Molecular fingerprinting with the resolved modes of a femtosecond laser frequency comb

The control of the broadband frequency comb emitted from a mode-locked femtosecond laser has permitted a wide range of scientific and technological advances--ranging from the counting of optical cycles for next-generation atomic clocks to measurements of phase-sensitive high-field processes. A unique advantage of the stabilized frequency comb is that it provides, in a single laser beam, about a million optical modes with very narrow linewidths and absolute frequency positions known to better than one part in 10(15) (ref. 5). One important application of this vast array of highly coherent optical fields is precision spectroscopy, in which a large number of modes can be used to map internal atomic energy structure and dynamics. However, an efficient means of simultaneously identifying, addressing and measuring the amplitude or relative phase of individual modes has not existed. Here we use a high-resolution disperser to separate the individual modes of a stabilized frequency comb into a two-dimensional array in the image plane of the spectrometer. We illustrate the power of this technique for high-resolution spectral fingerprinting of molecular iodine vapour, acquiring in a few milliseconds absorption images covering over 6 THz of bandwidth with high frequency resolution. Our technique for direct and parallel accessing of stabilized frequency comb modes could find application in high-bandwidth spread-spectrum communications with increased security, high-resolution coherent quantum control, and arbitrary optical waveform synthesis with control at the optical radian level.     

Direct frequency comb spectroscopy in the extreme ultraviolet

The development of the optical frequency comb (a spectrum consisting of a series of evenly spaced lines) has revolutionized metrology and precision spectroscopy owing to its ability to provide a precise and direct link between microwave and optical frequencies. A further advance in frequency comb technology is the generation of frequency combs in the extreme-ultraviolet spectral range by means of high-harmonic generation in a femtosecond enhancement cavity. Until now, combs produced by this method have lacked sufficient power for applications, a drawback that has also hampered efforts to observe phase coherence of the high-repetition-rate pulse train produced by high-harmonic generation, which is an extremely nonlinear process. Here we report the generation of extreme-ultraviolet frequency combs, reaching wavelengths of 40?nanometres, by coupling a high-power near-infrared frequency comb to a robust femtosecond enhancement cavity. These combs are powerful enough for us to observe single-photon spectroscopy signals for both an argon transition at 82?nanometres and a neon transition at 63?nanometres, thus confirming the combs' coherence in the extreme ultraviolet. The absolute frequency of the argon transition has been determined by direct frequency comb spectroscopy. The resolved ten-megahertz linewidth of the transition, which is limited by the temperature of the argon atoms, is unprecedented in this spectral region and places a stringent upper limit on the linewidth of individual comb teeth. Owing to the lack of continuous-wave lasers, extreme-ultraviolet frequency combs are at present the only promising route to extending ultrahigh-precision spectroscopy to the spectral region below 100?nanometres. At such wavelengths there is a wide range of applications, including the spectroscopy of electronic transitions in molecules, experimental tests of bound-state and many-body quantum electrodynamics in singly ionized helium and neutral helium, the development of next-generation 'nuclear' clocks and searches for variation of fundamental constants using the enhanced sensitivity of highly charged ions.     

A frequency comb in the extreme ultraviolet

Since 1998, the interaction of precision spectroscopy and ultrafast laser science has led to several notable accomplishments. Femtosecond laser optical frequency 'combs' (evenly spaced spectral lines) have revolutionized the measurement of optical frequencies and enabled optical atomic clocks. The same comb techniques have been used to control the waveform of ultrafast laser pulses, which permitted the generation of single attosecond pulses, and have been used in a recently demonstrated 'oscilloscope' for light waves. Here we demonstrate intra-cavity high harmonic generation in the extreme ultraviolet, which promises to lead to another joint frontier of precision spectroscopy and ultrafast science. We have generated coherent extreme ultraviolet radiation at a repetition frequency of more than 100 MHz, a 1,000-fold improvement over previous experiments. At such a repetition rate, the mode spacing of the frequency comb, which is expected to survive the high harmonic generation process, is large enough for high resolution spectroscopy. Additionally, there may be many other applications of such a quasi-continuous compact and coherent extreme ultraviolet source, including extreme ultraviolet holography, microscopy, nanolithography and X-ray atomic clocks.     

