Detrimental effects of period-chirped gratings in pulse compressors.

We present a comprehensive simulative and experimental investigation of how period-chirped pulse compression gratings affect the compressed pulses. A specifically developed ray-tracing tool was used for the simulative investigations. It is shown that the chirp creates a characteristic spatio-spectral error pattern, which leads to a degradation of the beam quality and an increase of the pulse duration. The experimental investigations, for which both a narrow-bandwidth continuous-wave and a pulsed laser beam were guided through a Treacy-compressor comprised of period-chirped gratings, confirm the simulation results and present methods on how to identify the chirp's characteristic error pattern in practice.

Simple spatially resolved period measurement of chirped pulse compression gratings.

We present an easy-to-implement and low-cost setup for the precise measurement of the period chirp of diffraction gratings offering a resolution of 15 pm and reasonable scan speeds of 2 seconds per measurement point. The principle of the measurement is illustrated on the example of two different pulse compression gratings, one fabricated by laser interference lithography (LIL) and the other by scanning beam interference lithography (SBIL). A period chirp of 0.22 pm/mm2 at a nominal period of 610 nm was measured for the grating fabricated with LIL, whereas no chirp was observed for the grating fabricated by SBIL, which had a nominal period of 586.2 nm.

General mathematical model for the period chirp in interference lithography.

We present a general analytical model for the calculation of the spatial distribution of the grating period, enabling the unification of all configurations of classical laser interference lithography (LIL) and scanning-beam interference lithography (SBIL) into one formalism. This is possible due to the consideration of Gaussian beams instead of point sources which allow for the accurate description of not only the laser's far-field but also its near-field. The proposed model enables the calculation of the grating period, the inclination and the slant of the grating lines on arbitrarily shaped substrates, originating from the interference of arbitrarily orientated and positioned Gaussian beams.

Pound-Drever-Hall locking scheme free from Trojan operating points.

The Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) technique is a popular method for stabilizing the frequency of a laser to a stable optical resonator or, vice versa, the length of a resonator to the frequency of a stable laser. We propose a refinement of the technique yielding an "infinite" dynamic (capture) range so that a resonator is correctly locked to the seed frequency, even after large perturbations. The stable but off-resonant lock points (also called Trojan operating points), present in conventional PDH error signals, are removed by phase modulating the seed laser at a frequency corresponding to half the free spectral range of the resonator. We verify the robustness of our scheme experimentally by realizing an injection-seeded Yb:YAG thin-disk laser. We also give an analytical formulation of the PDH error signal for arbitrary modulation frequencies and discuss the parameter range for which our PDH locking scheme guarantees correct locking. Our scheme is simple as it does not require additional electronics apart from the standard PDH setup and is particularly suited to realize injection-seeded lasers and injection-seeded optical parametric oscillators.

Quantitative investigation on a period variation reduction method for the fabrication of large-area gratings using two-spherical-beam laser interference lithography.

Gratings produced by two-spherical-beam Laser Interference Lithography (LIL) will have a nonuniform period, and the associated period variation is larger with the increase of the substrate size. This work quantitatively investigates a noninvasive method for improving the period variation on 4-inch silicon wafers. By temporarily deforming the flexible silicon wafer using a customized concave vacuum chuck [J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B19(6), 2347 (2001)10.1116/1.1421558], we show that the fabricated gratings will have improved period uniformity, with the period variation reduced by 86% at the 1000 nm central grating period setting. This process is a simple and efficient way to achieve linear gratings without altering the LIL configuration with two spherical beams. We present experimental results on the impact of a concave vacuum chuck on the chirp reduction at different grating period settings. Then, we compare two different LIL configurations with different wavelength sources concerning their influence on the efficiency of period variation reduction. Finally, the flatness of the 4-inch silicon wafers due to the temporary bending process is verified using optical profilometry measurements.

Theoretical investigation on the elimination of the period chirp by deliberate substrate deformations.

We present a theoretical investigation on the approach of deliberately bending the substrate during the exposure within laser interference lithography to compensate for the period chirp. It is shown that the yet undiscovered function of the surface geometry, necessary to achieve the zero-chirp case (i.e. having a perfectly constant period over the whole substrate) is determined by a first-order differential equation. As the direct analytical solution of this differential equation is difficult, a numerical approach is developed, based on the optimization of pre-defined functions towards the unknown analytical solution of the differential equation by means of a Nelder-Mead simplex algorithm. By applying this method to a concrete example, we show that an off-center placement of the substrate with respect to the point sources is advantageous both in terms of achievable period and substrate curvature and that a fourth-order polynomial can greatly satisfy the differential equation leading to a root-mean-square deviation of only 1.4 pm with respect to the targeted period of 610 nm.

Experimental analysis on CPA-free thin-disk multipass amplifiers operated in a helium-rich atmosphere.

