Mini-Review on investigation of optical communication

in the 2 µm wavelength regime.

A Mini- Review Submitted
In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements
For the Degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE
In

PHYSICS
By

Abdu Subahan M
Roll No. IMS 15003

to

SCHOOL OF PHYSICS

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM -695551, INDIA

April 2018
Introduction

Due to several applications and its advantages 2 micron wavelength region and mid infrared
region has indispensable relevance for future researches in optical communications [1-11].
It is for that reason that the development of powerful laser sources at wavelengths >1.5 μm
are in urgent demand which is essential for next-generation metrology and spectroscopy which
is based on powerful frequency combs in the mid-IR. Access to this region is attained using
various techniques. Laser emission in 2 μm regime is possible through thulium- or holmium
doped gain media. Thulium has a wavelength of 2014 nm and Holmium: YAG laser operates
at 2100 nm. Such lasers have recently attained 100 W-class average power in ultrafast
operation [12-14].
In this Mini-Review recent progress on ultra-short pulse generation,
lasing using composite gain media, high speed optical transmissions, lasing using sodium
vapours in 2 μm wavelength regime is discussed based on various reports.

 Study of Few Achievements in 2 μm wavelength regime

1. Getting access to mid infrared region was a problem to a large community who targets
next generation spectroscopy. Thulium- or holmium doped gain media helped to get
access to 2 μm wavelength regime by direct laser emission. These lasers have recently
attained 100 W-class average power in ultrafast operation [15-17], but the frequency
combs not been realized with average powers beyond the few-W-level [18]. In a recent
work, a frequency comb emitted by a Tm-doped fiber chirped-pulse amplification
system (TmFCPA) was demonstrated. They achieved an average output power of 60 W
at 100 MHz pulse repetition rate and < 30 fs pulse duration, featuring low relative
intensity and phase noise. Compared to conventional phase stability characterizations
published elsewhere [19], the system provides <30 mrad and <0.2% RIN in an RF-band
spanning 10 Hz–1MHz, which is a mind blowing result considering the high power per
comb line of >1 μW. Phase locking of the system resulted in a phase noise of less than
320 mrad measured within the 10 Hz–30 MHz band and 30 mrad in the band from 10
Hz to 1 MHz. The experimental setup are consisted of Er: fiber oscillator/amplifier
(provides pulses at 100 MHz repetition rate with a central wavelength of 1.55 μm), a
nonlinear broadening stage utilizing a HNLF (which extends from 1500 to 2000 nm
(−20 dB bandwidth)), a TmFCPA, and a nonlinear solid-core fiber self-compression
stage. In the course of their study, they have realized the necessity to expand the noise
characterization to the high frequency realm for fiber-based sources that involve
nonlinear processes. They also have optimized the system with regard to phase and
amplitude noise by following known approaches [20-22]. The presented this laser is an
ideal laser source for spectroscopy and metrology with unprecedented sensitivity and
acquisition time in the 2 μm wavelength regime. And this source can also be utilized for
parametric mid- IR generation which paves the way for powerful frequency combs in
the molecular fingerprint region (2–20 μm).

2. Holmium laser is important due to their lasing wavelengths of around 2.05-2.2 μm being
within the molecular finger print and atmospheric window. However, cascaded
 pumping schemes is bulky and has low overall efficiencies compared with using the 1.9
μm LD [23]. Studies have been done inserting a Tm-doped gain medium into the Ho
laser cavity for intra-cavity pumping. And it is a promising way since we can use 800
nm LDs directly. A variety of intra cavity pumped Ho lasers realized by separating Tm
and Ho ions in independent gain media were explored [24-27], where few lasers could
achieve high powers [25,27]. A recent report by Haizhou Huang [28] and group was
creative and they realized Ho laser operation in a single composite gain medium Tm/Ho:
YAG for the first time. It was obtained by integrating together the Tm-doped and Ho-
doped crystals via diffusion bonding. Such a scheme facilitates the use of accessible
AlGaAs LDs in a compact structure with an easier manner versus the intra-cavity
pumped lasers. They achieved a maximum output power around 6W with a slope
efficiency 40.1% and conversion efficiency (CE) of 33.6% from the absorbed 785 nm
laser diode to 2122 nm Ho laser. Such a scheme is effective and could be adopted in
other host media or waveguide structures. It is very effective for an assessable Ho laser
to facilitate researches such as biology, spectroscopy, surgeries, and novel lasers.

3. Since the optical communication traffic approaching inexorably a ‘capacity threshold’

where the conventional C-band around 1.55 μm will not be sufficient anymore. 2 μm
wavelength regime is the new window. However, without affected by the increasing
interest in mid-infrared silicon photonics, it is important to note that no high bit-rate
transmission has been reported so far at wavelengths around 2 μm for Si waveguides.
And recently it is reported for the first time, an error-free transmission of a 10-Gbit/s
on-off keying signal at 1.98 μm in a 7-cm long Si waveguide [29]. Si platforms also
have various nonlinear effects. So these property can be used to implement ultrafast
integrated optical devices and is therefore very much suited for this kind of nonlinear
processing. So as per the report same architecture as the one involved for C-band
operations is also suitable for parametric wavelength conversion in the 2-μm range, and
reveal a conversion efficiency of -25 dB for CW operation (-10 dB in the pulsed regime)
and a wide tunability over 70 nm.

