Compact optical frequency comb systems
First Claim
1. A frequency comb laser generating an output pulse train characterized by having a repetition rate and a carrier envelope offset frequency, said laser comprising;
- a laser cavity comprising a solid-state or a fiber gain medium;
a mode locking mechanism configured for passive mode-locking,a pump source for optically pumping said gain medium, wherein said gain medium, in combination with said pump source, generates an intra-cavity optical beam in said laser cavity; and
an intra-cavity optical element disposed external to said gain medium, said optical element configured as a graphene-based loss modulator to modulate the loss of said laser cavity and to modulate said carrier envelope offset frequency, the optical path length of said cavity, or both;
said optical element comprising at least one layer of a material operatively connected to an electrical source, said cavity loss and/or optical path length modulation induced by electrical modulation of the transmission or reflection loss of the optical element with a time varying electric field generated by said electrical source and applied to said material, wherein said at least one layer of material is disposed between electrodes, and an intra-cavity optical beam is configured to pass through at least one of said electrodes.
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Abstract
Compact optical frequency sources are described. The comb source may include an intra-cavity optical element having a multi-material integrated structure with an electrically controllable active region. The active region may comprise a thin film. By way of example, the thin film and an insulating dielectric material disposed between two electrodes can provide for rapid loss modulation. In some embodiments the thin film may comprise graphene. In various embodiments of a frequency comb laser, rapid modulation of the CEO frequency can be implemented via electric modulation of the transmission or reflection loss of an additional optical element, which can be the saturable absorber itself. In another embodiment, the thin film can also be used as a saturable absorber in order to facilitate passive modelocking. In some implementations the optical element may be formed on a cleaved or polished end of an optical fiber.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A frequency comb laser generating an output pulse train characterized by having a repetition rate and a carrier envelope offset frequency, said laser comprising;
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a laser cavity comprising a solid-state or a fiber gain medium; a mode locking mechanism configured for passive mode-locking, a pump source for optically pumping said gain medium, wherein said gain medium, in combination with said pump source, generates an intra-cavity optical beam in said laser cavity; and an intra-cavity optical element disposed external to said gain medium, said optical element configured as a graphene-based loss modulator to modulate the loss of said laser cavity and to modulate said carrier envelope offset frequency, the optical path length of said cavity, or both;
said optical element comprising at least one layer of a material operatively connected to an electrical source, said cavity loss and/or optical path length modulation induced by electrical modulation of the transmission or reflection loss of the optical element with a time varying electric field generated by said electrical source and applied to said material, wherein said at least one layer of material is disposed between electrodes, and an intra-cavity optical beam is configured to pass through at least one of said electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A laser comprising:
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a mode locked solid state or fiber gain medium generating a pulse train characterized by having a repetition rate and a carrier envelope offset frequency; and an intra-cavity optical element configured as a graphene-based loss modulator comprising a multi-material integrated structure having an electrically controllable active region comprising a film layer, said intra-cavity optical element being capable of modulating the loss of the cavity and/or the optical path length in response to an electrical signal applied to at least a portion of said active region, wherein electrical modulation of a transmission or reflection loss of said intra-cavity optical element is carried out by applying a time varying electric field to said intra-cavity optical element to modulate said carrier envelope offset frequency. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification