Non-Linear Optics

Ultrafast OPOs and OPGs.
Novel high power

sources and their challenges
Thomas Sdmeyer
Time/Frequency Laboratory, Physics Institute, University of Neuchatel
Les Houches, 23.04.2015
Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

23.04.2015
The Time/Frequency Laboratory at the University of Neuchtel
2015 Les Houches NLO School
Overview
Ultrafast lasers
Ultrafast high power lasers
Nonlinear temporal pulse compression
Nonlinear high power frequency conversion: an RGB system for laser projection
Nonlinear UV generation
Nonlinear VUV/XUV generation
What is ULTRAFAST?
Resolving fast events
Cinema: time between images

1
24 Hz
= 42 ms
The horse in motion

George Stubbs (1724-1806): English painter, best known for his paintings of horses.
Whistlejacket, 1762
Baronet, 1794
www.wikipedia.org
Fast mechanical shutter photography

E. Muybridge in 1878:
understand horse gallop using fast photography in the ms-domain
Fast flash photography

Harold E. Edgerton (1903-1990):
understand fast processes using flash light (limited by duration of flashes to s-domain)



Femtochemistry by A. H. Zewail in 1994

A. H. Zewail in 1994:
understand transition states in chemical reactions using fs-pulses
Scales
Time
nanosecond
109 s
picosecond
1012 s
femtosecond
1015 s
Ultrafast laser pulses
Access ultrashort time scales
Observe and use fast dynamics

understand chemical reaction dynamics
fast communication
interconnects
optical clocking
Concentrate in time and space

fast communication
Achieve extremely high intensities

material processing, eye surgery,
biomedical imaging, .
high field science,
40x
Concentrate in time and space
Achieve extremely high intensities

material processing, eye surgery,
biomedical imaging, .
high field science,
Broad optical spectrum
Generate ultrastable frequency combs

high precision spectroscopy
optical clocks

fast communication
Key advantage of laser light: coherence

Spatial coherence
Propagation over long distances
& reduced divergence
or extremely small spot

& high divergence
Key advantage of laser light: coherence

Spatial coherence
Propagation over long distances
& reduced divergence
or extremely small spot

& high divergence
Temporal coherence
Long duration and very small spectrum
or short pulses and wide spectrum
Ultrafast lasers and frequency combs!

Continuous-wave laser
Light circulates in resonator
Losses compensated by gain

in laser medium (which is
externally pumped)
Gain saturates to a level that it

compensates the losses
Light emission typically

continuous
Passively modelocked laser
Saturable
loss
Short pulse circulates in cavity

(fs-ps)
High repetition rate pulse train

at the output (MHz-GHz)
Pulse formation process

initiated and stabilized by
saturable absorber in the laser
cavity
Steady-state pulse
parameters:
governed by interplay of gain,
(saturable) loss, dispersion,
Kerr nonlinearity, etc.
Modelocking and frequency combs
http://www.physik.uni-wuerzburg.de/femto-welt/pulsframe.html
A 5 fs pulse
/c = 2.7 fs @800 nm
A 5 fs pulse
5 fs = 1.5
speed of light
SESAM (Semiconductor Saturable Absorber Mirror)
Animation: http://www.rp-photonics.com/mode_locking.html
DBR mirror
semiconductor
saturable absorber
Semiconductor absorber
Integration in mirror structure
U. Keller, et al., IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quant. 2, 435 (1996)

DBR mirror
semiconductor
saturable absorber
Semiconductor absorber
typically QW or QD layer(s)
number of layers
growth temperature
material composition,
Integration in mirror structure

field strength in absorber
dispersion
reflectivity, OC,
U. Keller, et al., IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quant. 2, 435 (1996)

Key parameters
saturation fluence
modulation depth
nonsaturable losses
roll-over
recovery time
Fsat
R
Rns
F2

generate coherent light pulses with pico- or femtosecond duration
time
domain
TR = 1 / frep
p
Key parameters:
Ep
frep
Pave
pulse energy
repetition rate
average power ( = Ep frep)
pulse duration
Ppeak peak power ( EP / P )

frequency
domain
Frequency comb:
fn = fCEO + nfrep
frep : pulse repetition rate frequency
fCEO : carrier envelope offset frequency
Overview
Ultrafast lasers
Applications for high power sources

