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DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPACT BROADBAND OPTICAL PARAMETRIC OSCILLATOR FOR ULTRA-SENSITIVE MOLECULAR DETECTION
Title
DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPACT BROADBAND OPTICAL PARAMETRIC OSCILLATOR FOR ULTRA-SENSITIVE MOLECULAR DETECTION.
Creator
Crystal, Sean O, Vodopyanov, Konstantin L., University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Every gas molecule has a unique absorption spectrum that can be captured using optical spectroscopy to identify an unknown sample's composition. Frequency combs systems can provide an extremely broad mid-infrared spectrum that is very useful for molecular detection. A degenerate optical parametric oscillator (OPO) was built to generate the down-converted and shifted frequency comb spectrum. This system utilizes an ultra-short pulse 1.56�m pump laser and a never before used orientation...
Show moreEvery gas molecule has a unique absorption spectrum that can be captured using optical spectroscopy to identify an unknown sample's composition. Frequency combs systems can provide an extremely broad mid-infrared spectrum that is very useful for molecular detection. A degenerate optical parametric oscillator (OPO) was built to generate the down-converted and shifted frequency comb spectrum. This system utilizes an ultra-short pulse 1.56�m pump laser and a never before used orientation patterned gallium-phosphide crystal. Periodically polled lithium niobate (PPLN), Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) and Gallium Phosphide are all crystals used to accomplish this task. GaP, in comparison to PPLN, has (i) a larger nonlinear coefficient, (ii) much deeper infrared transparency, and (iii) smaller group dispersion � to allow for achieving broad spectral coverage. GaP also has a larger band gap than GaAs; therefore it can still be pumped with a standard telecom C-band laser. An octave-wide spanning frequency comb system was achieved and the characterization of the system is presented. This system is specifically designed to be compact and portable for initial experimental testing in the applications of medical breath analysis and combustion gas investigation.
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Date Issued
2017
Identifier
CFH2000274, ucf:45837
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000274
STABLE OPTICAL FREQUENCY COMB GENERATION AND APPLICATIONS IN ARBITRARY WAVEFORM GENERATION, SIGNAL PROCESSING AND OPTICAL DATA MINING
Title
STABLE OPTICAL FREQUENCY COMB GENERATION AND APPLICATIONS IN ARBITRARY WAVEFORM GENERATION, SIGNAL PROCESSING AND OPTICAL DATA MINING.
Creator
Ozharar, Sarper, Delfyett, Peter, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This thesis focuses on the generation and applications of stable optical frequency combs. Optical frequency combs are defined as equally spaced optical frequencies with a fixed phase relation among themselves. The conventional source of optical frequency combs is the optical spectrum of the modelocked lasers. In this work, we investigated alternative methods for optical comb generation, such as dual sine wave phase modulation, which is more practical and cost effective compared to modelocked...
Show moreThis thesis focuses on the generation and applications of stable optical frequency combs. Optical frequency combs are defined as equally spaced optical frequencies with a fixed phase relation among themselves. The conventional source of optical frequency combs is the optical spectrum of the modelocked lasers. In this work, we investigated alternative methods for optical comb generation, such as dual sine wave phase modulation, which is more practical and cost effective compared to modelocked lasers stabilized to a reference. Incorporating these comblines, we have generated tunable RF tones using the serrodyne technique. The tuning range was ±1 MHz, limited by the electronic waveform generator, and the RF carrier frequency is limited by the bandwidth of the photodetector. Similarly, using parabolic phase modulation together with time division multiplexing, RF chirp extension has been realized. Another application of the optical frequency combs studied in this thesis is real time data mining in a bit stream. A novel optoelectronic logic gate has been developed for this application and used to detect an 8 bit long target pattern. Also another approach based on orthogonal Hadamard codes have been proposed and explained in detail. Also novel intracavity modulation schemes have been investigated and applied for various applications such as a) improving rational harmonic modelocking for repetition rate multiplication and pulse to pulse amplitude equalization, b) frequency skewed pulse generation for ranging and c) intracavity active phase modulation in amplitude modulated modelocked lasers for supermode noise spur suppression and integrated jitter reduction. The thesis concludes with comments on the future work and next steps to improve some of the results presented in this work.
