Principles of Lasers;
Fundamental Concepts
Prof. Ranjan K. Singh
Department of Physics
Institute of Science
Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi – 221005
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MODE-LOCKING
Definition:
Mode-locking is a technique to produce laser pulses of extremely short
duration, of the order of picoseconds (10−12 s) or femtoseconds (10−15 s).
Many longitudinal modes of cavity fall inside the gain profile of the laser
medium. These longitudinal modes are amplified and form the output
beam but they are not phase correlated. The basis of the technique of
mode locking is to induce a fixed-phase relationship between the
longitudinal modes of the laser's resonant cavity.
Constructive Interference between these modes will cause the laser
output in the form of a train of pulses. The laser is then said to be 'phase-
locked' or 'mode-locked'.
Gain Bandwidth
helium–neon laser ~1.5 GHz (~0.002 nm) at 628.8 nm
Ti:sapphire laser ~128 THz (~300-nm) at 800 nm central wavelength.
Optical Cavity Spectrum
The laser light constructively and destructively interferes with itself
while bouncing between the mirrors.
The standing waves/ modes are formed at discrete set of frequencies,
known as the longitudinal modes of the cavity.
The mode separation for a simple plane-mirror cavity of length, L and
wavelength, λ, is given by
L = nλ/2, n = nc/ 2L and Mode Separation = n+1 - n = c/ 2L
where n is an integer known as the mode order. In practice, L >> λ.
A small laser with a mirror separation L, 30 cm has a frequency
separation between longitudinal modes, of 0.5 GHz.
The helium–neon laser a 30-cm long cavity supports ~3 longitudinal
modes.
The Ti:sapphire laser of 128 THz bandwidth could support ~250,000
modes.
When only one longitudinal mode is excited, the laser is said to be in
"single-mode" operation. When more than one longitudinal mode is
excited, the laser is said to be in "multi-mode" operation.. 3
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Net gain G(ν) for resonator modes within the gain profile of the active medium.
The vertical black lines give the frequencies of a multimode laser oscillating
only on fundamental modes TEM0,0,q 5
Method:
If a light wave with frequency ν0 passes through an optical modulator
with a modulation frequency f (e. g., a Pockels cell or an ultrasonic
modulator), the transmitted amplitude intensity is modulated
according to
It = I0[1+ a cos(2π ft)] cos2(2πν0t)
and the modulated frequency spectrum consists of the carrier
frequency ν0 and sidebands at frequencies ν0 ± nf .
Choosing the modulation frequency
δν = c/2d = f
makes all sidebands resonant with resonator modes.
The sidebands then participate in laser oscillation as long as their
frequencies lie within the gain profile of the active medium. This leads
to a coupling of all resonator modes because the phases of the
sidebands are coupled.
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If the modulator has the time dependent transmission
T = T0 [1−a sin2(Ω/2)t]
with the modulation frequency f = Ω /2π and the modulation
amplitude a < 1.
The amplitude of the kth mode becomes
Ak(t) = T Aki cos ωkt
= T0Ak0 [1−a sin2(Ω/2)t] cos ωkt .
The total amplitude of N = 2m +1 coupled modes is then
For equal amplitudes Ak = A0 the total time-dependent
intensity becomes
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For cw lasers the amplitude A0 is constant in time
It represents an equidistant sequence of pulses with a pulse
separation T = 2d/c which is equal to the roundtrip time through
the laser resonator.
The pulse width ΔT = 1/ν
It is determined by the number N of phase locked modes
within the gain profile having spectral width ν above
threshold.
The peak power of the pulses is proportional to N2.
The pulse energy is proportional to N.
In between two successive main pulses (N −2) small maxima
appear, which decrease in intensity as N increases.
A normal multimode laser oscillates simultaneously on many
modes with random phases. The mode-locked laser oscillates on
many phase-coupled modes because the modulator enforces a
definite phase relation between the oscillating modes.
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The gain profile of the He-Ne laser of width Δν = 2 GHz. Mode-locking
therefore achieves pulses with a minimum duration of Δτ = 500 ps.
The argon laser with spectral width of its gain profile Δν = 6 GHz has
mode locked pulses of time Δτ = 170 ps.
The pulsed lasers can also be mode-locked. The pulse amplitude is no
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longer constant but follows the time profile of the gain.
• Kerr lens mode-locking
•The shortest laser pulses
• For sufficiently high intensities, the refractive index is affected by the
nonlinear interaction of the light wave with the medium. It can be written
as a sum
n(ω, I) = n0(ω)+n2(ω) I
where n0(ω) is the normal refractive index and n2(ω) << n0(ω).
• When a Gaussian beam passes through a medium, the refractive index
shows a radial gradient with a maximum value of n at the central axis at
r = 0 and acts like a lens. That focuses laser beam.
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Pulses down to 4 fs
have been achieved.
•The shortest focal length fmin at centre.
An aperture is placed at a distance fmin behind the Kerr lens,
Only the central part of the radial beam profile is transmitted through the
aperture. This happens for every roundtrip inside the resonator and leads
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to a shortening of the pulse duration.
Incraese of peak power of laser
3 4
1. Q – switching invented in 1962
2. Mode locking invented in 1964
3. Self focussing
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4. CPA was invented in 1985.