Industry: High-precision, high-speed micromachining
Fuel injection nozzles

Profeta et al., Industrial
Laser Solutions, 2004
Stents
Nolte, et al., Adv.
Eng. Mater. 2, 2000
Inkjet nozzles
Liu, et al., Proc. SPIE,
Vol. 5713, 2005
Science: Strong-field physics applications
HHG
Spectroscopy
T. Auguste, et al.,
PRA 80, 033817 (2009)
T. Sdmeyer, et al.,
Nat. Phot. 2, 599 (2008)
Attosecond
science
A. Pfeiffer et al.,
Nat. Phys. 8, 76 (2012)
Required
High EP > 10 J
High Ppk > 10 MW
Wanted
High frep (MHz)
High average power
Pav = Ep frep
Required
High Ipeak > 1014 W/cm2
Short pulses p < 100 fs
Wanted
High frep (MHz)
High average power
Pav = Ep frep
Frontier: average power and pulse energy
High energy and MHz

Industrial applications
increase throughput,
reduce costs per item,
Nolte, et al., Adv. Eng. Mater. 2, 2000
Scientific applications
reduce measurement time,
increase signal-to-noise,
MHz XUV sources,
T. Sdmeyer, et al., Femtosecond laser oscillators for

high-field science, Nature Photonics 2, 559 (2008)
High average power ultrafast sources

Key for high average power: heat removal
Optimization of surface-tovolume ratio for efficient

cooling
Fiber
Slab
Thin disk
Key for ultrafast: reduce nonlinearities
Operation at reduced peak

intensity
Reduced interaction volume
Chirped pulse amplification (CPA) : 830 W, 640 fs

T. Eidam, et al., Optics Letters 35, 94-96 (2010)
Innoslab : 1.1 kW, 615 fs

P. Russbueldt, et al., Opt. Letters 35, 4169-4171 (2010)
High average power ultrafast sources

Key for high average power: heat removal
Optimization of surface-tovolume ratio for efficient

cooling
Fiber
Slab
Thin disk
Key for ultrafast: reduce nonlinearities
Operation at reduced peak

intensity
Reduced interaction volume
Chirped pulse amplification (CPA) : 830 W, 640 fs

T. Eidam, et al., Optics Letters 35, 94-96 (2010)
Innoslab : 1.1 kW, 615 fs

P. Russbueldt, et al., Opt. Letters 35, 4169-4171 (2010)
SESAM Modelocked Thin Disk Lasers

Highest average powers and highest energies
of any ultrafast oscillator technology
Ep
Pav
p
frep
= 17 J
= 275 W
= 583 fs
= 16.3 MHz
Ep = 80 J
p = 1.07 ps
frep = 3 MHz
Pav = 242 W
C.J. Saraceno, et al., Optics Express 20, 23535 (2012)

Challenges for high power operation
saturable
absorber
reduced losses for

pulsed operation
EP = Pavg TR
Challenges
TEM00 operation at high average power
efficient heat removal
suitable cavity design
suitable broadband gain material
Pulse formation
sustain high intracavity intensities
avoid mode locking instabilities
cw mode locking
QML
Thin disk laser

Challenge: Fundamental mode operation despite high thermal load
- Suitable gain material (good optical quality, high thermal conductivity)
- Suitable gain geometry (efficient heat removal)
Thin disk laser

A. Giesen, et al., Appl. Phys. B 58, 365 (1994)
- Efficient heat removal through back side

- Power scalable by increase of mode diameter D (constant intensities)
- 1D longitudinal heat flow reduced thermal lensing
Thin disk laser

Multi-pass pumping scheme for efficient absorption
pump fiber
parabolic mirror
disk
Front view
Pump module
-
Typical single-pass absorption 8% - 15%

Pump module with up to 32 passes available (here 24 passes)
Typical over 98% of absorbed pump light
Homogeneous pump light distribution
Low demand on pump brightness (pump diameters of mm-cm)
Modelocked thin disk laser
Animation by Martin Hoffmann