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Date Issued
2008
Identifier
CFE0002388, ucf:47744
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002388
Broadband Mid-infrared Frequency Combs Generated via Frequency Division
Title
Broadband Mid-infrared Frequency Combs Generated via Frequency Division.
Creator
Ru, Qitian, Vodopyanov, Konstantin, Fathpour, Sasan, Wu, Shintson, Peale, Robert, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Frequency combs have revolutionized metrology and demonstrated numerous applications in science and technology. Combs operating in the mid-infrared region could be beneficial for molecular spectroscopy for several reasons. First, numerous molecules have their spectroscopic signatures in this region. Furthermore, the atmospheric window (3-5(&)#181;m and 8-14(&)#181;m) is located here. Additionally, a mid-infrared frequency comb could be employed as a diagnostic tool for the many components of...
Show moreFrequency combs have revolutionized metrology and demonstrated numerous applications in science and technology. Combs operating in the mid-infrared region could be beneficial for molecular spectroscopy for several reasons. First, numerous molecules have their spectroscopic signatures in this region. Furthermore, the atmospheric window (3-5(&)#181;m and 8-14(&)#181;m) is located here. Additionally, a mid-infrared frequency comb could be employed as a diagnostic tool for the many components of human breath, as well as for detection of harmful gases and contaminants in the atmosphere. In this thesis, I used synchronously pumped subharmonic optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) operating at degeneracy to produce ultra-broadband outputs near half of the pump laser frequency. One attractive property of the subharmonic OPOs is that the signal/idler waves of the OPO are frequency- and phase-locked to the pump frequency comb. We explored three new nonlinear materials in the subharmonic OPO and demonstrated a broadband spectrum for mid-infrared frequency comb generation. (1) Orientation-patterned (OP) gallium arsenide (GaAs) was selected as the first material because it has high nonlinearity. We found that the OP-GaAs based OPO yielded an approximately two-octave wide spectrum (2.8(-)11(&)#181;m). (2) Gallium phosphide (GaP) has near zero group velocity dispersion (GVD) at 4.7 (&)#181;m and a large bandgap. The OP-GaP OPO yielded a spectrum of more than two octaves (3(-)12.5(&)#181;m). Also, because of the large bandgap, GaP is suitable for telecom 1.56-(&)#181;m pumping, having the advantage of much smaller GVD than in periodically-poled-lithium-niobite (PPLN). The telecom laser (1.56(&)#181;m) pumped OP-GaP OPO was demonstrated with more than one octave wide spectrum. (3) Finally, we explored the phenomenon of random phase matching in the zinc selenide (ZnSe) polycrystalline material. The first random phase matched OPO was demonstrated with more than one octave spectrum (3.1(-) 9(&)#181;m), which is also the first OPO based on ZnSe.
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Date Issued
2019
Identifier
CFE0007718, ucf:52430
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007718
Wavelength scale resonant structures for integrated photonic applications
Title
Wavelength scale resonant structures for integrated photonic applications.
Creator
Weed, Matthew, Schoenfeld, Winston, Moharam, M., Likamwa, Patrick, Delfyett, Peter, Leuenberger, Michael, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
An approach to integrated frequency-comb filtering is presented, building from a background in photonic crystal cavity design and fabrication. Previous work in the development of quantum information processing devices through integrated photonic crystals consists of photonic band gap engineering and methods of on-chip photon transfer. This work leads directly to research into coupled-resonator optical waveguides which stands as a basis for the primary line of investigation. These coupled...
