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12 pages, 5812 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards Mid-Infrared Gas-Discharge Fiber Lasers

by Alexey Gladyshev, Dmitry Komissarov, Sergey Nefedov, Alexey Kosolapov, Vladimir Velmiskin, Alexander Mineev and Igor Bufetov

Photonics 2024, 11(3), 242; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11030242 - 7 Mar 2024

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Abstract

A 2.03 μm gas-discharge fiber laser based on atomic xenon is investigated. Various gas mixtures, such as He–Xe, Ar–Xe, He–Ar–Xe, and He–Ne, are studied by optical emission spectroscopy. The possibility of extending laser generation further into the mid-infrared range is analyzed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Solid-State and Fiber Mid-IR Lasers: Novel Materils, Components, Systems and Applications)

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8 pages, 2092 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gain Measurement of ZnGeP₂ Optical Parametric Oscillator Pulses in a High-Pressure CO₂ Amplifier

by Ziren Zhu, Yu Liu, Jinghan Ye, Juntao Tian, Tianjian Wan, Jinzhou Bai, Yijun Zheng, Rongqing Tan, Zhiyong Li and Xinjun Su

Photonics 2024, 11(2), 154; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11020154 - 5 Feb 2024

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Abstract

Laser pulse amplification by a high-pressure CO₂ amplifier in the long-wave infrared (LWIR) spectral range is a feasible technology for strong-field physics research. Crystals such as ZnGeP₂ (ZGP) have high nonlinear coefficients and transmittance in the LWIR region, with spectral widths [...] Read more.

Laser pulse amplification by a high-pressure CO₂ amplifier in the long-wave infrared (LWIR) spectral range is a feasible technology for strong-field physics research. Crystals such as ZnGeP₂ (ZGP) have high nonlinear coefficients and transmittance in the LWIR region, with spectral widths of generated pulses closely matching the gain spectrum of high-pressure CO₂ amplifiers. Therefore, ZGP optical parametric oscillation (OPO) may allow higher-efficiency energy extraction in amplifiers, improving the output characteristics of LWIR amplification systems. In this study, the gain measurement of ZGP OPO pulses amplified by a high-pressure CO₂ amplifier was carried out for the first time. Single-detector acquisition was utilized to achieve a unified sensor responsivity, and a laser signal-triggered function generator was used to synchronize the seed pulse and amplifier. Six-pass amplification was performed successively, yielding an amplification factor of 4.5 for the peak power and a maximum coefficient of 0.42% cm⁻¹ for the small-signal gain. The gain and loss effect during small-signal amplification were discussed. The potential capability of acquiring ultra-short pulses with ZGP OPO pulses was also explored with the FFT function of MATLAB software. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Solid-State and Fiber Mid-IR Lasers: Novel Materils, Components, Systems and Applications)

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12 pages, 2887 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Refining the Performance of mid-IR CPA Laser Systems Based on Fe-Doped Chalcogenides for Nonlinear Photonics

by Andrey Pushkin and Fedor Potemkin

Photonics 2023, 10(12), 1375; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics10121375 - 14 Dec 2023

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Abstract

The chirped pulse amplification (CPA) systems based on transition-metal-ion-doped chalcogenide crystals are promising powerful ultrafast laser sources providing access to sub-TW laser pulses in the mid-IR region, which are highly relevant for essential scientific and technological tasks, including high-field physics and attosecond science. [...] Read more.

The chirped pulse amplification (CPA) systems based on transition-metal-ion-doped chalcogenide crystals are promising powerful ultrafast laser sources providing access to sub-TW laser pulses in the mid-IR region, which are highly relevant for essential scientific and technological tasks, including high-field physics and attosecond science. The only way to obtain high-peak power few-cycle pulses is through efficient laser amplification, maintaining the gain bandwidth ultrabroad. In this paper, we report on the approaches for mid-IR broadband laser pulse energy scaling and the broadening of the gain bandwidth of iron-doped chalcogenide crystals. The multi-pass chirped pulse amplification in the Fe:ZnSe crystal with 100 mJ level nanosecond optical pumping provided more than 10 mJ of output energy at 4.6 μm. The broadband amplification in the Fe:ZnS crystal in the vicinity of 3.7 μm supports a gain band of more than 300 nm (FWHM). Spectral synthesis combining Fe:ZnSe and Fe:CdSe gain media allows the increase in the gain band (~500 nm (FWHM)) compared to using a single active element, thus opening the route to direct few-cycle laser pulse generation in the prospective mid-IR spectral range. The features of the nonlinear response of carbon nanotubes in the mid-IR range are investigated, including photoinduced absorption under 4.6 μm excitation. The study intends to expand the capabilities and improve the output characteristics of high-power mid-IR laser systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Solid-State and Fiber Mid-IR Lasers: Novel Materils, Components, Systems and Applications)

