Compact LWFA-Based Extreme Ultraviolet Free Electron Laser: Design Constraints

The combination of advanced high-power laser technology, new acceleration methods and achievements in undulator development offers the opportunity to build compact, high-brilliance free electron lasers driven by a laser wakefield accelerator. Here, we present a simulation study outlining the main requirements for the laser–plasma-based extreme ultraviolet free electron laser setup with the aim to reach saturation of the photon pulse energy in a single unit of a commercially available undulator with the deflection parameter K0 in the range of 1–1.5. A dedicated electron beam transport strategy that allows control of the electron beam slice parameters, including collective effects, required by the self-amplified spontaneous emission regime is proposed. Finally, a set of coherent photon radiation parameters achievable in the undulator section utilizing the best experimentally demonstrated electron beam parameters are analyzed. As a result, we demonstrate that the ultra-short, few-fs-level pulse of the photon radiation with the wavelength in the extreme ultraviolet range can be obtained with the peak brilliance of ∼7×1028 photons/pulse/mm2/mrad2/0.1%bw.

Consequences of quantum noise control for the relaxation resonance frequency and phase noise in heterogeneous Silicon/III–V lasers

We have recently introduced a new semiconductor laser design which is based on an extreme, 99%, reduction of the laser mode absorption losses. In previous reports, we showed that this was achieved by a laser mode design which confines the great majority of the modal energy (> 99%) in a low-loss Silicon guiding layer rather than in highly-doped, thus lossy, III–V p$${}^+$$ + and n$${}^+$$ + layers, which is the case with traditional III–V lasers. The resulting reduced electron-field interaction was shown to lead to a commensurate reduction of the spontaneous emission rate by the excited conduction band electrons into the laser mode and thus to a reduction of the frequency noise spectral density of the laser field often characterized by the Schawlow–Townes linewidth. In this paper, we demonstrate theoretically and present experimental evidence of yet another major beneficial consequence of the new laser design: a near total elimination of the contribution of amplitude-phase coupling (the Henry $$\alpha $$ α parameter) to the frequency noise at “high” frequencies. This is due to an order of magnitude lowering of the relaxation resonance frequency of the laser. Here, we show that the practical elimination of this coupling enables yet another order of magnitude reduction of the frequency noise at high frequencies, resulting in a quantum-limited frequency noise spectral density of 130 Hz$$^2$$ 2 /Hz (linewidth of 0.4 kHz) for frequencies beyond the relaxation resonance frequency 680 MHz. This development is of key importance in the development of semiconductor lasers with higher coherence, particularly in the context of integrated photonics with a small laser footprint without requiring any sort of external cavity.

GaN-Based Bipolar Cascade Lasers with 25nm Wide Quantum Wells

Utilizing self-consistent numerical simulation in good agreement with measurements, we analyze internal device physics, performance limitations, and optimization options for a unique laser design with multiple active regions separated by tunnel junctions, featuring surprisingly wide InGaN quantum wells. Contrary to common assumptions, these quantum wells are revealed to allow for perfect screening of the strong built-in polarization field, while optical gain is provided by higher quantum levels. However, internal absorption, low p-cladding conductivity, and self-heating are shown to strongly limit the laser performance.

Dispersive bands of bound states in the continuum

Bound states in the continuum (BICs), i.e. highly-localized modes with energy embedded in the continuum of radiating waves, have provided in the past decade a new paradigm in optics and photonics, especially at the nanoscale, with a range of applications from nanophotonics to optical sensing and laser design. Here, we introduce the idea of a crystal made of BICs, in which an array of BICs is indirectly coupled via a common continuum of states resulting in a tight-binding dispersive energy miniband embedded in the spectrum of radiating waves. The results are illustrated for a chain of optical cavities side-coupled to a coupled-resonator optical waveguide with nonlocal contact points.

Consequences of Quantum Noise Control for the Relaxation Resonance Frequency and Phase Noise in Heterogeneous Silicon/III-V Lasers

We have recently introduced a new semiconductor laser design which is based on an extreme, 99%, reduction of the laser mode absorption losses. This was achieved by a laser mode design which confines the great majority of the modal energy (> 99%) in a low-loss Silicon guiding layer rather than in highly-doped, thus lossy, III-V p+ and n+ layers, which is the case with traditional III-V lasers. The resulting reduced electron-field interaction leads directly to a commensurate reduction of the spontaneous emission rate by the excited conduction band electrons into the laser mode and thus to a reduction of the frequency noise spectral density of the laser field often characterized by the Schawlow-Townes linewidth. In this paper, we demonstrate theoretically and present experimental evidence of yet another major beneficial consequence of the new laser design: a near total elimination of the contribution of amplitude-phase coupling (the Henry α parameter) to the frequency noise at “high” frequencies. This is due to an order of magnitude lowering of the relaxation resonance frequency of the laser. The practical elimination of this coupling enables yet another order of magnitude reduction of the frequency noise at high frequencies, resulting in a quantum-limited frequency noise spectral density of 130 Hz2/Hz (linewidth of 0.4 kHz) for frequencies beyond 680 MHz. This development is of key importance in the drive to semiconductor lasers with higher coherence, particularly in the context of integrated photonics with a small laser footprint.

All-Chalcogenide Ring Fiber Laser

We demonstrate the first all-chalcogenide Brillouin fiber laser as well as the first all-chalcogenide ring cavity laser. The compact device comprises two engineered components: an As2Se3 optical fiber coupler combined to an As2S3 amplifying fiber. While the coupler simultaneously enables insertion of pump light, extraction of laser light, and the formation of a ring cavity, the amplifying fiber provides nonlinear gain to ensure laser oscillation. Thanks to the strong Brillouin gain of As2S3, only 3 m of amplifying fiber is required, thus making a resonant cavity with a free spectral range significantly larger than the Brillouin gain spectrum. The laser therefore naturally enables single longitudinal mode operation without additional filtering device. Acting as a coherence enhancing component, the resulting Brillouin laser benefits of a linewidth reduction factor of 7 with respect to the pump laser. Finally, this laser design is compatible with a broad range of wavelengths that spreads from 1.55 µm up to 8 µm, thanks to its all-chalcogenide structure.