II

nano-tera.ch

Prof. Ursula Keller (PI)

Dr. Matthias Golling
Sandro Link
Dominik Waldburger
Cesare Alfieri

Vertical integration of
ultrafast semiconductor lasers
and their applications

Prof. Thomas Sdmeyer

Dr. Stephane Schilt
Dr. Valentin Wittwer
Nayara Jornod

Dr. Deran Maas

Dr. Thomas Paul

Dr. Jacques Morel

Dr. Laurent Devenoges

Dr. Gbor Cscs

Start MIXSEL II: 1. Nov. 2013 (current review after 2.5 years)

Outline
1) Requirements for stabilized frequency combs
based on modelocked lasers
2) New gigahertz frequency comb sources
1) Diode-pumped Yb-doped solid-state lasers
2) Frequency comb stabilization with PCFs
3) Frequency comb stabilization with Si3N4

3) New gigahertz frequency comb sources

1) Semiconductor thin disk lasers: VECSELs, MIXSELs
2) Dual comb modelocked lasers

Laser pulse as a superposition of many frequencies

A continuous wave laser emits in one or only few frequencies
Typical femtosecond laser pulse trains are generated with a
superposition of millions of single frequencies (1 femtosecond = 10-15 s)
Single frequencies are phase locked with intracavity modulator
(or saturable absorber): modelocking

Modelocked laser can give a frequency ruler

Magnification:"
" 100'000 x

Magnification:"
" 100'000 x

u Spectrum of a fs modelocked laser consists of millions of fine lines

u Line spacing is given by pulse repetition frequency frep:

Line spacing was stabilized in the 1980s:

referred to as timing jitter stabilization
Patent D. Cotter (1985, British Telecom)
Actively modelocked flashlamp-pumped Nd:YAG laser (1986)
M. J. W. Rodwell, D. M. Bloom, K. J. Weingarten, IEEE J. Quantum Electr. 25, 817, 1989

t =

1
frep

Modelocked laser can give a frequency ruler

Magnification:"
" 100'000 x

Magnification:"
" 100'000 x

u Spectrum of a fs modelocked laser consists of millions of fine lines

u Line spacing is given by pulse repetition frequency frep and can be stabilized
u Femtosecond laser is for frequency the same as a ruler for length:

u .... but the zero of the frequency ruler was not stabilized!
Solution given how to stabilize the zero of the frequency ruler:
H.R. Telle, G. Steinmeyer, A. E. Dunlop, J. Stenger, D. H. Sutter, U. Keller
Appl. Phys. B 69, 327 (1999)

Ultrashort pulse generation

Time
1as

dye laser
27 fs with 10 mW

FWHM pulse width (sec)

10 ps

1 ps

Ti:sapphire laser
5.5 fs with 200 mW

T = 2.7 fs @800 nm"

100 fs

10 fs

1 fs

Science 286, 1507, 1999"

1960

1970

1980
Year

compressed
1990

2000

compressed

Carrier Envelope Offset (CEO)

Mode-locked pulse train
1
TR =
frep
Pulse envelope
c = 2.7 fs @800 nm
A(t)

CEO phase 0

fCEO

0
=
2 TR

Electric field

E ( t ) = A ( t ) exp ( i ct + i 0 (t))
0
fCEO

fn = n frep + fCEO

frequency

H.R. Telle, G. Steinmeyer, A.E. Dunlop, J. Stenger, D.H. Sutter and U. Keller, Appl. Phys. B 69, 327 (1999)

How can we measure the frequency comb offset ?

frep : pulse repetition rate frequency ,
frep

fCEO : carrier envelope offset frequency

octave spanning modelocked spectrum

2f1 = 2fCEO + 2nfrep

f1 = fCEO + nfrep
f1

fCEO = 2f1 f2
f2 = fCEO + 2nfrep

fCEO
f2 2f1

Mode beating of fundamental and second harmonic frequency comb

f-to-2f interference technique: fCEO = 2f1 f2
H.R. Telle, G. Steinmeyer, A.E. Dunlop, J. Stenger, D.H. Sutter and U. Keller, Appl. Phys. B 69, 327 (1999)

