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Title: Broad Bandwidth, All-fiber, Thulium-doped Photonic Crystal Fiber Amplifier for Potential Use in Scaling Ultrashort Pulse Peak Powers.
Creator: Sincore, Alex, Richardson, Martin, Shah, Lawrence, Amezcua Correa, Rodrigo, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Fiber based ultrashort pulse laser sources are desirable for many applications; however generating high peak powers in fiber lasers is primarily limited by the onset of nonlinear effects such as self-phase modulation, stimulated Raman scattering, and self-focusing. Increasing the fiber core diameter mitigates the onset of these nonlinear effects, but also allows unwanted higher-order transverse spatial modes to propagate. Both large core diameters and single-mode propagation can be...
Show moreFiber based ultrashort pulse laser sources are desirable for many applications; however generating high peak powers in fiber lasers is primarily limited by the onset of nonlinear effects such as self-phase modulation, stimulated Raman scattering, and self-focusing. Increasing the fiber core diameter mitigates the onset of these nonlinear effects, but also allows unwanted higher-order transverse spatial modes to propagate. Both large core diameters and single-mode propagation can be simultaneously attained using photonic crystal fibers.Thulium-doped fiber lasers are attractive for high peak power ultrashort pulse systems. They offer a broad gain bandwidth, capable of amplifying sub-100 femtosecond pulses. The longer center wavelength at 2 ?m theoretically enables higher peak powers relative to 1 ?m systems since nonlinear effects inversely scale with wavelength. Also, the 2 ?m emission is desirable to support applications reaching further into the mid-IR.This work evaluates the performance of a novel all-fiber pump combiner that incorporates a thulium-doped photonic crystal fiber. This fully integrated amplifier is characterized and possesses a large gain bandwidth, essentially single-mode propagation, and high degree of polarization. This innovative all-fiber, thulium-doped photonic crystal fiber amplifier has great potential for enabling high peak powers in 2 ?m fiber systems; however the current optical-to-optical efficiency is low relative to similar free-space amplifiers. Further development and device optimization will lead to higher efficiencies and improved performance.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005260, ucf:50611
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005260

Title: Highly-Sensitive Stoichiometric Analysis of YAG Ceramics Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS).
Creator: Kazemi Jahromi, Ali, Gaume, Romain, Richardson, Martin, Seal, Sudipta, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Transparent ceramics are an important class of optical materials with applications in high-strength windows, radiation detectors and high-power lasers. Despite the many successful developments of the past decades, their challenging fabrication still needs to be perfected to achieve a better consistency in optical quality. In particular, ternary phase materials such as Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG, Y3Al5O12), a long standing high-power laser host, require a precise control of stoichiometry,...
Show moreTransparent ceramics are an important class of optical materials with applications in high-strength windows, radiation detectors and high-power lasers. Despite the many successful developments of the past decades, their challenging fabrication still needs to be perfected to achieve a better consistency in optical quality. In particular, ternary phase materials such as Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG, Y3Al5O12), a long standing high-power laser host, require a precise control of stoichiometry, often beyond the precision of current analytical techniques, in order to reduce scattering losses and the presence of deleterious point defects. This work explores the potential of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for the quantitative analysis of ceramic compositions near stoichiometry. We have designed a compact and automated LIBS system to determine the plasma composition of sintered mixtures of Y2O3-Al2O3 near the garnet composition. The performance of our setup is evaluated and compared to conventional techniques. Optimized conditions for the acquisition of plasma emission spectra are discussed and the intensity ratios of Y+ and Al in the 300 to 400nm spectral range are analyzed using simple plasma models. The results show that, for the selected parameters of our experiments, the fluctuations in plasma temperature are minimal, and the stability of the plasma is improved. Current results show that ceramic compositions can be resolved within 1 at% in oxide and several suggestions are proposed to further increase the accuracy and precision of the method.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005191, ucf:50624
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005191

Title: Development of laser spectroscopy for elemental and molecular analysis.
Creator: Liu, Yuan, Richardson, Martin, Vanstryland, Eric, Bass, Michael, Sigman, Michael, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman spectroscopy are still growing analytical and sensing spectroscopic techniques. They significantly reduce the time and labor cost in analysis with simplified instrumentation, and lead to minimal or no sample damage. In this dissertation, fundamental studies to improve LIBS analytical performance were performed and its fusion with Raman into one single sensor was explored.On the fundamental side, Thomson scattering was reported for the...
Show moreLaser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman spectroscopy are still growing analytical and sensing spectroscopic techniques. They significantly reduce the time and labor cost in analysis with simplified instrumentation, and lead to minimal or no sample damage. In this dissertation, fundamental studies to improve LIBS analytical performance were performed and its fusion with Raman into one single sensor was explored.On the fundamental side, Thomson scattering was reported for the first time to simultaneously measure the electron density and temperature of laser plasmas from a solid aluminum target at atmospheric pressure. Comparison between electron and excitation temperatures brought insights into the verification of local thermodynamic equilibrium condition in laser plasmas.To enhance LIBS emission, Microwave-Assisted LIBS (MA-LIBS) was developed and characterized. In MA-LIBS, a microwave field extends the emission lifetime of the plasma and stronger time integrated signal is obtained. Experimental results showed sensitivity improvement (more than 20-fold) and extension of the analytical range (down to a few tens of ppm) for the detection of copper traces in soil samples. Finally, laser spectroscopy systems that can perform both LIBS and Raman analysis were developed. Such systems provide two types of complimentary information (-) elemental composition from LIBS and structural information from Raman. Two novel approaches were reported for the first time for LIBS-Raman sensor fusion: (i) an Ultra-Violet system which combines Resonant Raman signal enhancement and high ablation efficiency from UV radiation, and (ii) a Ti:Sapphire laser based NIR system which reduces the fluorescence interference in Raman and takes advantage of femtosecond ablation for LIBS.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0005105, ucf:50729
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005105

