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Title: Experimental and theoretical studies of complex pulse evolutions in a passively mode-locked ring dye laser

Journal Article · · IEEE J. Quant. Electron.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/3.7131· OSTI ID:6587216
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  1. Laser Optics Group, Dept. of Physics, Imperial College, London SW7 2BZ (GB)

The optimization of any femtosecond laser requires the various sources of frequency chirp to be taken into account. In particular, for a passively mode-locked CPM ring dye laser, the effects of group velocity dispersion and self-phase modulation arising from time-dependent absorption saturation and the optical Kerr effect must be considered. In this paper a detailed experimental and theoretical study has been made of the role of these parameters in a Rhodamine 110 CPM dye laser. Periodic pulse evolutions are observed, when both positive and negative frequency chirp are present, which are reminiscent of those governed by the nonlinear Schrodinger equation but which are, in fact, distinctly different. Similar results have been obtained with the standard Rhodamine 6G system and it is believed that the theoretical model is generally applicable to any passively mode-locked femtosecond dye laser. An important consequence of this work is that is permits the absolute value of the net group velocity dispersion in the laser cavity to be estimated.

OSTI ID:
6587216
Journal Information:
IEEE J. Quant. Electron.; (United States), Vol. 24:9
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English