Frequency combs from modelocked lasers

free-running passively modelocked laser
unlocked repetition rate: frep

unlocked CEO: fCEO

time average

u Femtosecond laser is for frequency the same as a ruler for length:

u .... but the zero of the frequency ruler was not stabilized!
Solution given how to stabilize the zero of the frequency ruler:
H.R. Telle, G. Steinmeyer, A. E. Dunlop, J. Stenger, D. H. Sutter, U. Keller
Appl. Phys. B 69, 327 (1999)

Optical Frequency Combs

undefined, optical
intensity
intensity
frequency

phase-stable link:
optical to microwave

beat

THz

MHz
frequency
frequency

High gigahertz pulse repetition rate frequency combs:

intensity

higher power per mode

easier to access individual lines

more compact laser system

GHz
frep, high
frep, low

frequency

GHz oscillators w/o amplification or compression

1-GHz cavity
Yb:CALGO
SESAM

most recent
output
coupler

multimode
pump diode

Combine ultrashort pulses & high power

meas.
fit
=

frep = 1.8 GHz

p = 59.4 fs

Pav = 3.0 W

Ppk = 24.3 kW

0 = 1059.7 nm
Reliable & robust pumping
Self-starting modelocking
Compact & stable cavity
A. Klenner et al., Opt. Express, vol. 22, no. 9, pp. 11884-11891, 2014

time (ps)

Si3N4 waveguide
Silicon Nitride (Si3N4)
VIS to 6 m, negligible twophoton absorption at 1 m
10 times higher nonlinear index n2
than silica
CMOS-compatible

Substrate:

Oxide-clad Silicon

Top-Cladding:

SiO2

Cross section:

690 nm x 900 nm

Length:

7.5 mm

Bend radius:

> 100 m

Nonlin. coeff.:

= 3.25 W-1m-1 @1055 nm

D. J. Moss, R. Morandotti, A. L. Gaeta, and M.

Lipson, Nature Photon. 7, 597-607 (2013)

0
20

30
36 pJ
2f

one octave

40
60
600

amplitude (dBc)

spectral power (dBc)

0
20

RBW = 30 kHz
fCEO,1

10

frep= 1.025 GHz

fCEO,2

> 40 dB

40

50
60

680 nm

70

1360 nm
800

1000

1200
wavelength (nm)

1400

1600

80

0.2

0.4
0.6
0.8
frequency (GHz)

A. S. Mayer, A. Klenner, A. R. Johnson, K. Luke, M. R. E. Lamont, Y. Okawachi, M. Lipson, A. L. Gaeta, U. Keller,

Opt. Express 23, 15440-15451 (2015)

Benefits of Si3N4 waveguide

First self-referenced frequency comb based on SCG in Si3N4 Chip

spectral power (dBc)

10

Yb:CALGO

100

span = 2 MHz
RBW = 3 kHz
100 averages

80

30

SESAM

output
coupler

multimode
pump diode

40
50
60

Moreover:

0.8

0
10

0.4
0
0.4
frequency offset (MHz)

fCEO = 73.9 MHz

0.8

span = 200 Hz
RBW = 1 Hz
35 averages

30
40
50

0.34 kW

60
70

80
100

repetition rate (GHz)

50
0
50
frequency offset (Hz)

40
20
0

100

Towards stabilized multiGHz DPSSLs and

Semiconductor Disk Laser

2
2)f
/ ln(

=8
S d(f)

-20
-40
-60
-80
10 0

First CEO-Stabilization with extracavity SCG requiring < 1kW

304 mrad: Lowest RPN of any
stabilized gigahertz diodepumped solid state laser to date
20

spectral power (dBc)

peak power (kW)

23.5 kW

60

20

10 1

0.5

integrated PN (rad)