Show moreAn approach to integrated frequency-comb filtering is presented, building from a background in photonic crystal cavity design and fabrication. Previous work in the development of quantum information processing devices through integrated photonic crystals consists of photonic band gap engineering and methods of on-chip photon transfer. This work leads directly to research into coupled-resonator optical waveguides which stands as a basis for the primary line of investigation. These coupled cavity systems offer the designer slow light propagation which increases photon lifetime, reduces size limitations toward on-chip integration, and offers enhanced light-matter interaction. A unique resonant structure explained by various numerical models enables comb-like resonant clusters in systems that otherwise have no such regular resonant landscape (e.g. photonic crystal cavities). Through design, simulation, fabrication and test, the work presented here is a thorough validation for the future potential of coupled-resonator filters in frequency comb laser sources.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFE0004957, ucf:49568
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004957
External cavity mode-locked semiconductor lasers for the generation of ultra-low noise multi-gigahertz frequency combs and applications in multi-heterodyne detection of arbitrary optical waveforms
Title
External cavity mode-locked semiconductor lasers for the generation of ultra-low noise multi-gigahertz frequency combs and applications in multi-heterodyne detection of arbitrary optical waveforms.
Creator
Davila-Rodriguez, Josue, Delfyett, Peter, Likamwa, Patrick, Li, Guifang, Malocha, Donald, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The construction and characterization of ultra-low noise semiconductor-based mode-locked lasers as frequency comb sources with multi-gigahertz combline-to-combline spacing is studied in this dissertation. Several different systems were built and characterized. The first of these systems includes a novel mode-locking mechanism based on phase modulation and periodic spectral filtering. This mode-locked laser design uses the same intra-cavity elements for both mode-locking and frequency...
Show moreThe construction and characterization of ultra-low noise semiconductor-based mode-locked lasers as frequency comb sources with multi-gigahertz combline-to-combline spacing is studied in this dissertation. Several different systems were built and characterized. The first of these systems includes a novel mode-locking mechanism based on phase modulation and periodic spectral filtering. This mode-locked laser design uses the same intra-cavity elements for both mode-locking and frequency stabilization to an intra-cavity, 1,000 Finesse, Fabry-P(&)#233;rot Etalon (FPE). On a separate effort, a mode-locked laser based on a Slab-Coupled Optical Waveguide Amplifier (SCOWA) was built. This system generates a pulse-train with residual timing jitter of (<)2 fs and pulses compressible to (<)1 ps. Amplification of these pulse-trains with an external SCOWA lead to 390 mW of average optical power without evident degradation in phase noise and pulses that are compressible to the sub-picosecond regime. Finally, a new laser is built using a 10,000 Finesse Fabry-P(&)#233;rot Etalon held in a vacuum chamber. The fluctuations in the optical frequency of the individual comb-lines over time periods longer than 12 minutes are shown to be significantly reduced to (<)100 kHz in a measurement that is limited by the linewidth of the reference source.The use of these comb sources as local oscillators in multi-heterodyne detection of arbitrary optical waveforms is explored in three different cases. 1) Sampling of mode-locked pulses, 2) sampling of phase modulated continuous wave light and 3) periodically filtered white light. The last experiment achieves spectral interferometry with unprecedented resolution.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFE0004669, ucf:49863
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004669
LOW NOISE, HIGH REPETITION RATE SEMICONDUCTOR-BASED MODE-LOCKED LASERS FOR SIGNAL PROCESSING AND COHERENT COMMUNICATIONS
Title
LOW NOISE, HIGH REPETITION RATE SEMICONDUCTOR-BASED MODE-LOCKED LASERS FOR SIGNAL PROCESSING AND COHERENT COMMUNICATIONS.
Creator
Quinlan, Franklyn, Delfyett, Peter, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This dissertation details work on high repetition rate semiconductor mode-locked lasers. The qualities of stable pulse trains and stable optical frequency content are the focus of the work performed. First, applications of such lasers are reviewed with particular attention to applications only realizable with laser performance such as presented in this dissertation. Sources of timing jitter are also reviewed, as are techniques by which the timing jitter of a 10 GHz optical pulse train may be...
