applicable to analyzing the internal discharge noise. Experimental measurements have been made on the frequency of moving striations in a laser discharge. Its experimental dependence on the discharge current agrees very well with the expected dependence obtained from an analysis of the circuit and the experimental data on the equivalent circuit elements. The agreement confirms the validity of representing a laser discharge tube by its ac equivalent circuit in analyzing the striation phenomenon and other low frequency noises. Data have also been obtained for the variation of the striation frequency with an externally-applied longitudinal magnetic field and the increase in frequency has been attributed to a decrease in the equivalent inductance of the laser discharge.

高稳定激光二极管抽运Nd∶YLF再生放大器

设计并实现了一种放大纳秒激光脉冲的高稳定的激光二极管(LD)抽运Nd∶YLF再生放大器。为了获得高稳定的输出,再生放大器工作在饱和状态。此时,再生放大器输出稳定性最好,而且注入激光脉冲能量波动引起的输出激光脉冲波动被抑制。由于增益饱和效应,再生放大器输出脉冲出现时域波形失真,附加后缀脉冲能够减弱时域波形失真。放大器工作波长1053nm,工作频率1Hz。输入240pJ的3ns方波激光脉冲,输出激光脉冲能量4.2mJ,总增益大于107,不稳定度小于1%(均方根),方波扭曲1.33。为3ns方波激光脉冲引入其本身幅度0.75倍的后缀脉冲,输出激光脉冲方波扭曲由1.33降至1.17。

Split-aperture laser pulse compressor design tolerant to alignment and line-density differences

We introduce a four-pass laser pulse compressor design based on two grating apertures with two gratings per aperture that is tolerant to some alignment errors and, importantly, to grating-to-grating period variations. Each half-beam samples each grating in a diamond-shaped compressor that is symmetric about a central bisecting plane. For any given grating, the two half-beams impinge on opposite sides of its surface normal. It is shown that the two split beams have no pointing difference from paired gratings with different periods. Furthermore, no phase shift between half-beams is incurred as long as the planes containing a grating line and the surface normal for each grating of the pair are parallel. For grating pairs satisfying this condition, gratings surfaces need not be on the same plane, as changes in the gap between the two can compensate to bring the beams back in phase. © 2008 Optical Society of America.

Highly stable, diode-pumped Nd : YLF regenerative amplifier

We present the design and experimental results for a diode pumped Nd:YLF regenerative amplifier applied to amplify a nanosecond laser pulse. Numerical simulation shows that the maximum output energy and the best stability can be obtained when the regenerative amplifier operates in a saturated mode for all pulse duration and temporal profiles. Using extra post-pulse is a good method to decrease the square-pulse distortion caused by gain saturation effect. The amplifier shows output energy of 4.2mJ with a total energy gain of more than 107 and output energy stability of better than 1% rms. When extra post-pulse is added, square-pulse distortion is decreased from 1.33 to 1.17 for the amplifier that is seeded with an optical pulse of 3 ns.

Subsurface damage of Nd-doped phosphate glasses in optical fabrication

We present a destructive method for detecting and measuring subsurface damage of Nd-doped phosphate glasses. An instrument based on the dimple method - a destructive method - was developed. Subsurface damage depth produced in each fabrication procedure was obtained. We extend the surface roughness-subsurface damage relation to Nd-doped phosphate glasses. The constant ratio of subsurface damage and surface roughness was obtained as well. We also analyse the relation of abrasive size and subsurface damage experimentally. From a measurement of the surface roughness or abrasive size, one can obtain an accurate estimate of the damage layer thickness that must be eliminated by polishing or subsequent grinding operations. (C) 2007 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Yb:YAG/YAG复合陶瓷薄片连续和调Q输出特性

采用面泵浦的CAMIL结构，我们研究了970 nm泵浦的Yb:YAG/YAG复合陶瓷薄片激光器，获得了连续和调Q的激光输出。在连续运转情况下，获得了最高1.05 W的激光输出，中心波长为1031 nm，后腔输出镜透射率为2％。我们同时获得了声光调Q的脉冲输出，重复频率从1 kHz到30 kHz，脉宽分别从166 ns到700 ns。