Title: 2 micron fiber lasers: power scaling concepts and limitations.
Creator: Sincore, Alex, Richardson, Martin, Amezcua Correa, Rodrigo, Schulzgen, Axel, Shah, Lawrence, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Thulium- and holmium-doped fiber lasers (TDF and HDF) emitting at 2 micron offer unique benefits and applications compared to common ytterbium-doped 1 micron lasers. This dissertation details the concepts, limitations, design, and performance of four 2 micron fiber laser systems. While these lasers were developed for various end-uses, they also provide further insight into two major power scaling limitations. The first limitation is optical nonlinearities: specifically stimulated Brillouin...
Show moreThulium- and holmium-doped fiber lasers (TDF and HDF) emitting at 2 micron offer unique benefits and applications compared to common ytterbium-doped 1 micron lasers. This dissertation details the concepts, limitations, design, and performance of four 2 micron fiber laser systems. While these lasers were developed for various end-uses, they also provide further insight into two major power scaling limitations. The first limitation is optical nonlinearities: specifically stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) and modulation instability (MI). The second limitation is thermal failure due to inefficient pump conversion. First, a 21.5 W single-frequency, single-mode laser with adjustable output from continuous-wave to nanosecond pulses is developed. Measuring the SBS threshold versus pulse duration enables the Brillouin gain coefficient and gain bandwidth to be determined at 2 micron. Second, a 23 W spectrally-broadband, nanosecond pulsed laser is constructed for materials processing applications. The temporally incoherent multi-kW peak power pulses can also efficiently produce MI and supercontinuum generation by adjusting the input spectral linewidth. Third, the measured performance of in-band pumped TDF and HDF lasers are compared with simulations. HDF displays low efficiencies, which is explained by including ion clustering in the simulations. The TDF operates with impressive (>)90% slope efficiencies. Based on this result, a system design for (>)1 kW average power TDF amplifier is described. The designed final amplifier will be in-band pumped to enable high efficiency and low thermal load. The amplifier efficiency, operating bandwidth, thermal load, and nonlinear limits are modeled and analyzed to provide a framework for execution. Overall, this dissertation provides further insight and understanding on the various processes that limit power scaling of 2 micron fiber lasers.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007374, ucf:52105
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007374

Title: Effect of Nonclassical Optical Turbulence on a Propagating Laser Beam.
Creator: Beason, Melissa, Phillips, Ronald, Atia, George, Richardson, Martin, Andrews, Larry, Shivamoggi, Bhimsen, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Theory developed for the propagation of a laser beam through optical turbulence generally assumes that the turbulence is both homogeneous and isotropic and that the associated spectrum follows the classical Kolmogorov spectral power law of . If the atmosphere deviates from these assumptions, beam statistics such as mean intensity, correlation, and scintillation index could vary significantly from mathematical predictions. This work considers the effect of nonclassical turbulence on a...
Show moreTheory developed for the propagation of a laser beam through optical turbulence generally assumes that the turbulence is both homogeneous and isotropic and that the associated spectrum follows the classical Kolmogorov spectral power law of . If the atmosphere deviates from these assumptions, beam statistics such as mean intensity, correlation, and scintillation index could vary significantly from mathematical predictions. This work considers the effect of nonclassical turbulence on a propagated beam. Namely, anisotropy of the turbulence and a power law that deviates from . A mathematical model is developed for the scintillation index of a Gaussian beam propagated through nonclassical turbulence and theory is extended for the covariance function of intensity of a plane wave propagated through nonclassical turbulence. Multiple experiments over a concrete runway and a grass range verify the presence of turbulence which varies between isotropy and anisotropy. Data is taken throughout the day and the evolution of optical turbulence is considered. Also, irradiance fluctuation data taken in May 2018 over a concrete runway and July 2018 over a grass range indicate an additional beam shaping effect. A simplistic mathematical model was formulated which reproduced the measured behavior of contours of equal mean intensity and scintillation index.?
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007310, ucf:52646
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007310