Show moreThis dissertation details work on high repetition rate semiconductor mode-locked lasers. The qualities of stable pulse trains and stable optical frequency content are the focus of the work performed. First, applications of such lasers are reviewed with particular attention to applications only realizable with laser performance such as presented in this dissertation. Sources of timing jitter are also reviewed, as are techniques by which the timing jitter of a 10 GHz optical pulse train may be measured. Experimental results begin with an exploration of the consequences on the timing and amplitude jitter of the phase noise of an RF source used for mode-locking. These results lead to an ultralow timing jitter source, with 30 fs of timing jitter (1 Hz to 5 GHz, extrapolated). The focus of the work then shifts to generating a stabilized optical frequency comb. The first technique to generating the frequency comb is through optical injection. It is shown that not only can injection locking stabilize a mode-locked laser to the injection seed, but linewidth narrowing, timing jitter reduction and suppression of superfluous optical supermodes of a harmonically mode-locked laser also result. A scheme by which optical injection locking can be maintained long term is also proposed. Results on using an intracavity etalon for supermode suppression and optical frequency stabilization then follow. An etalon-based actively mode-locked laser is shown to have a timing jitter of only 20 fs (1Hz-5 GHz, extrapolated), optical linewidths below 10 kHz and optical frequency instabilities less than 400 kHz. By adding dispersion compensating fiber, the optical spectrum was broadened to 2 THz and 800 fs duration pulses were obtained. By using the etalon-based actively mode-locked laser as a basis, a completely self-contained frequency stabilized coupled optoelectronic oscillator was built and characterized. By simultaneously stabilizing the optical frequencies and the pulse repetition rate to the etalon, a 10 GHz comb source centered at 1550 nm was realized. This system maintains the high quality performance of the actively mode-locked laser while significantly reducing the size weight and power consumption of the system. This system also has the potential for outperforming the actively mode-locked laser by increasing the finesse and stability of the intracavity etalon. The final chapter of this dissertation outlines the future work on the etalon-based coupled optoelectronic oscillator, including the incorporation of a higher finesse, more stable etalon and active phase noise suppression of the RF signal. Two appendices give details on phase noise measurements that incorporate carrier suppression and the noise model for the coupled optoelectronic oscillator.
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Date Issued
2008
Identifier
CFE0002252, ucf:47878
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002252
Third-order optical nonlinearities for integrated microwave photonics applications
Title
Third-order optical nonlinearities for integrated microwave photonics applications.
Creator
Malinowski, Marcin, Fathpour, Sasan, Delfyett, Peter, Christodoulides, Demetrios, Lyakh, Arkadiy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The field of integrated photonics aims at compressing large and environmentally-sensitive opticalsystems to micron-sized circuits that can be mass-produced through existing semiconductor fabri-cation facilities. The integration of optical components on single chips is pivotal to the realizationof miniature systems with high degree of complexity. Such novel photonic chips find abundant ap-plications in optical communication, spectroscopy and signal processing. This work concentrateson...
Show moreThe field of integrated photonics aims at compressing large and environmentally-sensitive opticalsystems to micron-sized circuits that can be mass-produced through existing semiconductor fabri-cation facilities. The integration of optical components on single chips is pivotal to the realizationof miniature systems with high degree of complexity. Such novel photonic chips find abundant ap-plications in optical communication, spectroscopy and signal processing. This work concentrateson harnessing nonlinear phenomena to this avail.The first part of this dissertation discusses, both from component and system level, the developmentof a frequency comb source with a semiconductor mode-locked laser at its heart. New nonlinear de-vices for supercontinuum and second-harmonic generations are developed and their performance isassessed inside the system. Theoretical analysis of a hybrid approach with synchronously-pumpedKerr cavity is also provided. The second part of the dissertation investigates stimulated Brillouinscattering (SBS) in integrated photonics. A fully-tensorial open-source numerical tool is developedto study SBS in optical waveguides composed of crystalline materials, particularly silicon. SBS isdemonstrated in an all-silicon optical platform.
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Date Issued
2019
Identifier
CFE0007674, ucf:52497
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007674
Noise, Stability, and Linewidth Performance of 10-GHz Optical Frequency Combs Generated from the Nested Cavity Architecture
Title
Noise, Stability, and Linewidth Performance of 10-GHz Optical Frequency Combs Generated from the Nested Cavity Architecture.