1-GHz cavity

fCEO = 73.9 MHz

frequency noise PSD (dB Hz /Hz)

0.4
0.3

residual PN [1

0.2
0.1
0
10 0

10 1

Si3N4 waveguide instead of PCFs

Silicon Nitride (Si3N4)

Vision: Full integration

VIS to 6 m, negligible twophoton absorption at 1 m

10 times higher nonlinear index n2
than silica
CMOS-compatible
D. J. Moss, R. Morandotti, A. L. Gaeta, and M.
Lipson, Nature Photon. 7, 597-607 (2013)

Moreover:
peak power (kW)

23.5 kW

0.34 kW

repetition rate (GHz)

First CEO-Stabilization with extracavity SCG requiring < 1kW

304 mrad: Lowest RPN of any
stabilized gigahertz diodepumped solid state laser to date
Towards stabilized multiGHz DPSSLs and
Semiconductor Disk Laser

Outline
1) Requirements for stabilized frequency combs
based on modelocked lasers
2) New gigahertz frequency comb sources
1) Diode-pumped Yb-doped solid-state lasers
2) Frequency comb stabilization with PCFs
3) Frequency comb stabilization with Si3N4

3) New gigahertz frequency comb sources

1) Semiconductor thin disk lasers: VECSELs, MIXSELs
2) Dual comb modelocked lasers

OPSLs = OP-VECSELs

GHz oscillators w/o amplification or compression

Overview and Highlight Laser Development

Average output power

10 W

1 W

shorter pulses

VECSEL

100 mW

QW-SESAM
10 mW

'VECSEls Keller'
'MIXSELs'
'VECSELs others'

1 mW
100 fs

1 ps
Pulse duration

10 kW

higher peak power

Peak power

1 kW

'Peak Power VECSELs Keller'

'Peak Power MIXSELs '
'Peak Power VECSELs others'

MIXSEL
Modelocked Integrated
External-Cavity
Surface Emitting Laser

100 W

Laser development
world leading and
significant progress:

10 W
1 W
100 mW
100 fs

1 ps
10 ps
Pulse duration

First <100 fs VECSEL

First <200 fs MIXSEL

Highlight: First sub-100-fs VECSEL

done

Start

Average output power

10 W

VECSEL:

Today

pulse duration:
average output power:
repetition rate:
peak power:

1 W

100 mW

10 mW

96 fs
100 mW
1.64 GHz
560 W

'VECSEls Keller'
'MIXSELs'
'VECSELs others'

shortest pulse duration from any

fundamentally modelocked SDL

1 mW
100 fs

1 ps

2
1
-400 -200

0
200
time [fs]

400

4
(h)
FROG
OSA

FWHM:
17.5 nm

3
2
1

1020
1040
1060
wavelength [nm]

0
-20
-40

frep = 1.64 GHz span: 15 MHz

RBW: 100 Hz

-60
-80

-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 (g)
6
offset frequency [MHz]

intensity [dBc]

p = 96.1 fs

1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
1000

intensity [dBc]

3 (e)

norm. spec. intensity

spectral phase [rad]

1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0

phase [rad]

norm. intensity

Pulse duration
0

-20
-40
-60

RBW: 300 kHz

5

10
15
frequency [GHz]

20

Highlight: First sub-300-fs MIXSEL

Sub 300 fs MIXSEL any power

MIXSEL:

done

Today
End of year 3 milestone already done!

Average output power

10 W

pulse duration:
average output power:
repetition rate:
center wavelength:

1 W

100 mW

10 mW

184 fs
115 mW
4.33 GHz
1048 nm

'VECSEls Keller'
'MIXSELs'
'VECSELs others'

shortest pulse duration from a

MIXSEL

1 mW
100 fs

1 ps

1
-400

0
delay [fs]

400

3
2
1
0

intensity [dBc]

intensity [dBc]

spectral intensity [arb. u.]

p= 184 fs

1.0
FROG
0.8 c=
OSA
0.6 1048.2 nm
FWHM:
7.4 nm
0.4
0.2
0.0
1030 1040 1050 1060
wavelength [nm]

phase [rad]

1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0

phase [rad]

autocorrelation [arb. u.]