High-power modelocking: challenges

Challenge 1: TEM00 operation at high average power
efficient heat removal:

material properties: thermo-mechanical
and spectroscopic properties
disk quality: thickness, diameter
contacting
C. R. E. Baer, et al., Optics Express 20, 7054-7065 (2012)
Yb:YAG: the standard thin disk material

large disks on diamond with excellent quality
commercially available
500 W fundamental transverse mode
(M2<1.1) demonstrated#1
1.1 kW nearly fundamental mode (M2<1.5) #2
< 100 m thick

glued on water cooled diamond
#1
A.Killi, et al., Proceedings of the SPIE, Volume 7193, 2009

#2 Peng, et. al., Opt. Lett 38, 10, pp. 1709-1711, 2013

Challenge 1: TEM00 operation at high average power
efficient heat removal:

material properties: thermo-mechanical
and spectroscopic properties
disk quality: thickness, diameter
contacting
C. R. E. Baer, et al., Optics Express 20, 7054-7065 (2012)
Many other promising materials currently being

investigated!
Yb: CALGO
>70% slope efficiency
62 fs pulses
Yb doped sesquioxides
Etc

Challenge 2: Pulse formation at high intracavity peak power
Avoid excessive nonlinearities!
Soliton modelocking: balance self-phase modulation and negative dispersion

Thin-disk geometry: excellent for low nonlinearities
Avoid modelocking instabilities from excessive nonlinearities at very high intracavity
levels
Origin of nonlinearities: mostly air in resonator
F. X. Kartner and U. Keller, Opt. Lett. 20(1), 1618 (1995)
R. Paschotta and U. Keller, Appl. Phys. B 73(7), 653662 (2001)
Harnessing intracavity nonlinearities

Helium flooding
45 W, 11 J, 790 fs
n2,air 3.10-23 m2/W

n2,He 8.10-26 m2/W ( 400 times lower)
S. Marchese, et al., Optics Express 16, 6397-6409 (2008)


Helium flooding
Multiple passes
45 W, 11 J, 790 fs
145 W, 41 J, 1.1 ps
number of passes gain per roundtrip

efficient laser operation at lower OC rate
for a given output power: reduced nonlinearities
D. Bauer, et al., Optics

Express 20, 9698-9704
(2012)

Helium flooding
Multiple passes
Vacuum
Vacuum
45 W, 11 J, 790 fs
145 W, 41 J, 1.1 ps
275 W, 17 J, 580 fs
240 W, 80 J, 1.07 ps
minimum nonlinearity:
higher intracavity peak power can be tolerated
easy adjustment of SPM by adjusting pressure
minimum pointing instabilities, cleanliness
C.J. Saraceno, et al., Optics Express 20, 23535 (2012)

Energy scaling
EP = Pavg TR
Increase cavity length to increase pulse energy!
First design (275 W modelocked laser):

17 MHz cavity with one double-pass through the disk
OC rate used for modelocking experiments: 11%
Problems with thermal effects in dispersive mirrors
Energy scaling
New cavity:
Two double-passes through the disk: higher gain, efficient operation with higher Toc
reduced intracavity power for lower thermal effects
Energy scaling
New cavity:
Two double-passes through the disk
Beam shaping
Thin-film polarizer for polarization selection
frep = 5.8 MHz

Toc = 25 %
Energy scaling
Cavity extension with Heriott-type Multi-Pass Cavity (MPC):