We present an experimental investigation on the benefits of helium as an atmospheric gas in CPA-free thin-disk multipass amplifiers (TDMPAs) for the amplification to average powers exceeding 1 kW and pulse peak powers reaching 5 GW. Both the performance of the amplifier and the properties of the amplified sub-400 fs laser pulses centred at a wavelength of 1030 nm are compared for different helium concentrations in air, outlining and quantifying the benefits of a helium-rich atmosphere. The amplification of 100 µJ pulses in an atmosphere with 60% helium instead of air led to a maximum increase in efficiency from 24% to 29%. This translated into an increase of average output power and pulse energy of 34 W (i.e +19%) and 0.34 mJ (i.e. +19%) respectively. At the same time an improvement of the beam quality from M2 = 1.18 to M2 = 1.14 was achieved. For the amplification of 10 µJ pulses to over 1 kW of average power an atmosphere with 33% helium led to an improved beam pointing stability by a factor of 2. Moreover, the beam propagation factor M2 improved by 0.1, and the power stability improved by approximately 10%.

High-power quasi-CW diode-pumped 750-nm AlGaAs VECSEL emitting a peak power of 29.6†W and an average power of 8.5†W.

A peak output power of 29.6 W and an average output power of 8.5 W at a wavelength of 750 nm were demonstrated in quasi-CW multi-mode operation using an AlGaAs-based vertical external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) diode-pumped at a wavelength of 675 nm. The comparatively low bandgap of the barrier material that was tuned to the pump-photon energy allowed a good compromise between low heat generation due to the quantum defect and strong absorptance of the pump radiation. The limitations for the average output power came mainly from insufficient heat flow from the intra-cavity heat spreader to the heat sink. These results show the potential for power scaling of diode-pumped VECSELs and the importance of effective heat removal.

Comprehensive theoretical analysis of the period chirp in laser interference lithography.

We present a theoretical investigation on laser interference lithography used for the exposure of linear gratings. The focus is on the geometry of the arising interference lines on the substrate, in particular on their period and orientation, depending on the illumination geometry as determined by the setup. The common approach with point sources emitting spherical wavefronts is considered for the illumination. Three different cases are discussed, namely the interference between two point sources with either two convex, two concave or mixed, i.e., convex and concave wavefronts. General equations focusing mainly on the calculation of the period and the orientation of the grating lines are derived for each of the three exposure cases considering arbitrarily positioned point sources and arbitrarily shaped substrates. Additionally, the interference of symmetrically positioned point sources illuminating plane substrates is investigated, as these boundary conditions significantly simplify the derived equations.

Nonlinear absorption in lithium triborate frequency converters for high-power ultrafast lasers.

We report on an analysis of the nonlinear absorption in lithium triborate (LBO) used for second and third harmonic generation of ultrashort laser pulses at average powers in the order of kW and with sub-picosecond pulse duration. Thermographic imaging of the LBO crystals together with a simple analytical model revealed the presence of nonlinear absorption in both harmonic generation processes. Subsequent processing with a numerical model considering the nonlinear mixing, the absorption, and the heat conduction was used to estimate the absorption coefficients. Average powers exceeding 100 W in the ultraviolet and 400 W in the visible spectral range were obtained while maintaining a good beam quality by avoiding excessive nonlinear absorption.

Ceramic Yb:Lu2O3 thin-disk laser oscillator delivering an average power exceeding 1 kW in continuous-wave operation.

We report on continuous-wave (cw) laser experiments with a high-quality and large-size Yb:Lu2O3 polycrystalline transparent ceramic in a thin-disk laser oscillator. An output power of up to 1190 W was achieved in multimode operation with an optical efficiency of 60.3%. In fundamental-mode operation, a cw output power of 409 W was extracted with an optical efficiency of 35.6% and a beam propagation factor of M2 = 1.11.

Efficient and high-throughput ablation of platinum using high-repetition rate radially and azimuthally polarized sub-picosecond laser pulses.

A highly productive ablation process of 100 nm thick platinum films with a processed area rate of up to 378 cm2/min is presented using radially and azimuthally polarized laser beams. This was achieved by developing a laser amplifier generating 757 fs long laser pulses at a maximum average power of 390 W and a repetition rate of 10.6 MHz with adjustable polarization states, i.e., linear, radial, and azimuthal polarization on the work piece. The pulse train emitted from the laser was synchronized to a custom-designed polygon scanner and directed into an application machine.

High-quality high-throughput silicon laser milling using a 1 kW sub-picosecond laser.

We report on high-quality high-throughput laser milling of silicon with a sub-ps laser delivering more than 1 kW of average laser power on the workpiece. In order to avoid heat accumulation effects, the processing strategy for high-quality laser milling was adapted to the available average power by using five-pulse bursts, a large beam diameter of 372 µm to limit the peak fluence per pulse to approximately 0.7J/cm2, and a high feed rate of 24 m/s. As a result, smooth surfaces with a low roughness of Sa≤0.6µm were achieved up to the investigated milling depth of 313 µm while maintaining a high material removal rate of 230mm3/min.

Measuring the α-particle charge radius with muonic helium-4 ions.

