Optical frequency ruler
First Claim
1. A frequency ruler, comprising,a pump source comprising a mode locked laser, said pump source generating pump pulses at a pulse repetition rate frep and characterized by having a pump carrier envelope offset frequency f0p, said pump laser operably arranged to generate picosecond (ps) or femtosecond (fs) pulses at a constant repetition rate;
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a frequency spacing which is an integer multiple of said repetition rate, and distinct ruler carrier envelope offset frequencies which exhibit at least one discontinuity as a function of frequency;
a controller operatively connected to said mode locked pump laser and said DNOPO, said controller arranged to receive a plurality of beat signals and to stabilize a carrier envelope offset frequency, f0p, of said pump laser, stabilize a carrier envelope offset frequency, f0s, of at least a signal output of said DNOPO, and lock a pump laser repetition rate.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to frequency rulers. At least one embodiment includes a mode locked pump source operated at pulse repetition rate, and a pump output having a pump carrier envelope offset frequency. A nonlinear optical system outputs a frequency ruler spectrum comprising individual frequency modes. The frequency modes may be characterized by a frequency spacing which is an integer multiple of the repetition rate and by distinct ruler carrier envelope offset frequencies which exhibit at least one discontinuity across the frequency output. The ruler carrier envelope offset frequencies are substantially locked to the carrier envelope offset frequency of the pump laser. One preferred embodiment includes a frequency doubled, doubly resonant, non-degenerate OPO (DNOPO), a supercontinuum generation (SC) stage and at least one reference laser arranged downstream from a Tm fiber-based pump source. A plurality of beat signals generated therefrom provide for stabilization of the system.
74 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A frequency ruler, comprising,
a pump source comprising a mode locked laser, said pump source generating pump pulses at a pulse repetition rate frep and characterized by having a pump carrier envelope offset frequency f0p, said pump laser operably arranged to generate picosecond (ps) or femtosecond (fs) pulses at a constant repetition rate; - and
a doubly-resonant non-degenerate optical parametric oscillator (DNOPO) receiving said pump pulses, wherein said ps or fs pulses are of sufficient power to start oscillation of the DNOPO, said DNOPO producing as an output a frequency ruler spectrum comprising individual frequency modes, said frequency modes characterized by having;
a frequency spacing which is an integer multiple of said repetition rate, and distinct ruler carrier envelope offset frequencies which exhibit at least one discontinuity as a function of frequency;a controller operatively connected to said mode locked pump laser and said DNOPO, said controller arranged to receive a plurality of beat signals and to stabilize a carrier envelope offset frequency, f0p, of said pump laser, stabilize a carrier envelope offset frequency, f0s, of at least a signal output of said DNOPO, and lock a pump laser repetition rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A frequency ruler, comprising,
a pump source comprising a fiber-based frequency comb laser, said pump source generating pump pulses at a pulse repetition rate and characterized by having a pump carrier envelope offset frequency, fop, said pump laser operably arranged to generate picosecond (ps) or femtosecond (fs) pulses at a constant repetition rate; -
a doubly-resonant non-degenerate optical parametric oscillator (DNOPO) receiving pump pulses from said mode locked fiber comb laser of sufficient power to pump said DNOPO and generate signal and idler outputs characterized by having respective signal and idler carrier envelope offset frequencies f0s and f0i, said DNOPO generating a frequency ruler spectrum at an output thereof; and signal processing equipment operatively connected to at least said pump source and said DNOPO and arranged to receive said spectral information derived from said pump source and said DNOPO, said signal processing equipment generating a plurality of signals to stabilize the repetition rate of said pump source and the cavity length of said DNOPO, and to further stabilize said pump carrier envelope offset frequency, fop, thereby stabilizing said respective signal and idler carrier envelope offset frequencies, f0s and f0i, of said DNOPO and said frequency ruler. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A frequency ruler comprising, comprising
a mode-locked pump laser operably arranged to generate picosecond (ps) or femtosecond (fs) pulses at a constant repetition rate; -
a doubly-resonant non-degenerate optical parametric oscillator (DNOPO); a controller operatively connected to said mode locked pump laser and said DNOPO, said controller arranged to receive a plurality of beat signals and to perform at least three of the following functions therewith;
stabilizing a carrier envelope offset frequency, f0p, of said pump laser, stabilizing a carrier envelope offset frequency, f0s, of at least a signal output of said DNOPO, and locking a pump laser repetition rate. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A frequency ruler, comprising,
a pump source comprising a mode locked laser, said pump source generating pump pulses at a pulse repetition rate frep and characterized by having a pump carrier envelope offset frequency f0p, said pump laser operably arranged to generate picosecond (ps) or femtosecond (fs) pulses at a constant repetition rate ; - and
a doubly-resonant non-degenerate optical parametric oscillator (DNOPO) receiving said pump pulses, wherein said ps or fs pulses are of sufficient power to start oscillation of the DNOPO, said DNOPO producing as an output a frequency ruler spectrum comprising individual frequency modes, said frequency modes characterized by having;
a frequency spacing which is an integer multiple of said repetition rate, and distinct ruler carrier envelope offset frequencies which exhibit at least one discontinuity as a function of frequency;a controller operatively connected to said mode locked pump laser and said DNOPO, said controller operably arranged to lock a pump laser repetition rate and a DNOPO round trip time to each other. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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Specification