MPC-length
D = n d = 23.4 m
D. Herriott, et al., Appl. Opt. 3, 523 (1964)
Energy scaling
New cavity:
Two double-passes through the disk
Thin-film polarizer for polarization selection
Herriott-type multipass cell (10 m mirror)
frep = 3 MHz
Toc = 25 %
300 W single
fundamental mode
Energy scaling
Soliton modelocking:
Self-phase modulation (remaining
atmosphere at 1 mbar)
390 rad/MW
Negative dispersion
(GTI-type mirrors)
GDD = -28000 fs2 per roundtrip
Energy scaling
SESAM with multiple QW and dielectric topcoating for high damage

threshold#1
- Fsat
120
J/cm2
- R
1.1
- Rns
0.1
#1
C.J. Saraceno, et al., IEEE JSTQE, vol 18, no.1, pp 29-41 (2012)
Results
Pavg
242 W
= 1070 fs
Ppump
790 W
opt
frep
= 3.03 MHz
M2
< 1.05
EP
80 J
P = 0.39
Ppk
66 MW
(ideal: 0.315)
30 %
Highest pulse energy from any

ultrafast oscillator
C. Saraceno, F. Emaury, C. Schriber,

M. Hoffmann, M. Golling,
T. Sdmeyer, U. Keller,
Optics Letters, 39, 9 (2014)
Overview
Ultrafast lasers
First pulse compression of an ultrafast TDL (2003)
power (a.u)
Calculated propagation in the fiber

Time domain
-1.5
-0.5
0
0.5
time (ps)
1.5
Frequency domain
980
-1
phase
spectral intensity
-2
1030
wavelength (nm)
1080
power (a.u)
Calculated propagation in the fiber

Time domain
-1.5
-0.5
0
0.5
time (ps)
1.5
Frequency domain
980
-1
phase
spectral intensity
-2
1030
wavelength (nm)
1080
T. Sdmeyer, F. Brunner, E. Innerhofer, R. Paschotta, K. Furusawa, J. C. Baggett, T. M. Monro, D. J. Richardson, and

U. Keller, "Nonlinear femtosecond pulse compression at high average power levels by use of a large-mode-area
holey fiber," Opt. Lett. , vol. 28, 1951-1953 (2003).
Pulse compression today

Yb:YAG
Yb:YAG
Pav
275 W
242 W
583 fs
1.07 ps
Ep
17 J
80 J
Pp
25 MW
66 MW
For most targeted scientific

applications
Shorter pulses < 100 fs are
required
Compression of few J level pulses to sub-50 fs at 4 MHz
F. Emaury et al, Optics Express 21, 4986 (2013)
Compression/transmission of mJ level pulses at 1 kHz

C. Fourcade Dutin et al, Postdeadline Paper CTh5C.7 CLEO US 2013
Compression of 40 J level pulses at 3 MHz (100 W)

Compression in gas-filled
HC-PCF
Pulse compression
Available at fiber launch:

Pav = 150 W
Ep = 50 J
frep = 3 MHz
p = 1.1 ps
Florian Emaury, Clara J. Saraceno, Benoit Debord, Debashri Ghosh, Andreas Diebold, Frederic Gerome, Thomas
Sdmeyer, Fetah Benabid, and Ursula Keller, Efficient Pulse Compression in the 100-W Average Power Regime Using
Gas-Filled Kagome Hollow-Core Photonic Crystal Fibers Optics Letters Vol. 39, Issue 24, pp. 68436846 (2014)
Pulse compression
Available at fiber launch:

Pav = 150 W
Ep = 50 J
frep = 3 MHz
p = 1.1 ps
Fiber:
Kagome-type HC-PCF 7cell hypocycloid core
MFD 30 m
Ar-filled: 5 bar
Length = 67 cm
Transmission 92% at maximum power

134 W out for 144 W launched: highest value through Kagome
Pulse compression
123 W
41 J
1.2 ps
Compression with 80% total power efficiency

Output: 100 W compressed to sub-200 fs
Expected soon: sub-50 fs, better compression efficiency with chirped mirrors
Overview
Ultrafast lasers
Efficient RGB system pumped by a TDL (1.4 J, 780 fs)

Pump source: ultrafast thin disk laser
1030 nm
thin disk
laser
F. Brunner, E. Innerhofer, S. V. Marchese, T.
Sdmeyer, R. Paschotta, T. Usami, H. Ito, S.
Kurimura, K. Kitamura, G. Arisholm, and U. Keller,
Powerful red-green-blue laser source pumped
with a mode-locked thin disk laser, Opt. Lett. 29,
1921-1923 (2004).