Title: Filament Plasma Density Enhancement Using Two Co-Propagating Beams.
Creator: Pena, Jessica, Richardson, Martin, Moharam, Jim, Gaume, Romain, Rostami Fairchild, Shermineh, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Filaments are self-guided plasma channels generated from laser pulses with power above a critical value. They can propagate several times the Rayleigh length for diffraction and can travel through adverse atmospheric conditions. As such, filaments are useful in applications such as long wavelength electromagnetic and electric discharge guiding, and weather manipulation to name a few. Arrays of filaments can be useful to these applications, particularly in the generation of waveguides. However...
Show moreFilaments are self-guided plasma channels generated from laser pulses with power above a critical value. They can propagate several times the Rayleigh length for diffraction and can travel through adverse atmospheric conditions. As such, filaments are useful in applications such as long wavelength electromagnetic and electric discharge guiding, and weather manipulation to name a few. Arrays of filaments can be useful to these applications, particularly in the generation of waveguides. However, understanding the filament-induced plasma dynamics of two closely propagating beams is crucial in designing the ideal waveguide. One common way to characterize a filament is through the electron density of the plasma channel, a property which has previously been proven to be clamped for a single filament. This work will show how the electron density can be enhanced through the use of two co-propagating beams, taking advantage of their interaction. Three cases were studied: two sub-critical beams, one subcritical beam and one filament, and two filaments. The separations and focusing conditions of the beams were also varied. Enhancement of the electron density and lengthening of the plasma lifetime will be discussed for each case.
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Date Issued: 2019
Identifier: CFE0007702, ucf:52436
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007702

Title: Design and Engineering Criteria for Optical Parametric Chirped Pulse Amplifier Systems.
Creator: Bodnar, Nathan, Richardson, Martin, Delfyett, Peter, Likamwa, Patrick, Baudelet, Matthieu, Shah, Lawrence, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The generation of a quasi-single-cycle laser light pulse is a goal in many laser applications experiments. Some involve in High Harmonic Generation (HHG) and Attosecond Sciences. The demand for ultrafast laser facilities has grown; the techniques and availability of materials have changed; thereby posing new design challenges in building Optical Parametric Chirped Pulse Amplification (OPCPA) laser facilities. The concepts and challenges are discussed in detail in the development of two laser...
Show moreThe generation of a quasi-single-cycle laser light pulse is a goal in many laser applications experiments. Some involve in High Harmonic Generation (HHG) and Attosecond Sciences. The demand for ultrafast laser facilities has grown; the techniques and availability of materials have changed; thereby posing new design challenges in building Optical Parametric Chirped Pulse Amplification (OPCPA) laser facilities. The concepts and challenges are discussed in detail in the development of two laser systems within the Laser Plasma Laboratory, HERACLES and PhaSTHEUS. This dissertation also gives insight to the challenges that are encountered in other cutting edge OPCPA laser facilities. An overview of the design challenges that need to be addressed in any OPCPA laser facility either high energy or high average power that is suitable for high intensity laser physics is discussed in this dissertation.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007158, ucf:52300
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007158

Title: Ytterbium-doped fiber-seeded thin-disk master oscillator power amplifier laser system.
Creator: Willis-Ott, Christina, Richardson, Martin, Schulzgen, Axel, Delfyett, Peter, Chow, Louis, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Lasers which operate at both high average power and energy are in demand for a wide range of applications such as materials processing, directed energy and EUV generation. Presented in this dissertation is a high-power 1 ?m ytterbium-based hybrid laser system with temporally tailored pulse shaping capability and up to 62 mJ pulses, with the expectation the system can scale to higher pulse energies. This hybrid system consists of a low power fiber seed and pre-amplifier, and a solid state thin...
Show moreLasers which operate at both high average power and energy are in demand for a wide range of applications such as materials processing, directed energy and EUV generation. Presented in this dissertation is a high-power 1 ?m ytterbium-based hybrid laser system with temporally tailored pulse shaping capability and up to 62 mJ pulses, with the expectation the system can scale to higher pulse energies. This hybrid system consists of a low power fiber seed and pre-amplifier, and a solid state thin-disk regenerative amplifier. This system has been designed to generate high power temporally tailored pulses on the nanosecond time scale. Temporal tailoring and spectral control are performed in the low power fiber portion of the system with the high pulse energy being generated in the regenerative amplifier. The seed system consists of a 1030 nm fiber-coupled diode, which is transmitted through a Mach-Zehnder-type modulator in order to temporally vary the pulse shape. Typical pulses are 20-30 ns in duration and have energies of ~0.2 nJ from the modulator. These are amplified in a fiber pre-amplifier stage to ~100 nJ before being used to seed the free-space Yb:YAG thin-disk regenerative amplifier. Output pulses have maximum demonstrated pulse energies of 62 mJ with 20 ns pulse after ~250 passes in the cavity. The effects of thermal distortion in laser and passive optical materials are also. Generally the development of high power and high energy lasers is limited by thermal management strategies, as thermally-induced distortions can degrade laser performance and potentially cause catastrophic damage. Novel materials, such as optical ceramics, can be used to mitigate thermal distortions; however, thorough analysis is required to optimize their fabrication and minimize thermal distortions. Using a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor (SHWFS), it is possible to analyze the distortion induced in passive and doped optical elements by high power lasers. For example, the thin-disk used in the regenerative amplifier is examined in-situ during CW operation (up to 2 kW CW pump power). Additionally, passive oxide-based optical materials and Yb:YAG optical ceramics are also examined by pumping at 2 and 1 ?m respectively to induce thermal distortions which are analyzed with the SHWFS. This method has been developed as a diagnostic for the relative assessment of material quality, and to grade differences in ceramic laser materials associated with differences in manufacturing processes and/or the presence of impurities. In summation, this dissertation presents a high energy 1 ?m laser system which is novel in its combination of energy level and temporal tailoring, and an analysis of thermal distortions relevant to the development of high power laser systems.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004961, ucf:49588
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004961