Creator
Bagnell, Kristina, Delfyett, Peter, Likamwa, Patrick, Schulzgen, Axel, DeSalvo, Richard, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Optical frequency combs with wide mode spacing and low timing jitter are relied upon for both time domain and frequency domain applications. It has been previously demonstrated that surrounding a low-Q semiconductor laser chip with a long external fiber cavity and inserting a high finesse Fabry(-)P(&)#233;rot etalon into this cavity can produce a mode-locked laser with the desired high repetition rate and narrow optical mode linewidths which are of benefit to applications like photonic analog...
Show moreOptical frequency combs with wide mode spacing and low timing jitter are relied upon for both time domain and frequency domain applications. It has been previously demonstrated that surrounding a low-Q semiconductor laser chip with a long external fiber cavity and inserting a high finesse Fabry(-)P(&)#233;rot etalon into this cavity can produce a mode-locked laser with the desired high repetition rate and narrow optical mode linewidths which are of benefit to applications like photonic analog-to-digital conversion and astronomical spectrograph calibration. With this nested cavity architecture, the quality factor of the resonator is effectively determined by the product of the individual quality factors of the long fiber cavity and the short etalon cavity. Passive cavity Q and intracavity power both influence mode-locked laser mode linewidth, optical frequency stability, and the phase noise of the photodetected output. The nested cavity architecture has been demonstrated at 10-GHz mode spacing a few times with increasing etalon finesse and once with a high saturation power semiconductor gain medium to increase intracavity power. No one system has been fully characterized for long term optical frequency stability, phase noise and timing jitter, and optical mode linewidth. As a result, the trade-offs involved with advancing any one element (e.g. increasing cavity Q by adding fiber length and maintaining a broad spectral region of low dispersion for broad-bandwidth operation) have not been fully examined. In this work, three cavity elements are identified for study to influence cavity Q, effective noise spur suppression, and intracavity power, and the trade-offs of pushing those parameters to new limits are experimentally demonstrated. In the process, we also demonstrate nested cavity systems with fractional frequency instability on the order of 10^-13, timing jitter as low as 20 fs, and Hz-level linewidths.
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Date Issued
2017
Identifier
CFE0006717, ucf:51883
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006717
Injection Locking of Semiconductor Mode-Locked Lasers for Long-Term Stability of Widely Tunable Frequency Combs
Title
Injection Locking of Semiconductor Mode-Locked Lasers for Long-Term Stability of Widely Tunable Frequency Combs.
Creator
Williams, Charles, Delfyett, Peter, Hagan, David, Likamwa, Patrick, Vanstryland, Eric, DeSalvo, Richard, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Harmonically mode-locked semiconductor lasers with external ring cavities offer high repetition rate pulse trains while maintaining low optical linewidth via long cavity storage times. Single frequency injection locking generates widely-spaced and tunable frequency combs from these harmonically mode-locked lasers, while stabilizing the optical frequencies. The output is stabilized long-term with the help of a feedback loop utilizing either a novel technique based on Pound-Drever-Hall...
Show moreHarmonically mode-locked semiconductor lasers with external ring cavities offer high repetition rate pulse trains while maintaining low optical linewidth via long cavity storage times. Single frequency injection locking generates widely-spaced and tunable frequency combs from these harmonically mode-locked lasers, while stabilizing the optical frequencies. The output is stabilized long-term with the help of a feedback loop utilizing either a novel technique based on Pound-Drever-Hall stabilization or by polarization spectroscopy. Error signals of both techniques are simulated and compared to experimentally obtained signals. Frequency combs spaced by 2.5 GHz and ~10 GHz are generated, with demonstrated optical sidemode suppression of unwanted modes of 36 dB, as well as RF supermode noise suppression of 14 dB for longer than 1 hour. In addition to the injection locking of actively harmonically mode-locked lasers, the injection locking technique for regeneratively mode-locked lasers, or Coupled Opto-Electronic Oscillators (COEOs), is also demonstrated and characterized extensively.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFE0004774, ucf:49805
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004774