光波干涉采样示波器

光频梳技术是本世纪初随着飞秒激光技术、非线性光学的飞速发展应运而起的一项重要的精密频率测量技术.它跨越了射频和光频电磁波谱之间长期存在的技术鸿沟,通过频率和相位的相干关系将二者巧妙的衔接,在时间频率标准、精密光谱计量以及基础物理学常数的高精度测量等领域具有举足轻重的应用价值.正因为The-odor W.H?nsch(本文第一作者)和John L.Hall以光频梳技术为代表的激光精密测量技术领域的杰出贡献,二人同Roy J.Glauber(光相干量子理论的贡献)共同分享了2005年诺贝尔物理学奖.从光频梳的基本原理出发,解释了光频梳技术基本概念,稳定工作的光频梳以及作为高精密的频率测量技术,光频梳主要的应用领域等.同时回顾了作者研发光频梳技术的初衷,即用于研究氢原子的精密光谱,验证量子电动力学理论,提高里德堡常数和质子电荷半径等物理学基本常数体系的测量精度.介绍了通过双光频梳实现高精密的光谱直接测量技术,包括该技术的原理以及在气体分子精密光谱测量方面的应用,举例说明了基于双光频梳的光谱直接测量技术在频率分辨率和灵敏度方面相对于传统光频梳表现出来的显著优势.实验验证了单光子水平的光频梳光谱测量可行性,指出其在极紫外或甚至在软x射线这些产生少量光子的应用领域的应用前景.最后介绍了微小区域实现厘米级尺寸的光学腔的脉冲激光的激发、片上稳定的双光频梳实现等微型光频梳和片上光谱系统集成等关键技术和解决方案,并分析了片上光频梳光谱测量系统的发展和应用前景.     

多纵模激光器模式的锁定

本文用数学方法较详细地分析了三个不同频率的光波的叠加和多纵模激光器模式的锁定．证明了模式锁定的条件。首次较准确系统地给出了三个不同频率的光波叠加前后的光波电场和叠加后的光强Ｅ（ｔ）２曲线和七个纵模锁定后的光波电场Ｅ（ｔ）、电场的包络Ａ（ｔ）和光强的包络Ａ２（ｔ）曲线．并进一步地讨论了多纵模锁定后输出激光的特性     

超短脉冲“8”字形被动锁模掺铒光纤激光器

利用非线性放大环形镜被动锁模方法对锁模光纤激光器进行实验研究,引入色散管理方法,实现了"8"字形掺铒光纤激光器的自启动被动锁模,在1 550 nm波段上得到了光谱宽度16 nm、脉宽为1.77×10 13s的超短脉冲输出.泵浦功率在300 mW时,激光器实现了重复频率为19.7 MHz,平均输出功率12 mW的锁模脉冲输出.整个激光腔为全光纤结构,而且操作简单,锁模输出状态下的激光器可以在光学平台上稳定运行数小时.     

An optical lattice clock

The precision measurement of time and frequency is a prerequisite not only for fundamental science but also for technologies that support broadband communication networks and navigation with global positioning systems (GPS). The SI second is currently realized by the microwave transition of Cs atoms with a fractional uncertainty of 10(-15) (ref. 1). Thanks to the optical frequency comb technique, which established a coherent link between optical and radio frequencies, optical clocks have attracted increasing interest as regards future atomic clocks with superior precision. To date, single trapped ions and ultracold neutral atoms in free fall have shown record high performance that is approaching that of the best Cs fountain clocks. Here we report a different approach, in which atoms trapped in an optical lattice serve as quantum references. The 'optical lattice clock' demonstrates a linewidth one order of magnitude narrower than that observed for neutral-atom optical clocks, and its stability is better than that of single-ion clocks. The transition frequency for the Sr lattice clock is 429,228,004,229,952(15) Hz, as determined by an optical frequency comb referenced to the SI second.     