Title: Variance in Fade-Time of a Gamma-Gamma Distributed Irradiance Signal.
Creator: Leclerc, Troy, Phillips, Ronald, Weeks, Arthur, Richardson, Martin, Marinescu, Dan, Andrews, Larry, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Free-space optical communications are predominantly hindered by optical turbulence, an effect caused by temperature and pressure variations within the atmosphere. The result is an optical wave interfering with itself due to multipath propagation via tiny refractive-index fluctuations across the wave-front. Optical communication systems are affected when the channel conditions induce fading in the irradiance signal that is received at the detector. The nature of optical interference imparted...
Show moreFree-space optical communications are predominantly hindered by optical turbulence, an effect caused by temperature and pressure variations within the atmosphere. The result is an optical wave interfering with itself due to multipath propagation via tiny refractive-index fluctuations across the wave-front. Optical communication systems are affected when the channel conditions induce fading in the irradiance signal that is received at the detector. The nature of optical interference imparted by the atmosphere is a random process and therefore the received irradiance signal is often characterized by an appropriate probability density function (PDF). Data collected during past free-space optical experiments in the atmosphere support the gamma-gamma distribution as a practical PDF model for received irradiance fluctuations, although the irradiance fluctuations do occasionally tend towards a lognormal distribution.Utilization of the gamma-gamma irradiance PDF allows for calculation of statistical moments of the irradiance threshold level-crossing distribution. Presented analysis focuses on the results of the gamma-gamma irradiance PDF. Previously, expressions were developed for the expected number of gamma-gamma distributed irradiance threshold level-crossings. Expressions for the mean square number of gamma-gamma distributed irradiance threshold level-crossings are derived and presented. The derived expressions lead to the mean and variance of signal fade time. Outcomes of the derived expressions are presented in relation to free-space optical communication system performance.Comparisons are made between the theoretical analysis and experimental data taken at the Innovative Science and Technology Facility (ISTEF) located at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The strength of the atmospheric turbulence is often characterized by three measurable parameters: the refractive index structure constant Cn2, the inner scale l0, and the outer scale L0. The optical path (L~1km) was instrumented such that direct comparisons could be drawn between the measured atmospheric turbulence parameters and the parameters of the gamma-gamma irradiance model. Variance of fade time data were found to agree well for smaller apertures where effects of aperture averaging are not present and in cases where scintillation is weak to moderate. It is suggested that a more appropriate PDF, with a heavier focus on aperture averaging, may be applied in future studies of these fade statistics.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004397, ucf:53153
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004397

Title: Precision Metrology of Laser Plasmas in the XUV Band.
Creator: Szilagyi, John, Richardson, Martin, Sundaram, Kalpathy, Abdolvand, Reza, Baudelet, Matthieu, Shivamoggi, Bhimsen, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The XUV band, a region of light spanning the wavelength range of 5 - 200 nm, is located between the Ultraviolet and X-ray regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. It is further divided into a 100 - 200 nm region called the Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV), and a 5 (-) 100 nm region called the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV). Applications of this light have been slow to develop due to the lack of suitable sources, efficient optics, and sensitive detectors. Recently, many industries such as the semiconductor...
Show moreThe XUV band, a region of light spanning the wavelength range of 5 - 200 nm, is located between the Ultraviolet and X-ray regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. It is further divided into a 100 - 200 nm region called the Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV), and a 5 (-) 100 nm region called the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV). Applications of this light have been slow to develop due to the lack of suitable sources, efficient optics, and sensitive detectors. Recently, many industries such as the semiconductor manufacturing industry, medical surgery, micromachining, microscopy, and spectroscopy have begun to benefit from the short wavelengths and the high photon energies of this light. At present, the semiconductor chip industry is the primary reason for the investment in, and development of, XUV sources, optics, and detectors. The demand for high power EUV light sources at 13.5 nm wavelength is driven by the development of the next generation of semiconductor lithography tools. The development of these tools enables the continued reduction in size, and the increase in transistor density of semiconductor devices on a single chip. Further development and investigation of laser produced plasma EUV light sources is necessary to increase the average optical power and reliability. This will lead to an increase in the speed of EUV lithographic processes, which are necessary for future generations of advanced chip design, and high volume semiconductor manufacturing. Micromachining, lithography, and microscopy benefit from improvements in resolution due to the shorter wavelengths of light in the VUV band. In order to provide adequate illumination for these applications, sources are required which are brighter and have higher average power. Laser produced plasma (LPP) VUV light sources are used extensively for lithography and defect detection in semiconductor manufacturing. Reductions in the wavelength and increases in the average power will increase the rate and yield of chip manufacture, as well as reduce the costs of semiconductor manufacture.The work presented in this thesis, describes the development of two laser plasma source facilities in the Laser Plasma Laboratory at UCF, which were designed to investigate EUV and VUV laser plasma sources. The HP-EUV-Facility was developed to optimize and demonstrate a high power 13.5 nm EUV LPP source. This facility provides high resolution spectroscopy across 10.5 - 20 nm, and absolute energy measurement of 13.5 nm +/- 2% in 2? sr. The VUV-MS-Facility was developed to investigate VUV emission characteristics of laser plasmas of various target geometries and chemistries. This facility provides absolute calibrated emission spectra for the 124 - 250 nm wavelength range, in addition to, at wavelength plasma imaging. Calibrated emission spectra, in-band power, and conversion efficiency are presented in this work for gas targets of Argon, Krypton, and Xenon and solid targets of Silicon, Copper, Molybdenum, Indium, Tantalum, Tin, and Zinc, across the laser intensity range of 8.0x10^6 (-) 3.2x10^12 W/cm2.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006805, ucf:51793
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006805

