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S

Series in Quantum Electronics
edited by
Henry Baltes, Peter Günter, Ursula Keller,
Fritz K. Kneubühl †, Walter Lukosz,
Hans Melchior, Markus W. Sigrist

 

 

Vol. 54

Selina Pekarek

 

New Frontiers in Frequency Combs

from Diode-Pumped Solid State Lasers

 

1st edition 2011. XXVI, 114 pages, € 64,00.
ISBN 978-3-86628-410-4

 

This thesis describes the development of novel ultrafast laser sources for compact self-referenced frequency comb generation. The frontiers of the key parameters, such as noise performance, average power and repetition rate, are explored for frequency combs based on diode-pumped solid state lasers (DPSSLs). DPSSLs combine the favorable properties of cost-efficient diode-pumping and an intrinsic low quantum noise limit. A challenge for stabilization of the frequency comb is the detection of the carrier envelope offset (CEO) frequency. The standard approach with an f-to-2f interferometer scheme is based on a coherent octave-spanning spectrum which requires high peak powers and short pulses.

In this thesis, the noise performance of a fully stabilized frequency comb from an Er:Yb:glass oscillator is studied. The intrinsic low noise of the 1.5-μm DPSSL resulted in a low noise CEO beat, for which a tight phase lock was achieved using a feedback bandwidth of only 5.5 kHz. Furthermore, the first self-referenceable frequency comb from a DPSSL with a gigahertz repetition rate is presented. The modelocked Yb:KG(WO4)2 laser delivered 2.2 W average power in 290-fs pulses at the repetition rate of 1 GHz. The pulse duration was reduced with a passive fiber-compressor to 100 fs at 1.1-W average power and an octave spanning coherent spectrum was generated in a highly nonlinear PCF which enabled the CEO beat detection. Moreover, a self-referenceable frequency comb with an unprecedented high average power without amplification is presented. A modelocked Yb:Lu2O3 thin-disk laser generated 7 W of average power in 142 fs pulses at the repetition rate of 64 MHz. This enabled for the first time the detection of the CEO beat frequency from a thin-disk laser.

 

About the author:

Selina Pekarek received her diploma in physics in 2007 from ETH Zurich. She joined the Institute of Quantum Electronics at ETH Zurich in the same year. Her research interests include the development of novel ultrafast laser sources in particular with high repetition rates and for self-referenced frequency combs, as well as supercontinuum generation in highly nonlinear fibers.

 

 

Keywords: Supercontinuum Generation, Diode-Pumped Solid State Laser, Frequency Comb, Modelocked Laser, High Repetition Rate, High Average Power, Thin Disk Laser, SESAM, Metrology, Gigahertz

Series in Quantum Electronics

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