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13 pages, 5396 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Broadband Amplification in the 2.6–2.9 μm Wavelength Range in High-Purity Er³⁺-Doped Zinc-Tellurite Fibers Pumped by Diode Lasers

by Sergei Muraviev, Vitaly Dorofeev, Pavel Kuznechikov, Artem Sharafeev, Maksim Koptev and Arkady Kim

Photonics 2023, 10(10), 1140; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics10101140 - 11 Oct 2023

Viewed by 771

Abstract

In recent years, great progress has been made in the technology of high-purity and ultra-dry tellurite glasses, which has enabled the creation of high-purity single-mode tellurite fibers doped with rare-earth ions. This technology has made it possible to demonstrate laser generation in the [...] Read more.

In recent years, great progress has been made in the technology of high-purity and ultra-dry tellurite glasses, which has enabled the creation of high-purity single-mode tellurite fibers doped with rare-earth ions. This technology has made it possible to demonstrate laser generation in the range of about 2.7 μm in erbium-doped tungsten tellurite fibers. In this paper, we present an experimental study of broadband amplification in erbium-doped zinc-tellurite fibers. Zinc-tellurite glasses containing modifying components, such as Na₂O, La₂O₃, Bi₂O₃, or rare-earth metal oxides, are known to have noticeably lower phonon energy than heavy metal-tellurite systems, namely, tungsten tellurite glasses, which leads to better lasing output. The on-off gain of 30- and 60-cm long zinc-tellurite fibers has been measured in a wide range of diode pump powers. It has been shown for the first time that the amplification band is essentially extended, with pump power reaching over 250 nm (2600–2850 nm) at a peak power of about 40 W for a 30-cm long fiber. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Solid-State and Fiber Mid-IR Lasers: Novel Materils, Components, Systems and Applications)

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12 pages, 6008 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study of Fe:ZnSe Laser Exited by Diode Side-Pumped Er:YAG Laser

by Vladimir Kozlovsky, Marat Butaev, Yury Korostelin, Stanislav Leonov, Yan Skasyrsky and Mikhail Frolov

Photonics 2023, 10(8), 869; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics10080869 - 26 Jul 2023

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Abstract

The performance of a Fe:ZnSe laser was investigated in different schemes of excitation by a pulsed diode side-pumped Er:YAG laser. At the temperature of liquid nitrogen, the Fe:ZnSe laser, pumped by a free running 360-μs Er:YAG laser and demonstrated a pulse energy of [...] Read more.

The performance of a Fe:ZnSe laser was investigated in different schemes of excitation by a pulsed diode side-pumped Er:YAG laser. At the temperature of liquid nitrogen, the Fe:ZnSe laser, pumped by a free running 360-μs Er:YAG laser and demonstrated a pulse energy of 53 mJ with a slope efficiency of 42% relative to absorbed pump energy. When operating at room temperature, two optical schemes were considered. In the first one, the Fe:ZnSe laser crystal was pumped by a Q-switched Er:YAG laser with a passive shutter based on an additional Fe:ZnSe crystalline plate, and the cavities of both lasers were independent. In the second scheme, the cavities of the Fe:ZnSe and Er:YAG lasers were coupled, and the Fe:ZnSe crystal simultaneously served as an active element of the Fe:ZnSe laser and a passive shutter of the Er:YAG laser. Pulses with a duration of less than 200 ns and an energy of ~1 mJ were obtained from the Fe:ZnSe laser with a repetition rate of up to 50 kHz. The experimental waveforms of the laser pulses were approximated by rate equations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Solid-State and Fiber Mid-IR Lasers: Novel Materils, Components, Systems and Applications)

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Review

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 947 KiB

Open AccessReview

Barium Chalcogenide Crystals: A Review

by Nadezhda Kostyukova, Evgenii Erushin, Andrey Boyko, Galina Shevyrdyaeva and Dmitry Badikov

Photonics 2024, 11(3), 281; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11030281 - 21 Mar 2024

Viewed by 764

Abstract

In recent decades, new nonlinear optical materials have been actively developed to create coherent tunable light sources in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) part of the spectrum used in a variety of scientific fields. In the present review, the main attention is focused on barium [...] Read more.