RGB setup
second-harmonic generation (SHG)
515 nm
1030 nm
thin disk
laser
SHG
1030 nm

1921-1923 (2004).

RGB setup
two-stage OPG
optical parametric generation (OPG)
optical parametric amplification (OPA)
515 nm
1030 nm
thin disk
laser
SHG
1030 nm

1921-1923 (2004).
1450 nm
799 nm
two-stage
OPG
515 nm
RGB

RGB setup
two-stage OPG
two sum frequency mixers (SFM)
515 nm
1030 nm
thin disk
laser
SHG
1030 nm

1921-1923 (2004).
1450 nm
799 nm
two-stage
OPG
515 nm
1450 nm
SFM
blue
SFM
red
450 nm
603 nm
RGB

RGB setup
two-stage OPG
two sum frequency mixers (SFM)
515 nm
1030 nm
thin disk
laser
SHG
1030 nm

1921-1923 (2004).
1450 nm
799 nm
two-stage
OPG
515 nm
1450 nm
SFM
blue
SFM
red
450 nm
603 nm
RGB
Pump source: modelocked TDL

autocorrelation
optical spectrum
p = 780 fs
1.67 nm
Time delay (ps)
Wavelength (nm)
Pavg
= 79 W
= 780 fs
frep
= 56.8 MHz
M2
< 1.2
linearly polarized
Ep
= 1.39 J
Ppeak
= 1.57 MW
= 0.37
Second Harmonic Generation
up to 48 W at 515 nm
(66% conversion efficiency)
79 W
1030 nm
SHG in
LBO
515 nm
5-mm long LBO crystal

critically phase-matched
at room temperature
SHG power (W)
mode-locked
thin disk laser
w1030 = 150 m
pump power @ 1030 nm (W)
How to get red and blue?
Generation of blue and red color by

sum frequency mixing of
1030 nm + 799 nm
1030 nm + 1450 nm
450 nm
603 nm
requires multi-watt power at 799 nm and 1450 nm
Flexible wavelength conversion

optical parametric oscillator (OPO)
active stabilization of cavity length required
fiber-feedback optical parametric oscillator #)
feedback through a single mode fiber
no active stabilization required
optical parametric generator (OPG)
only few optical components
OPG at high repetition rates
femtosecond pulses with up to 2.5 W *)
picosecond pulses with up to 9.5 W )
#)
*)
)
T. Sdmeyer et al., Opt. Lett. 26, 304 (2001)

T. Sdmeyer et al., CLEO (2002), Talk CTuO4
B. Khler et al., Appl. Phys. B 75, 31 (2002)
Challenges for efficient high power OPG

Gain guiding in high-gain parametric devices:
nonlinear crystal
signal
pump
preamplifier section
power amplifier
section
highest conversion takes place at crystal end

gain guiding reduces signal radius:
signal radius << pump radius
in power amplifier section
G. Arisholm, R. Paschotta, T. Sdmeyer, JOSA B 21 (3), 578 (2004)

Norm. Fluence
pump in
pump out
M2 factor of signal
Position (mm)
Norm. Fluence
Pump depletion causes hole in pump profile

high gain situation
low gain situation
pump in
pump out
Position (mm)
Consequence:
trade-off between conversion
efficiency and beam quality in
high-gain processes
Conversion efficiency

Solution: two-stage approach:
first stage: OPG with limited pump depletion
(Note: conversion efficiency not important)
second stage: OPA with good conversion efficiency,
but limited gain (
weak gain guiding)
first stage : OPG
second stage: OPA

515 nm
PPSLT
1030 nm
seed wave generated
limited pump depletion
1450 nm
LBO
1450 nm
799 nm
optimized mode areas
limited gain
reliable operation with multi-watt power at 799 nm and 1450 nm

and good beam quality
OPG in PPSLT
mode-locked
thin disk laser
79 W
1030 nm
SHG in
LBO
515 nm
1030 nm
OPG in PPSLT
8W@1030 nm
1.6W@1450 nm
+ 3556 nm
/2
1030 nm
OPG in
PPSLT
1450 nm
double-pass in uncoated 17.5-mm