部分端面抽运的Nd：YVO4板条固体激光器

利用自制高功率激光二极管（LD）列阵堆和波导整形抽运耦合系统，将抽运光耦合至Nd：YVO4板条晶体，平平腔运转得到了1.064μm的偏振激光输出。在最大抽运功率为84W时，透过率为10％的输出腔镜得到了31W的激光功率输出，光一光效率37％，斜效率45％，板条晶体两个方向的输出光束质量差别较大。为了进一步提高光束质量，使用柱面镜混合腔结构，在最大抽运功率为86W时，得到了19．3W的1064nm激光输出，测得的非稳腔和稳腔两个方向的M^2因子分别为1.4和1．7。

部分端面抽运混合腔Nd∶YVO_4板条激光器实验研究

为了获得大功率高光束质量的激光输出,利用自制的5bar激光二极管阵列堆作为抽运源,抽运光经波导整形系统整形后入射至晶体,采用柱面镜混合腔结构,对部分端面抽运的混合腔Nd∶YVO4板条激光器进行了实验研究。在最高抽运功率134W时,得到了38W的连续激光输出,斜效率44%,测得的两个方向的M2因子为1.56和1.78。实验结果表明,该激光器具有极佳的热效应,能够在高功率运转时保持高光束质量的激光输出,输入-输出功率曲线没有出现平顶或弯曲的迹象,该激光器仍有提升潜力,本结果有助于进一步提升该激光器的性能,实现更高功率的高光束质量激光输出。

高重复率窄脉宽Nd∶YVO_4板条激光器

部分端面抽运的混合腔板条激光器是一种新型的全固态激光器,采用这种结构,实现了高重复率调Q运转。在脉冲抽运情况下,1kHz运转时,得到脉宽4.6ns,单脉冲能量4.5mJ的激光输出。在连续抽运调Q输出情况下,5kHz高重复率运转时,获得了脉宽6ns,单脉冲能量3.1mJ的脉冲序列输出,平均功率超过15W;当重复率高达25kHz时,得到脉宽9.5ns,单脉冲能量1.2mJ的激光输出,平均功率达30W。实验结果表明,输出水平还有很大的提升空间。

激光二极管端面抽运Nd∶YVO_4板条激光器及其热效应

激光器中激光介质采用板条状几何结构可以极大地降低它的热效应,但仍然需要进一步分析其影响,进而优化激光器效率。利用有限元分析方法分析了部分端面抽运的混合腔板条激光器中激光介质的热效应,计算的热透镜焦距与实测结果基本相符。分析了热效应对模式匹配的影响,分析结果对于优化激光器效率、改进谐振腔设计具有一定的参考价值。并在分析的基础上进行了混合腔实验,抽运功率为110 W时,获得连续输出激光功率41.5 W,光-光转换效率约38%,斜效率达58.8%,M2因子为非稳腔方向M2x=1.59,稳定腔方向M2y=1.55。

Nd-glass belt lasers with improved beam quality

Nd-doped phosphate glass belt lasers pumped by laser diodes are demonstrated. The Nd-glass belt with a large cross-section and a small Fresnel number is air-cooled to provide around 18-W continuous wave (CW) output power with a beam quality factor of My2

Property studies of optical waveguide formed by 6.0 MeV carbon ion implantation into Nd : silicate glass

Nd:silicate glass was implanted at room temperature by 6.0 MeV C3+ ions with a dose of 2.0 x 10(15) ions cm(-2). A waveguide with thickness of about 6.3 mu m was formed. The prism-coupling method was used to observe the dark modes of the waveguide at 633 nm and 1539 nm, respectively. There are three dark modes at 633 nm, of which one is the enhanced-index mode. The propagation loss of the enhanced-index mode in the waveguide measured at 633 nm is 0.42 dB cm(-1) after annealing at 217 degrees C for 35 min. The reflectivity calculation method was applied to simulate the refractive index profiles in the waveguide. The mode optical near-field output at 633 nm was presented.

Efficient laser oscillation of Yb : Y3Al5O12 single crystal grown by temperature gradient technique

Low-threshold and highly efficient continuous-wave laser performance of Yb:Y3Al5O12 (Yb:YAG) single crystal grown by a temperature gradient technique (TGT) was achieved at room temperature. The laser can be operated at 1030 and 1049 nm by varying the transmission of the output coupler. Slope efficiencies of 57% and 68% at 1049 and 1030 nm, respectively, were achieved for 10 at. % Yb:YAG sample in continuous-wave laser-diode pumping. The effect of pump power on the laser emission spectrum of both wavelengths is addressed. The near-diffraction-limited beam quality for different laser cavities was achieved. The excellent laser performance indicates that TGT-grown Yb:YAG crystals have very good optical quality and can be potentially used in high-power solid-state lasers.