Single-nanowire electrically driven lasers

Electrically driven semiconductor lasers are used in technologies ranging from telecommunications and information storage to medical diagnostics and therapeutics. The success of this class of lasers is due in part to well-developed planar semiconductor growth and processing, which enables reproducible fabrication of integrated, electrically driven devices. Yet this approach to device fabrication is also costly and difficult to integrate directly with other technologies such as silicon microelectronics. To overcome these issues for future applications, there has been considerable interest in using organic molecules, polymers, and inorganic nanostructures for lasers, because these materials can be fashioned into devices by chemical processing. Indeed, amplified stimulated emission and lasing have been reported for optically pumped organic systems and, more recently, inorganic nanocrystals and nanowires. However, electrically driven lasing, which is required in most applications, has met with several difficulties in organic systems, and has not been addressed for assembled nanocrystals or nanowires. Here we investigate the feasibility of achieving electrically driven lasing from individual nanowires. Optical and electrical measurements made on single-crystal cadmium sulphide nanowires show that these structures can function as Fabry-Perot optical cavities with mode spacing inversely related to the nanowire length. Investigations of optical and electrical pumping further indicate a threshold for lasing as characterized by optical modes with instrument-limited linewidths. Electrically driven nanowire lasers, which might be assembled in arrays capable of emitting a wide range of colours, could improve existing applications and suggest new opportunities.     

主动锁模激光器的稳定性分析

主动锁模光纤激光器是未来远程超高速光纤通信系统的理想光发射源和光时钟源。主动锁模光纤激光器的腔长较长,当外界环境条件发生变化时,腔长容易受到机械震动及温度变化的影响而发生漂移。本文主要从长期不稳定性和短期不稳定性两方面分析了主动锁模光纤激光器的稳定性问题。介绍了弛豫振荡、超模噪声的解决方案。同时阐述了再生锁模技术控制腔长的方案,对主动锁模激光器的实验研究有一定的参考意义。     

Ultra-broadband semiconductor laser

The fundamental mechanism behind laser action leads in general only to narrowband, single-wavelength emission. Several approaches for achieving spectrally broadband laser action have been put forward, such as enhancing the optical feedback in the wings of the gain spectrum, multi-peaked gain spectra, and the most favoured technique at present, ultrashort pulse excitation. Each of these approaches has drawbacks, such as a complex external laser cavity configuration, a non-flat optical gain envelope function, or an inability to operate in continuous mode, respectively. Here we present a monolithic, mid-infrared 'supercontinuum' semiconductor laser that has none of these drawbacks. We adopt a quantum cascade configuration, where a number of dissimilar intersubband optical transitions are made to cooperate in order to provide broadband optical gain from 5 to 8 microm wavelength. Laser action with a Fabry-Pérot spectrum covering all wavelengths from 6 to 8 microm simultaneously is demonstrated with this approach. Lasers that emit light over such an extremely wide wavelength range are of interest for applications as varied as terabit optical data communications or ultra-precision metrology and spectroscopy.     

Editor’s note

The past two decades have witnessed great progress in development of ultrashort laser pulse in laser science, often at an unexpected speed. It has found various applications, both theoretical and practical, in the frontiers of science.     