In recent decades, new nonlinear optical materials have been actively developed to create coherent tunable light sources in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) part of the spectrum used in a variety of scientific fields. In the present review, the main attention is focused on barium chalcogenide crystals, including their linear and nonlinear optical properties, laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT), and frequency down-conversion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Solid-State and Fiber Mid-IR Lasers: Novel Materils, Components, Systems and Applications)

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26 pages, 10199 KiB

Open AccessReview

Physical and Technological Aspects of Laser-Induced Damage of ZGP Single Crystals under Periodically Pulsed Laser Irradiation at 2.1 μm

by Nikolay Yudin N. Yudin, Victor Dyomin, Alexander Gribenyukov, Oleg Antipov, Andrei Khudoley, Igor O. Kinyaevskiy, Mikhail Zinovev, Sergey Podzyvalov, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Elena Slyunko, Alexey Lysenko, Andrey Kalsin, Ilya Eranov and Houssain Baalbaki

Photonics 2023, 10(12), 1364; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics10121364 - 11 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1053

Abstract

The nonlinear properties of zinc germanium diphosphide (ZGP) crystals enable their applications in powerful mid-IR optical parametric oscillators and second-harmonic generators. This paper summarizes the mechanisms of the laser-induced damage (LID) of high-purity ZGP crystals under periodically pulsed nanosecond irradiation by a Ho [...] Read more.

The nonlinear properties of zinc germanium diphosphide (ZGP) crystals enable their applications in powerful mid-IR optical parametric oscillators and second-harmonic generators. This paper summarizes the mechanisms of the laser-induced damage (LID) of high-purity ZGP crystals under periodically pulsed nanosecond irradiation by a Ho³⁺:YAG laser at 2.1 μm. The ZGP samples were manufactured by “LOC” Ent., Tomsk, Russia, or the Harbin Institute of Technology, China. The impact of processing techniques and the post-growing methods for polishing and anti-reflective coatings on the LID threshold are discussed. The importance of the defect structure of the crystal lattice and the parameters of transparent coatings for increasing the LID threshold are also discussed. The impact of the test laser parameters on the LID threshold and the transient area near the LID threshold obtained using digital holography are analyzed. The influence of the pre-damage processes on the optical parametric oscillations is reported. Lastly, the prospects for improving ZGP crystals to further increase the LID threshold are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Solid-State and Fiber Mid-IR Lasers: Novel Materils, Components, Systems and Applications)

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16 pages, 3525 KiB

Open AccessReview

Rare-Earth-Doped Selenide Glasses as Laser Materials for the 5–6 μm Spectral Range

by Boris Denker, Peter Fjodorow, Mikhail Frolov, Boris Galagan, Vasily Koltashev, Victor Plotnichenko, Maxim Sukhanov, Sergei Sverchkov and Alexander Velmuzhov

Photonics 2023, 10(12), 1323; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics10121323 - 29 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1055

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of mid-infrared lasers based on rare-earth-ion-doped selenide glasses. Laser action was demonstrated at the transitions between the first excited and the ground levels of Ce³⁺, Pr³⁺, Nd³⁺ and Tb³⁺ ions. The highest [...] Read more.

This paper provides an overview of mid-infrared lasers based on rare-earth-ion-doped selenide glasses. Laser action was demonstrated at the transitions between the first excited and the ground levels of Ce³⁺, Pr³⁺, Nd³⁺ and Tb³⁺ ions. The highest output parameters for bulk glass lasers (over 40 mJ of output energy) and wavelength tuning in the range of 4.6–5.6 microns were obtained with Ce³⁺-doped glass. The highest output parameters for fiber lasers (150 mW at 5.1–5.3 μm under continuous pumping) were demonstrated with Tb³⁺ ions. The longest lasing wavelengths for any glass laser and tunability within the 5.56–6.01 µm spectral band were shown with Nd³⁺ ions in a Tb³⁺-Nd³⁺ co-doped system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Solid-State and Fiber Mid-IR Lasers: Novel Materils, Components, Systems and Applications)

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