New platforms for GHz mode-locked mid-IR lasers
Abstract
Mid-infrared laser sources are required for operation in harsh environments, and so require a platform that is robust against shock, vibration, and temperature swings. Ultrafast laser-inscribed (ULI) waveguide structures meet these requirements, and could provide a compact and low cost mode-locked laser source. Over a decade of prior research at HWU into the nonlinear material ZnSe has resulted the first directly written low-loss near-IR waveguides and the first Cr2+-ZnSe waveguide laser, with subsequent demonstrations of power scaling and wavelength tuning in continuous-wave operation. In 2016, Stites et. al. reported that hot-isostatic pressing (HIP) of transition-metal-doped ZnSe resulted in increased homogeneous broadening and subsequent reduction in the spectral linewidth compared to non-HIP-treated samples. This led to our recent demonstration of a Kerr-lens mode-locked (KLM) bulk Cr2+-ZnSe laser producing sub-40fs MHz pulses at 2.39 micrometer. Both waveguide and bulk HIP-treated Cr2+-ZnSe are potential platforms for high-speed electro-optic systems. Challenges remain in achieving femtosecond operation at GHz repetition frequencies and in developing robust, monolithic modules for external spectral broadening.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 04, 2023
- Source ID
- FA86552127001
Entities
People
- Richard A. McCracken
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Heriot-Watt University
- United States Air Force