4. For the generation of ultrashort pulses at 2 μm with thulium doped fibers (TDF), all-
fiber chirped-pulse-amplification (CPA) can deliver multi-watt output [30-32], but it
remains challenging to broaden and compress such pulses to the few-cycle region. As a
solution to this problem Sida Xing and team has reported an all-polarization-
maintaining fiber optic approach to generating sub-2 cycle pulses at 2 μm and a
corresponding octave-spanning optical frequency comb [33]. They demonstrated and
characterized an all-fiber 2 μm frequency comb that outputs 9.5 fs (1.4-cycle) pulses at
100 MHz repetition rate and 15 dB PER. The average output power is 327 mW under
1.94 W C-band pump, and about 32 % of the total power is contained within the main
pulse peak. Improving the pulse quality from the first compression stage will contribute
to higher power in the central pulse. Their result represents the first sub-2 cycle 2 μm
frequency comb in a compact, robust and efficient all-fiber configuration. Importantly,
the use of all commercially available components makes our laser configuration
repeatable and reliable. Their setup is also scalable in repetition rate, which would lead
to more average power in each comb line. It is hopeful adapting this approach to all-PM
commercially-available heavily-doped Tm-fiber will lead to sub-2 cycle 2 μm lasers
 working at GHz repetition rates [34]. At the same time, MW level peak powers at a 100
MHz repetition rate should also be feasible with our all-fiber configuration. And finally,
even shorter pulses could be feasible through coherent pulse superposition with 2 μm
source, and other regions of the spectrum also generated from the 1.5 μm seed [35].

5. Recently frequency up- and down-conversions i.e., new field generation due to
nonlinear processes in alkali vapours excited with cw low-power (less than 100 mW)
resonant laser light gained considerable attention [36-40]. The cw low-power approach
is important for studying nonlinear processes with sub-Doppler spectral resolution.
Among the recent reports a report on the experimental observation of cw mirrorless
lasing on the 4P3∕2-4S1∕2 transition in Na vapours and the study of its spectral and spatial
characteristics was remarkable [41].

Fig: Energy levels and their lifetimes of Na atoms [41].

Their study of power and atom-number-density threshold characteristics revealed that

lasing occurs at sub-10 mW total power of the applied laser light. The observed 6 mrad
divergence is defined mainly based on the aspect ratio of the gain region. They found that
magnetic field and polarization dependent mirrorless lasing at 2.21 μm is useful for remote
magnetometry. The presented results could help to determine the requirements for
obtaining directional return from sodium atoms in the mesosphere. They have
experimentally investigated the properties of continuous-wave backward-directed 2.21 μm
emission generated in Na vapours excited to the 4D5∕2 level with resonant laser light at 589
and 569 nm in the co-propagating configuration. It has been shown that lasing can be
occurred at sub- 10 mW total power of the applied laser light. The threshold of mirrorless
lasing and the generated power is polarization and magnetic field sensitive. The latter is
promising for remote magnetometry. The results of their study performed with sub-Doppler
spectral resolution can provide decisive information for choosing an optimal excitation
scheme for getting directional return from mesospheric sodium atoms, as it promises a
dramatic enhancement of LGS signals. This approach for generating directional backward
emission for remote detection is applicable to a wide range of atomic [42] and plasma
media.

A recent report on an all-fiber pulsed source based on parametric conversion followed by

thulium amplification able to deliver picosecond pulses at a repetition rate selectable between
2 and 5 GHz, of which central wavelength can be freely selected in the 2-μm region [43] and
an another report on Up conversion mid-infrared dual-comb spectroscopy [44] in which is a
new detection technique for mid-infrared multi-heterodyne spectroscopy.
 Their demonstration enhances to unique advantages of dual-comb spectroscopy, such as
potential very high resolution, negligible instrumental line width, and direct calibration of the
frequency scale with an atomic clock. They also show that direct mid-infrared detection with
a differential photo-detector module is beneficial in the limit of low mid-infrared average
power.

Conclusion and Future prospect

Frequency comb sources near 2 μm are promising for high precision and sensitive
spectroscopy. CO, CO2, NH3 and CH4 have absorption peaks in the 2 μm band, and direct use
of 2 μm light has already attracted interest from the spectroscopy community. As per the
various reports above mentioned, people were able to achieve frequency combs in 2 μm
wavelength regime. Frequency comb emitted by a Tm-doped fiber chirped-pulse amplification
system with an unprecedented average output power of 60 W at 100 MHz pulse repetition rate
and <30 fs pulse duration, with low relative intensity and phase noise. and realize Ho laser
operation in a single composite gain medium Tm/Ho: YAG for the first time, which was
obtained by integrating together the Tm-doped and Ho-doped crystals via diffusion bonding
achieved compact lasing with a maximum output power around 6W with a slope efficiency
40.1% and conversion efficiency (CE) of 33.6% from the absorbed 785 nm laser diode to 2122
nm Ho laser. Achievements in broadening ultra-short pulses by polarization-maintaining fiber
optic approach to generating sub-2 cycle pulses at 2 μm regime and developments in silicon
wave-guide based optical transmission also commendable. But still the combs developed till
now n this regime lack high coherence, high repetition rate, low noise, high efficiency, low
cost, simplicity and good spectral flatness. EOM-based OFC generators are preferable for the
flexible tunability, robustness, stability, and gradual improvements in decreasing the driving
voltage and increasing the operational bandwidth of the EOMs. So Modulation based comb
generation can be a good solution for this. As a future prospective I am trying to generate
frequency combs in 2 μm wavelength regime using intensity modulation.

Acknowledgements

I sincerely thank Dr. Ravi Pant for his continued support, encouragement and advice as a
guide throughout my major project. I acknowledge academics office IISER
Thiruvananthapuram and unfortunate spreading of the covid-19 pandemic for providing me
with this wonderful opportunity to write this mini review. I also extend my gratitude towards
KVPY for their generous financial support. Last but not the least I sincerely express my
gratefulness towards my parents for their love and encouragement which cherish my life.

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