Title: Design and Engineering of Ultrafast Amplifier Systems.
Creator: Webb, Benjamin, Richardson, Martin, Chang, Zenghu, Delfyett, Peter, Gaume, Romain, Shah, Lawrence, Klemm, Richard, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Recently, the design and engineering of ultrafast laser systems have led to an extraordinary increase in laser power and performance which have brought about advances in many fields such as medicine, material processing, communications, remote sensing, spectroscopy, nonlinear optics, and atomic physics. In this work, several ultrafast amplification techniques -- including chirped-pulse amplification (CPA), optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA), and divided-pulse amplification...
Show moreRecently, the design and engineering of ultrafast laser systems have led to an extraordinary increase in laser power and performance which have brought about advances in many fields such as medicine, material processing, communications, remote sensing, spectroscopy, nonlinear optics, and atomic physics. In this work, several ultrafast amplification techniques -- including chirped-pulse amplification (CPA), optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA), and divided-pulse amplification (DPA) -- are described and demonstrated in the design and construction of two ultrafast laser facilities. An existing Ti:Sapphire laser system was completely redesigned with an increased power of 10 TW for experiments capable of generating hundreds of laser filaments in ordered arrays. The performance of DPA above the Joule-level was investigated in a series of experiments utilizing various DPA schemes with gain-saturated amplifiers at high pulse energy. A new high energy OPCPA facility has been designed and its pump laser system constructed, utilizing the technique of DPA for the first time in a flashlamp-pumped amplifier chain and with a record combined energy of 5 Joules in a 230 ps pulse duration. The demonstrated OPCPA pump performance will allow for the generation of 50 TW quasi-single cycle 5 fs pulses at 2.5 Hz from a table-top OPCPA system.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006547, ucf:51349
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006547

Title: High power fiber lasers and fiber devices.
Creator: Sanjabieznaveh, Zeinab, Amezcua Correa, Rodrigo, Chang, Zenghu, Argenti, Luca, Richardson, Martin, Schulzgen, Axel, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Fiber lasers and fiber amplifiers have experienced considerable improvements in recent years and demonstrated remarkable power scalability. However, due to high optical intensity in the core, the performance of high power fiber lasers is limited by detrimental nonlinear processes, such as four-wave mixing, self-phase modulation, stimulated Brillouin scattering, and stimulated Raman scattering. To mitigate nonlinear effects, very large mode area (LMA) fibers, which exhibit a mode field...
Show moreFiber lasers and fiber amplifiers have experienced considerable improvements in recent years and demonstrated remarkable power scalability. However, due to high optical intensity in the core, the performance of high power fiber lasers is limited by detrimental nonlinear processes, such as four-wave mixing, self-phase modulation, stimulated Brillouin scattering, and stimulated Raman scattering. To mitigate nonlinear effects, very large mode area (LMA) fibers, which exhibit a mode field diameter larger than 30 ?m have been developed. However, for larger core sizes the discrimination capabilities of conventional fiber designs decrease, consequently, LMA fibers are not strictly single mode which ultimately at high average powers results in sudden degradation of the output beam of a fiber laser or amplifier, namely, modal instability (MI). To suppress higher order modes (HOMs) in LMA fibers, various techniques have been proposed such as large pitch fibers (LPFs), differential bend loss for HOMs, leakage channel fibers, mode filtering with tapers, and chirally coupled cores. This thesis is divided into two parts. In the first two chapters, I focus on simulation, design and characterization of advanced high power fiber amplifiers. In the first chapter, I study the numerical modeling of the MI in active LMA fibers. Using a high fidelity time dependent computer model based on beam propagation method (BPM), taking laser gain and thermal effects into account, I show that engineering pump scheme is a promising technique leading to an appreciable threshold increase in a fiber amplifier. As an example I demonstrate that bi-directional pump scheme increases the instabilities threshold by a factor of ~30% with respect to the forward pump configuration. In the second chapter, I present a novel design of microstructured large pitch, LMA asymmetric rod-type fiber to achieve higher MI threshold. By eliminating mirror symmetries in the cladding of the LPF through six high refractive index germanium-doped silica inclusions, we reduce the overlap of the LP1m-like modes with the core region, which leads to strong HOM delocalization and enhanced preferential gain for the fundamental mode in active fibers. The third and fourth chapters of this thesis are focused on all-fiber mode multiplexers for communication applications. In the third chapter, I present an all-fiber mode selective photonic lantern mode multiplexer designed for launching into few-mode multicore fibers (FM-MCFs). This device is capable of selectively exciting LP01, LP11a and LP11b modes in a seven core configuration resulting in 21 spatial channels, with less than 38 dB crosstalk and with insertion loss below 0.4 dB. This device can be a critical component for the evolution of high capacity, high-density space division multiplexing (SDM) transmission networks based on MCFs.In the fourth chapter, I demonstrate for the first time, an all-fiber orbital angular momentum (OAM) mode multiplexer to efficiently generate and simultaneously multiplex multiple OAM modes within a broad spectral range of at least 550 nm. This innovative all-fiber passive design provides simultaneous multiplexing of multiple orthogonal OAM modes in a single fiber device with low loss and at low design complexity, therefore, it is of grand utility in variety of applications in classical and modern optical studies.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006956, ucf:51632
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006956