The energy levels of hydrogen-like atomic systems can be calculated with great precision. Starting from their quantum mechanical solution, they have been refined over the years to include the electron spin, the relativistic and quantum field effects, and tiny energy shifts related to the complex structure of the nucleus. These energy shifts caused by the nuclear structure are vastly magnified in hydrogen-like systems formed by a negative muon and a nucleus, so spectroscopy of these muonic ions can be used to investigate the nuclear structure with high precision. Here we present the measurement of two 2S-2P transitions in the muonic helium-4 ion that yields a precise determination of the root-mean-square charge radius of the α particle of 1.67824(83) femtometres. This determination from atomic spectroscopy is in excellent agreement with the value from electron scattering1, but a factor of 4.8 more precise, providing a benchmark for few-nucleon theories, lattice quantum chromodynamics and electron scattering. This agreement also constrains several beyond-standard-model theories proposed to explain the proton-radius puzzle2-5, in line with recent determinations of the proton charge radius6-9, and establishes spectroscopy of light muonic atoms and ions as a precise tool for studies of nuclear properties.

Analysis of material concentration in step-index fibers with alumina cores produced by means of the powder-in-tube technique.

Step-index fibers (SIFs) with alumina cores were fabricated employing the powder-in-tube technique. The fabricated SIFs have alumina concentrations of up to 32 mol%, which is the highest value reported so far for fibers with core diameters smaller than 25 µm. The mixing mechanisms between alumina and silica during fiber drawing were revealed by energy dispersive X-ray analysis of the neck-down area of the preform. The results of the measurements and simulations indicate that besides diffusion, fluid dynamics between softened silica and alumina powder also play an important role in the resulting alumina and silica concentrations in the fiber. The influence of different drawing parameters on the alumina and silica concentrations of the fibers is also presented.

Trimming method for a high-yield manufacturing of high-efficiency diffraction gratings.

The tolerances in manufacturing of fully dielectric diffraction gratings based on the leaky-mode resonance in the -1st diffraction order can be challenging, especially if the grating design exhibits high diffraction efficiency (DE) only within a comparatively narrow spectral bandwidth. To gain improved control on the spectral bandwidth exhibiting high DE, we implemented a two-step etching approach within the fabrication process of the grating. First, a dry and anisotropic etching step was used for pre-shaping the grating, followed by iterative isotropic wet-etching steps using an alkaline solution (KOH) at a temperature of 90°C to adjust the maximum efficiency around the desired wavelength with high precision. This straightforward method gave us very good control on tailoring the DE as a function of the wavelength and led to the demonstration of DEs as high as 99.7±0.2% in the -1st diffraction order at a wavelength of 1030 nm and of >99% in the wavelength range between 1020 and 1070 nm. The gratings were used as cavity end mirrors of an Yb:YAG thin-disk laser, generating an output power of 145 W in fundamental mode operation (M2<1.1).

Radially polarized passively mode-locked thin-disk laser oscillator emitting sub-picosecond pulses with an average output power exceeding the 100 W level.

We report on a high-power passively mode-locked radially polarized Yb:YAG thin-disk oscillator providing 125 W of average output power. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest average power ever reported from a mode-locked radially polarized oscillator without subsequent amplification stages. Mode-locking was achieved by implementing a SESAM as the cavity end mirror and the radial polarization of the LG*01 mode was obtained by means of a circular Grating Waveguide Output Coupler. The repetition rate was 78 MHz. A pulse duration of 0.97 ps and a spectral bandwidth of 1.4 nm (FWHM) were measured at the maximum output power. This corresponds to a pulse energy of 1.6 µJ and a pulse peak power of 1.45 MW. A high degree of radial polarization of 97.3 ± 1% and an M2-value of 2.16 which is close to the theoretical value for the LG*01 doughnut mode were measured.

Fiber-integrated spectroscopy device for hot alkali vapor.

We introduce an all-glass, vacuum tight, fiber-integrated and alkali compatible spectroscopy device consisting of two conventional optical fibers spliced to each end of a capillary. This is mainly realized through a decentered splicing method allowing refilling of the capillary and controlling the vapor density inside. We analyze the light guidance of the setup through simulations and measurements of the transmission efficiency at different wavelengths and show that filling it with highly reactive alkali metals is possible, and that the vapor density can be controlled reliably.

Deformable mirrors for intra-cavity use in high-power thin-disk lasers.

We present deformable mirrors for the intra-cavity use in high-power thin-disk laser resonators. The refractive power of these mirrors is continuously adaptable from -0.7 m-1 to 0.3 m-1, corresponding to radii of curvature ranging between 2.86 m (convex) and 6.67 m (concave). The optimized shape of the mirror membrane enables a very low peak-to-valley deviation from a paraboloid deformation over a large area. With the optical performance of our mirrors being equal to that of standard HR mirrors, we were able to demonstrate the tuning of the beam quality of a thin-disk laser in a range of M2 = 3 to M2 = 1 during laser operation at output powers as high as 1.1 kW.