PPSLT
(150 C, 29 m period)
OPA in LBO
OPA 515 nm + 1450 nm
mode-locked
thin disk laser
amplification of 1450 nm,

generation of 799 nm
critically phase-matched (20C)
79 W
1030 nm
1450 nm: 7 W, 1.2 ps

799 nm: 12 W, 0.7 ps
SHG in
LBO
515 nm
1030 nm
/2
1030 nm
42 W
OPG in
PPSLT
1.6 W
1450 nm
OPA in
LBO
1450 nm
799 nm
515-nm
515 nm
23 W
Sum frequency mixing
mode-locked
thin disk laser
79 W
1030 nm
SHG in
LBO
SFM in
LBO
515 nm
1030 nm
1030 nm
/2
1030 nm
42 W
OPG in
PPSLT
450-nm
23 W
1450 nm
OPA in
LBO
1450 nm
799 nm
515-nm
515 nm
23 W
603-nm
mode-locked
thin disk laser
SFM in
LBO
79 W
1030 nm
SHG in
LBO
SFM in
LBO
515 nm
1030 nm
1030 nm
/2
1030 nm
42 W
OPG in
PPSLT
450-nm
23 W
1450 nm
OPA in
LBO
1450 nm
799 nm
515-nm
515 nm
23 W
SFM: 1030 nm + 1450 nm
603 nm

nearly non-critically phase-matched at room temperature
603-nm output:
Pavg = 8 W
M 2 = 1.1
Spectral Intensity (a.u.)
1.1 nm
SFM: 1030 nm + 799 nm
450 nm

critically phase-matched at room temperature
450-nm output:
Pavg = 10.1 W
M 2 = 1.1
Spectral Intensity (a.u.)
Wavelength (nm)
0.6 nm
Wavelength (nm)
Experimental setup
603-nm
8W
mode-locked
thin disk laser
SFM in
LBO
79 W
1030 nm
SHG in
LBO
SFM in
LBO
515 nm
1030 nm
1030 nm
/2
1030 nm
42 W
OPG in
PPSLT
450-nm
10.1 W
23 W
1450 nm
OPA in
LBO
1450 nm
799 nm
515-nm
515 nm
23 W
RGB output
J pulses with 1 ps are well-suited for efficient RGB generation
OPG-based: no synchronized cavities
Simple system design
Optimal operation Yb-YAG TDLs
Ultrafast thin disk laser DPSSL
Pavg @ 1030
= 80 W
repetition rate
= 57 MHz
RGB output
Pavg @ 603 nm
= 8.0 W
Pavg @ 515 nm
= 23.0 W
Pavg @ 450 nm
= 10.1 W
pulse durations
1 ps
Latest generation TDL with 275 W expect >30 W per color

BUT: never used for projection However, other lasers did
(Sony Annual Report 20015)
http://www.sony.net/Products/SC-HP/cx_news/vol40/pdf/sideview40.pdf
Sony Laser Dream Theater at the Aichi Expo 2005
Microvision laser projector
Green laser: optically-pumped VECSEL (OSRAM)

Ulrich Steegmueller et al., Progress in ultra-compact green frequency
doubled optically pumped surface emitting lasers, High-Power Diode Laser
Technology and Applications VII, Proc. of SPIE Vol. 7198 719807, 2009
H. Lindberg et al., Recent advances in VECSELs for laser projection
applications, Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VECSELs),
Proc. of SPIE Vol. 7919 79190D, 2011
less than 0.4cm3

>70 mW green
Overview
Ultrafast lasers
T. Sdmeyer, Y. Imai, H. Masuda, N. Eguchi, M. Saito, and S. Kubota,

Efficient 2nd and 4th harmonic generation of a single-frequency, continuous-wave fiber
amplifier, Opt. Express, 1546 (2008)
>20 W green
88% external efficiency
M=1.00x1.03
Overview
Ultrafast lasers
Pulse duration of ultrafast sources
until 2000: limited to fs regime