Title: Fiber Optimization for Operation Beyond Transverse Mode Instability Limitations.
Creator: Bradford, Joshua, Richardson, Martin, Gaume, Romain, Amezcua Correa, Rodrigo, Shah, Lawrence, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Transverse Mode Instabilities (TMIs) stand as a fundamental limitation to power and brightness scaling in laser systems based upon optical fiber technologies. This work comprises experimental and theoretical investigations into fiber laser design that should minimize the effects of Stimulated Thermal Rayleigh Scattering. Theoretical discussions and simulations focus on how fiber parameters affect transverse mode coupling. These include core geometry optimization, pump geometry optimization,...
Show moreTransverse Mode Instabilities (TMIs) stand as a fundamental limitation to power and brightness scaling in laser systems based upon optical fiber technologies. This work comprises experimental and theoretical investigations into fiber laser design that should minimize the effects of Stimulated Thermal Rayleigh Scattering. Theoretical discussions and simulations focus on how fiber parameters affect transverse mode coupling. These include core geometry optimization, pump geometry optimization, in addition to the effects of HOM content and losses on the TMI threshold. Experimentally, a high-power laser facility is commissioned with beam quality diagnostics to quantify the thresholds of the onset of modal interferences and their impacts on beam quality. These diagnostics include high-resolution Fourier Transform Interferometry (FTI) and in-situ power-in-the-bucket measurements. The design and characterization capabilities developed here are crucial to the development of next-generation high-power fiber laser capabilities.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0006980, ucf:51646
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006980

Title: Development of Thulium Fiber Lasers for High Average Power and High Peak Power Operation.
Creator: Sims, Robert, Richardson, Martin, Schulzgen, Axel, Delfyett, Peter, Chow, Louis, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: High power thulium fiber lasers are useful for a number of applications in both continuous-wave and pulsed operating regimes. The use of thulium as a dopant has recently gained interest due to its large bandwidth, possibility of high efficiency, possibility of high power and long wavelength ~1.8 (-) 2.1 ?m. The longer emission wavelength of Tm-doped fiber lasers compared to Yb- and/or Er-doped fiber lasers creates the possibility for higher peak power operation due to the larger nonlinear...
Show moreHigh power thulium fiber lasers are useful for a number of applications in both continuous-wave and pulsed operating regimes. The use of thulium as a dopant has recently gained interest due to its large bandwidth, possibility of high efficiency, possibility of high power and long wavelength ~1.8 (-) 2.1 ?m. The longer emission wavelength of Tm-doped fiber lasers compared to Yb- and/or Er-doped fiber lasers creates the possibility for higher peak power operation due to the larger nonlinear thresholds and reduced nonlinear phase accumulation. One primary interest in Tm-doped fiber lasers has been to scale to high average powers; however, the thermal and mechanical constraints of the fiber limit the average power out of a single-fiber aperture. One method to overcome the constraints of a single laser aperture is to spectrally combine the output from multiple lasers operating with different wavelengths into a single beam. In this thesis, results will be presented on the development of three polarized 100 W level laser systems that were wavelength stabilized for SBC. In addition to the development of the laser channels, the beams were combined using bandpass filters to achieve a single near diffraction-limited output.Concurrently, with the development of high average power systems there is an increasing interest in femotosecond pulse generation and amplification using Tm- doped fiber lasers. High peak power sources operating near 2 (&)#181;m have the potential to be efficient pump sources to generate mid-infrared light through supercontinuum generation or optical parametric oscillators. This thesis focuses on the development of a laser system utilizing chirped pulse amplification (CPA) to achieve record level energies and peak powers for ultrashort pulses in Tm-doped fiber. A mode-locked oscillator was built to generate femtosecond pulses operating with pJ energy. Pulses generated in the mode-locked oscillator were limited to low energies and contained spectral modulation due to the mode-locking mechanism, therefore, a Raman-soliton self-frequency shift (Raman-SSFS) amplifier was built to amplify pulses, decrease the pulse duration, and spectrally clean pulses. These pulses were amplified using chirped pulse amplification (CPA) in which, limiting factors for amplification were examined and a high peak power system was built. The primary limiting factors of CPA in fibers include the nonlinear phase accumulation, primarily through self-phase modulation (SPM), and gain narrowing. Gain narrowing was examined by temporally stretching pulses in a highly nonlinear fiber that both stretched the pulse duration and broadened the spectrum. A high peak power CPA system amplified pulses to 1 (&)#181;J energy with 300 fs compressed pulses, corresponding to a peak power (>)3 MW. High peak power pulses were coupled into highly nonlinear fibers to generate supercontinuum.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004752, ucf:49768
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004752