Orthogonally linear polarized lasers(Ⅰ)--principle and devices

Two kinds of orthogonally polarized lasers, i.e. Zeeman dual-frequency lasers and four-frequency ring lasers (laser gyros) have been developed since the invention of lasers, in which circularly polarized lights oscillate. This paper summarizes recent progress of the study on orthogonally linear polarized lasers with the standing wave cavity. Firstly, the expression of producing orthogonally linear polarized lights in standing wave cavity, i.e. laser frequency splitting, is given. Almost all the birefringence effects made in laser cavity are used to produce orthogonally linear polarized lights. The effect includes quartz crystal birefringence effect, calcite birefringence effect,stress (photo-elastic) birefringence effect and electro-optical birefringence effect. Secondly, several physical phenomena of orthogonally linear polarized lasers are discovered such as aberrance of frequency splitting curves caused by optical activity of quartz crystal, order-passing of longitudinal modes with frequency splitting and strong modes competition. Finally, because the traditional Zeeman dual frequency laser cannot output frequency difference larger than 3 MHz, the approaches of obtaining larger frequency difference are studied. The sequential results, several kinds of orthogonally polarized lasers, are described, such as birefringence dual frequency lasers outputting a frequency difference from 40 MHz to hundreds of megahertz, birefringence-Zeeman dual frequency lasers outputting a frequency difference from 1 MHz to hundreds of megahertz, the LD pumped YAG birefringence dual frequency laser outputting frequency difference of several gigahertz, and the lasers whose longitudinal mode spacing is c/4L instead of c/2L.     

Orthogonally linear polarized lasers (I) — principle and devices

Two kinds of orthogonally polarized lasers, i.e. Zeeman dual-frequency lasers and four-frequency ring lasers (laser gyros) have been developed since the invention of lasers, in which circularly polarized lights oscillate. This paper summarizes recent progress of the study on orthogonally linear polarized lasers with the standing wave cavity. Firstly, the expression of producing orthogonally linear polarized lights in standing wave cavity, i.e. laser frequency splitting, is given. Almost all the birefringence effects made in laser cavity are used to produce orthogonally linear polarized lights. The effect includes quartz crystal birefringence effect, calcite birefringence effect, stress (photo-elastic) birefringence effect and electro-optical birefringence effect. Secondly, several physical phenomena of orthogonally linear polarized lasers are discovered such as aberrance of frequency splitting curves caused by optical activity of quartz crystal, order-passing of longitudinal modes with frequency splitting and strong modes competition. Finally, because the traditional Zeeman dual frequency laser cannot output frequency difference larger than 3 MHz, the approaches of obtaining larger frequency difference are studied. The sequential results, several kinds of orthogonally polarized lasers, are described, such as birefringence dual frequency lasers outputting a frequency difference from 40 MHz to hundreds of megahertz, birefringence-Zeeman dual frequency lasers outputting a frequency difference from 1 MHz to hundreds of megahertz, the LD pumped YAG birefringence dual frequency laser outputting frequency difference of several gigahertz, and the lasers whose longitudinal mode spacing is c4L instead of c2L.     

Recent developments in compact ultrafast lasers

Ultrafast lasers, which generate optical pulses in the picosecond and femtosecond range, have progressed over the past decade from complicated and specialized laboratory systems to compact, reliable instruments. Semiconductor lasers for optical pumping and fast optical saturable absorbers, based on either semiconductor devices or the optical nonlinear Kerr effect, have dramatically improved these lasers and opened up new frontiers for applications with extremely short temporal resolution (much smaller than 10 fs), extremely high peak optical intensities (greater than 10 TW/cm2) and extremely fast pulse repetition rates (greater than 100 GHz).     

种子注入高重复频率Q开关激光器

分析了自发辐射与注入种子信号在激光建立过程中的竞争对种子注入的影响. 利用单块非平面环形腔单频激光器作为种子振荡信号,注入到高重复频率Q开关构成的从动激光器,获得单脉冲能量大于5mJ、脉冲宽度40ns的单纵模振荡脉冲激光输出. 测试了种子激光器在不同频率、功率及在从动激光器不同抽运能量下种子注入现象发生的几率实验. 结果表明,频率匹配和从动激光器的抽运能量是影响种子注入发生几率的重要因素.     