Pulses generated directly out of
laser oscillators operating in VIS/IR spectral
region.
Optics and Photonics News, Vol. 19, Issue 10, pp. 24-29 (2008)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OPN.19.10.000024
Pulse duration of ultrafast sources
Attosecond pulses
High harmonic generation of
intense fs-pulses results in
as-pulses in VUV/XUV
spectral regime
Optics and Photonics News, Vol. 19, Issue 10, pp. 24-29 (2008)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OPN.19.10.000024
HHG: bringing coherent XUV light to the lab

Extreme nonlinear up-conversion of IR fs-pulses in gas target
broad range of coherent UV-XUV radiation
attosecond duration
light intensity
1013-1015 Wcm-2
infrared
fs-pulses
IR beam
block
XUV
gas target
E.A. Gibson, Science 302, 98 (2003)
HHG: bringing coherent XUV light to the lab

Extreme nonlinear up-conversion of IR fs-pulses in gas target
broad range of coherent UV-XUV radiation
attosecond duration
light intensity
1013-1015 Wcm-2
infrared
fs-pulses
IR beam
block
XUV
gas target
E.A. Gibson, Science 302, 98 (2003)
Limitations
conversion efficiency 10-8 to 10-6
typical fs-amplifier: 10 W, 1 kHz
Laboratoire
Temps Frquence (LTF)
Slide
4
flux too low for many applications

kHz repetition rate:
no frequency combs, limited usefulness
HHG in enhancement cavities
Jones, et al., Phys Rev. Lett. 94, 193201 (2005)

Gohle, et al., Nature 436, 234 (2005)
ERC MegaXUV: intra-laser high harmonic generation
passive pulse
formation
laser gain
XUV
gas
target
Minimum pulse duration of Yb-doped bulk lasers and TDLs
Average power and intracavity peak power of ultrafast TDLs
IIBS Coatings
Conclusion: high power thin disk laser oscillators & NLO

TDLs achieve highest energy & power from ultrafast oscillators
Succesful energy scaling in vacuum environment:
80 J, 242 W, 1.07 ps, 3 MHz
Pulse compression at high energy in Kagome HC-PCFs
100 W compressed with sub-200 fs pulses with 80%
total compression efficiency
Excellent stability
CEO stabilization of TDL achieved (see talk tomorrow)
Expect: higher pulse energy > 100 J and
higher average power > 1000 W
Longer cavities, spot size scaling, novel SESAM designs,
better dispersive mirrors,
Expect: Numerous applications in the area of NLO
Pulse compression to few-cycle pulses at 100s W average power
HHG, Intra-laser HHG, UV generation, Mid-IR generation, THz generation, ...
Acknowledgments
UniNE LTF group
ETH ULP group of

Prof. Ursula Keller

Non-Linear Optics

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Non-Linear Optics

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Ultrafast OPOs and OPGs.

Novel high power

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

The Time/Frequency Laboratory at the University of Neuchtel

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

The Time/Frequency Laboratory at the University of Neuchtel

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

The Time/Frequency Laboratory at the University of Neuchtel

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

2015 Les Houches NLO School

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

2015 Les Houches NLO School

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

2015 Les Houches NLO School

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

Resolving fast events

Cinema: time between images

The horse in motion

Fast mechanical shutter photography

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

Fast flash photography

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

Fast flash photography

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

Fast flash photography

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

Fast flash photography

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

Femtochemistry by A. H. Zewail in 1994

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

Ultrafast laser pulses

Access ultrashort time scales

Observe and use fast dynamics

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

Ultrafast laser pulses

Access ultrashort time scales

Concentrate in time and space

Observe and use fast dynamics

Achieve extremely high intensities

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

Ultrafast laser pulses

Access ultrashort time scales

Concentrate in time and space

Achieve extremely high intensities

Broad optical spectrum

Generate ultrastable frequency combs

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

Observe and use fast dynamics

Key advantage of laser light: coherence

or extremely small spot

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

Key advantage of laser light: coherence

or extremely small spot

or short pulses and wide spectrum

Ultrafast lasers and frequency combs!

Laboratoire Temps Frquence (LTF)

Light circulates in resonator

Losses compensated by gain

Gain saturates to a level that it

Light emission typically