Colliding Pulse Mode Locking and Nonequilibrium Carrier Dynamics within Vertical External-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

McLaren, S. A.; Kilen, I.; Moloney, J. V.

doi:10.1103/physrevapplied.18.024006

Colliding Pulse Mode Locking and Nonequilibrium Carrier Dynamics within Vertical External-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

Journal Article · Tue Aug 02 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Physical Review Applied

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevapplied.18.024006· OSTI ID:1959650

^[1]; Kilen, I. ^[2]; Moloney, J. V. ^[3]

Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)
Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), Kjeller (Norway)
Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)

The complex nonlinear dynamics of colliding counterpropagating ultrashort laser pulses circulating in a vertical external-cavity surface-emitting ring laser cavity are captured by a first-principles quantum-mechanical microscopic model coupled to an intracavity beam propagator. Furthermore, our numerical simulations establish that overall mode locking stability is sensitive to relative phases and delays of the pulses impinging on the semiconductor saturable absorber mirror. Delay offsets of the counterpropagating pulses lead to asymmetric carrier recovery and instability, often leading in turn to single unidirectional circulating pulses. Although computationally challenging, we also include transverse effects and show that the influence of interference patterns from spatial gratings written by the counterpropagating pulses is significant in stabilizing the modelocked pulses.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344

OSTI ID:: 1959650

Report Number(s):: LLNL-JRNL-844201; 1067264

Journal Information:: Physical Review Applied, Journal Name: Physical Review Applied Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 18; ISSN 2331-7019

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Colliding Pulse Mode Locking and Nonequilibrium Carrier Dynamics within Vertical External-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

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