Orthogonal linear polarized lasers(Ⅲ) Applications in self-sensing

In this paper, the applications of orthogonal linear polarized lasers in self-sensing are reviewed. The properties for such a laser include the production of a new frequency in one longitudinal mode spacing, the tuning of frequency difference, the change of polarization states as cavity tuning, the control of mode competition intensity, the optical feedback, and so on. The orthogonal polarized lasers have been used as a laser nanometer ruler based on competition between two polarized lights in a HeNe laser and as a displacement measurement tool based on the optical feedback in the orthogonal polarized lasers. They are also used in the phase retardation measurement of a waveplate, the angle measurement, the vibration measurement, the pressure/force measurement, the weak magnetic field measurement,and so on. The structures of these new devices are simple and compact with the great advantages of high resolution and high accuracy.Some of these devices can trace to the source of the laser wavelength. The nanometer laser ruler is an example whose measurement range is 12 mm, resolution is 79 nm and linearity is less than 5×10- 5. The repeatability of the phase retardation measuring system of waveplate can reach 3'.     

Ultrafast non-thermal control of magnetization by instantaneous photomagnetic pulses

The demand for ever-increasing density of information storage and speed of manipulation has triggered an intense search for ways to control the magnetization of a medium by means other than magnetic fields. Recent experiments on laser-induced demagnetization and spin reorientation use ultrafast lasers as a means to manipulate magnetization, accessing timescales of a picosecond or less. However, in all these cases the observed magnetic excitation is the result of optical absorption followed by a rapid temperature increase. This thermal origin of spin excitation considerably limits potential applications because the repetition frequency is limited by the cooling time. Here we demonstrate that circularly polarized femtosecond laser pulses can be used to non-thermally excite and coherently control the spin dynamics in magnets by way of the inverse Faraday effect. Such a photomagnetic interaction is instantaneous and is limited in time by the pulse width (approximately 200 fs in our experiment). Our finding thus reveals an alternative mechanism of ultrafast coherent spin control, and offers prospects for applications of ultrafast lasers in magnetic devices.     

光纤通信中非线性香农极限的突破——光频梳应用及发展趋势

 受限于光纤克尔非线性效应对传输信号质量的影响,光纤通信系统的传输速率和容量难以突破非线性香农极限的限制。利用光频梳的相干特性结合数字信号处理技术突破了早期非线性香农极限的传输性能,有望开启光频梳在下一代光纤通信领域研究的新时代。本文介绍光频梳的定义及产生机制、光频梳在信息通信系统中的最新典型应用、基于光频梳和通信信号处理技术在其他物理科学领域中的交叉应用,探讨了光频梳技术的未来发展方向。     

A laser frequency comb that enables radial velocity measurements with a precision of 1 cm s(-1)

Searches for extrasolar planets using the periodic Doppler shift of stellar spectral lines have recently achieved a precision of 60 cm s(-1) (ref. 1), which is sufficient to find a 5-Earth-mass planet in a Mercury-like orbit around a Sun-like star. To find a 1-Earth-mass planet in an Earth-like orbit, a precision of approximately 5 cm s(-1) is necessary. The combination of a laser frequency comb with a Fabry-Pérot filtering cavity has been suggested as a promising approach to achieve such Doppler shift resolution via improved spectrograph wavelength calibration, with recent encouraging results. Here we report the fabrication of such a filtered laser comb with up to 40-GHz (approximately 1-A) line spacing, generated from a 1-GHz repetition-rate source, without compromising long-term stability, reproducibility or spectral resolution. This wide-line-spacing comb, or 'astro-comb', is well matched to the resolving power of high-resolution astrophysical spectrographs. The astro-comb should allow a precision as high as 1 cm s(-1) in astronomical radial velocity measurements.     

微解理单片集成SCC激光器的纵模特性

本文给出两个计算耦合腔激光器阈值增益和纵模位置的解析表达式,详细讨论了微解理单片集成SCC激光器的纵模特性,并结合电子增益谱特性分析了一些器件的实测激射谱。