Current Search: lasers -- mode-locked lasers -- frequency combs -- optical metrology (x)
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Title
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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.
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Creator
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Davila-Rodriguez, Josue, Delfyett, Peter, Likamwa, Patrick, Li, Guifang, Malocha, Donald, University of Central Florida
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Abstract / Description
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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
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2013
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Identifier
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CFE0004669, ucf:49863
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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PURL
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http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004669