Pulse duration
-20

frep= 4.33 GHz span: 15 MHz

-20
RBW: 100
Hz frog
before
-40
-60
-40
-80
-4
0
4
offset frequency [GHz]

-60
0

RBW 30kHz
5
10
15
20
25
frequency [GHz]

Highlight: Invention of dual comb modelocked lasers

Patent Application:
Swiss Patent filed 2. Oct. 2014
International Patent:
WO 2016/049787 A1
published 7. April 2016
filed 30. Sept. 2015
First journal publication:
S. M. Link, A. Klenner, M. Mangold, C. A. Zaugg,
M. Golling, B. W. Tilma, U. Keller
Optics Express 23, 5521, 2015

Dual-comb MIXSEL
heatsink

MIXSEL chip

birefringent
crystal
etalon
OC

S. M. Link, A. Klenner, M. Mangold, C. A. Zaugg, M. Golling, B. W. Tilma, U. Keller,

Optics Express, vol. 23, No. 5, pp. 5521-5531, 2015

Dual comb MIXSEL

[1 Hz, 100 MHz ]

heatsink

16 ns
4 ps

MIXSEL chip

birefringent
crystal

cavity length adjustment has

no effect on other beam
phase noise of two beams
sharing
the same cavity is
etalon
uncorrelated

??

Pulse shift on saturable absorber

pulse shifts in time each round-trip

saturable absorber

leading edge
experiences
absorption

temporal overlap

spatial overlap
1.0

1.0

0.8

0.8

0.6

0.6

0.4

0.4

0.2

0.2

0.0

1 feedback loop

0.0
20

20

30

spatial overlap

40

40

50

50

60

70
time

60

1.0

0.8

0.8

0.6

0.6

0.4

0.4

0.2

0.2

2 feedback loops

0.0
20

30

70

NO temporal overlap

1.0

0.0

30

40

20

50

30

60

40

70

50

time

60

70

time

S. M. Link, A. Klenner, U. Keller

Dual-comb modelocked lasers: semiconductor saturable absorber mirror decouples noise stabilization
Optics Express, vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 1889-1902, 2016

Stabilization of both pulse repetition rates

stabilization of frep
amplitude [dBc]

stabilization of frep,1

DC

MIXSEL
chip
-10

frep,1

frep

span 20 MHz
RBW 10 kHz

Photodetector

5beam splitter
10
frequency [MHz]

15

birefringent
crystal

OC

phase-locked

phase-locked

loop circuit

loop circuit

electronic reference

2frep

-20
0

Photodetector

frep

electronic reference

multimode
pump

20

Stabilization of both pulse repetition rates

phase noise MIXSEL
40
s-pol free-running
s-pol lock frep with pump

s-polarized beam stabilized

p-polarized beam stabilized

phase noise [dBc/Hz]

20

and lock p-pol frep with piezo

p-pol free-running

0
-20

p-pol s-pol lock frep with pump

and lock p-pol frep with piezo

-40
-60
-80
-100
-120
10

10

10
10
offset frequency [Hz]

10

Conclusion
peak power (kW)

Silicon Nitride (Si3N4)

0.34 kW

repetition rate (GHz)

A new class of
frequency combs is evolving

MIXSEL: towards semiconductor based

frequency combs and dual comb lasers
heatsink
MIXSEL chip

robust & reliable

cost-efficient
broadband & high power

birefringent
crystal

etalon

high repetition rates

S. M. Link, et al.,
Optics Express 23, 5521 (2015)

MIXSEL
Modelocked Integrated
External-Cavity Surface
Emitting Laser
D. J. H. C. Maas, et al.,
APB 88, 493 (2007)