Title: Ultrafast Laser Material Processing For Photonic Applications.
Creator: Ramme, Mark, Richardson, Martin, Fathpour, Sasan, Sundaram, Kalpathy, Kar, Aravinda, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Femtosecond Laser Direct Writing (FLDW) is a viable technique for producing photonic devices in bulk materials. This novel manufacturing technique is versatile due to its full 3D fabrication capability. Typically, the only requirement for this process is that the base material must be transparent to the laser wavelength. The modification process itself is based on non-linear energy absorption of laser light within the focal volume of the incident beam.This thesis addresses the feasibility of...
Show moreFemtosecond Laser Direct Writing (FLDW) is a viable technique for producing photonic devices in bulk materials. This novel manufacturing technique is versatile due to its full 3D fabrication capability. Typically, the only requirement for this process is that the base material must be transparent to the laser wavelength. The modification process itself is based on non-linear energy absorption of laser light within the focal volume of the incident beam.This thesis addresses the feasibility of this technique for introducing photonic structures into novel dielectric materials. Additionally, this work provides a deeper understanding of the light-matter interaction mechanism occurring at high pulse repetition rates. A novel structure on the sample surface in the form of nano-fibers was observed when the bulk material was irradiated with high repetition rate pulse trains.To utilize the advantages of the FLDW technique even further, a transfer of the technology from dielectric to semiconductor materials is investigated. However, this demands detailed insight of the absorption and modification processes themselves. Experiments and the results suggested that non-linear absorption, specifically avalanche ionization, is the limiting factor inhibiting the application of FLDW to bulk semiconductors with today's laser sources.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004914, ucf:49626
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004914

Title: Dynamic feedback pulse shaping for high power chirped pulse amplification system.
Creator: Nguyen, Dat, Delfyett, Peter, Rahman, Talat, Richardson, Martin, Schulzgen, Axel, Li, Guifang, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The topic of this proposal is the development of high peak power laser sources with a focus on linearly chirped pulse laser sources. In the past decade chirped optical pulses have found a plethora of applications such as photonic analog-to-digital conversion, optical coherence tomography, laser ranging, etc. This dissertation analyzes the aforementioned applications of linearly chirped pulses and their technical requirements, as well as the performance of previously demonstrated parabolic...
Show moreThe topic of this proposal is the development of high peak power laser sources with a focus on linearly chirped pulse laser sources. In the past decade chirped optical pulses have found a plethora of applications such as photonic analog-to-digital conversion, optical coherence tomography, laser ranging, etc. This dissertation analyzes the aforementioned applications of linearly chirped pulses and their technical requirements, as well as the performance of previously demonstrated parabolic pulse shaping approaches. The experimental research addresses the topic of parabolic pulse generation in two distinct ways. First, pulse shaping technique involving a time domain approach is presented, that results in stretched pulses with parabolic profiles with temporal duration of 15 ns. After pulse is shaped into a parabolic intensity profile, the pulse is compressed with DCF fiber spool by 100 times to 80 ps duration at FWHM. A different approach of pulse shaping in frequency domain is performed, in which a spectral processor based on Liquid Crystal on Silicon technology is used. The pulse is stretched to 1.5 ns before intensity mask is applied, resulting in a parabolic intensity profile. Due to frequency to time mapping, its temporal profile is also parabolic. After pulse shaping, the pulse is compressed with a bulk compressor, and subsequently analyzed with a Frequency Resolved Optical Gating (FROG). The spectral content of the compressed pulse is feedback to the spectral processor and used to adjust the spectral phase mask applied on the pulse. The resultant pulse after pulse shaping with feedback mechanism is a Fourier transform, sub-picosecond ultrashort pulse with 5 times increase in peak power.The appendices in this dissertation provide additional material used for the realization of the main research focus of the dissertation. Specification and characterization of major components of equipment and devices used in the experiment are present. The description of Matlab algorithms that was used to calculate required signals for pulse shaping are shown. A brief description of the Labview code used to control the spectral processor will also be illustrated.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004899, ucf:49642
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004899

Title: Selective Multivariate Applications in Forensic Science.
Creator: Rinke, Caitlin, Sigman, Michael, Campiglia, Andres, Yestrebsky, Cherie, Kuebler, Stephen, Richardson, Martin, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: A 2009 report published by the National Research Council addressed the need for improvements in the field of forensic science. In the report emphasis was placed on the need for more rigorous scientific analysis within many forensic science disciplines and for established limitations and determination of error rates from statistical analysis. This research focused on multivariate statistical techniques for the analysis of spectral data obtained for multiple forensic applications which include...
Show moreA 2009 report published by the National Research Council addressed the need for improvements in the field of forensic science. In the report emphasis was placed on the need for more rigorous scientific analysis within many forensic science disciplines and for established limitations and determination of error rates from statistical analysis. This research focused on multivariate statistical techniques for the analysis of spectral data obtained for multiple forensic applications which include samples from: automobile float glasses and paints, bones, metal transfers, ignitable liquids and fire debris, and organic compounds including explosives. The statistical techniques were used for two types of data analysis: classification and discrimination. Statistical methods including linear discriminant analysis and a novel soft classification method were used to provide classification of forensic samples based on a compiled library. The novel soft classification method combined three statistical steps: Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Target Factor Analysis (TFA), and Bayesian Decision Theory (BDT) to provide classification based on posterior probabilities of class membership. The posterior probabilities provide a statistical probability of classification which can aid a forensic analyst in reaching a conclusion. The second analytical approach applied nonparametric methods to provide the means for discrimination between samples. Nonparametric methods are performed as hypothesis test and do not assume normal distribution of the analytical figures of merit. The nonparametric permutation test was applied to forensic applications to determine the similarity between two samples and provide discrimination rates. Both the classification method and discrimination method were applied to data acquired from multiple instrumental methods. The instrumental methods included: Laser Induced-Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Some of these instrumental methods are currently applied to forensic applications, such as GC-MS for the analysis of ignitable liquid and fire debris samples; while others provide new instrumental methods to areas within forensic science which currently lack instrumental analysis techniques, such as LIBS for the analysis of metal transfers. The combination of the instrumental techniques and multivariate statistical techniques is investigated in new approaches to forensic applications in this research to assist in improving the field of forensic science.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004628, ucf:49942
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004628

Title: Laser Filamentation - Beyond Self-focusing and Plasma Defocusing.
Creator: Lim, Khan, Richardson, Martin, Chang, Zenghu, Christodoulides, Demetrios, Zhang, Xi-Cheng, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Laser filamentation is a highly complex and dynamic nonlinear process that is sensitive to many physical parameters. The basic properties that define a filament consist of (i) a narrow, high intensity core that persists for distances much greater than the Rayleigh distance, (ii) a low density plasma channel existing within the filament core, and (iii) a supercontinuum generated over the course of filamentation. However, there remain many questions pertaining to how these basic properties are...
Show moreLaser filamentation is a highly complex and dynamic nonlinear process that is sensitive to many physical parameters. The basic properties that define a filament consist of (i) a narrow, high intensity core that persists for distances much greater than the Rayleigh distance, (ii) a low density plasma channel existing within the filament core, and (iii) a supercontinuum generated over the course of filamentation. However, there remain many questions pertaining to how these basic properties are affected by changes in the conditions in which the filaments are formed; that is the premise of the work presented in this dissertation.To examine the effects of anomalous dispersion and of different multi-photon ionization regimes, filaments were formed in solids with different laser wavelengths. The results provided a better understanding of supercontinuum generation in the anomalous dispersion regime, and of how multi-photon ionization can affect the formation of filaments.Three different experiments were carried out on filamentation in air. The first was an investigation into the effects of geometrical focusing. A simplified theoretical model was derived to determine the transition of filamentation in the linear-focusing and nonlinear- focusing regimes. The second examined the effects of polarization on supercontinuum generation, where a polarization-dependent anomalous spectral broadening phenomenon due to molecular effects was identified. The third involved the characterization of filaments in the ultraviolet. The combination of physical mechanisms responsible for filamentation in the ultraviolet was found to be different from that in the near infrared.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005520, ucf:50317
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005520

laser (9)	+ -
Laser (7)	+ -
EUV (5)	+ -
Plasma (5)	+ -
Filamentation (4)	+ -

laser plasma (4)	+ -
EUVL (3)	+ -
Femtosecond (3)	+ -
Nonlinear Optics (3)	+ -
OPCPA (3)	+ -
Optics (3)	+ -
Spectroscopy (3)	+ -
Thulium (3)	+ -
femtosecond (3)	+ -
fiber laser (3)	+ -
laser filamentation (3)	+ -
nonlinear optics (3)	+ -
tin (3)	+ -
Chirped Pulse Amplification (2)	+ -
Extreme Ultraviolet (2)	+ -
High Power Laser (2)	+ -
Laser Plasma (2)	+ -
Lithography (2)	+ -
PCF (2)	+ -
Spectrometer (2)	+ -
Ultrafast (2)	+ -
Ultrafast laser (2)	+ -
VUV (2)	+ -
chalcogenide (2)	+ -
fiber lasers (2)	+ -

Richardson, Martin (58)	+ -
University of Central Florida (58)	+ -
Shah, Lawrence (12)	+ -
Schulzgen, Axel (10)	+ -
Delfyett, Peter (8)	+ -

Amezcua Correa, Rodrigo (7)	+ -
Baudelet, Matthieu (7)	+ -
Chang, Zenghu (6)	+ -
Gaume, Romain (6)	+ -
Christodoulides, Demetrios (4)	+ -
Shivamoggi, Bhimsen (4)	+ -
Sigman, Michael (4)	+ -
Moharam, Jim (3)	+ -
Andrews, Larry (2)	+ -
Barbieri, Nicholas (2)	+ -
Bodnar, Nathan (2)	+ -
Chini, Michael (2)	+ -
Chow, Louis (2)	+ -
Likamwa, Patrick (2)	+ -
Phillips, Ronald (2)	+ -
Rahman, Talat (2)	+ -
Richardson, Kathleen (2)	+ -
Sincore, Alex (2)	+ -
Sisken, Laura (2)	+ -
Sundaram, Kalpathy (2)	+ -
Szilagyi, John (2)	+ -
Vanstryland, Eric (2)	+ -
Abdolvand, Reza (1)	+ -
Abdulfattah, Ali (1)	+ -
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