Open AccessHybrid Q-switched broadband laser source with low timing jitter
Author(s) -
Farid El Bassri,
Florent Doutre,
Nicolas Mothe,
Lionel Jaffrès,
Dominique Pagnoux,
Vincent Couderc,
Alain Jalocha
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.20.001202
Subject(s) - supercontinuum , optics , materials science , laser , jitter , fiber laser , broadband , optoelectronics , photonic crystal fiber , optical fiber , physics , telecommunications , computer science
We present a novel broadband laser source based on a dual cavity in which a subnanosecond passively Q-switched microchip laser is coupled with a long cavity including an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) and a microstructured optical fiber working as a non linear medium. This active-passive Q-switched laser source emits pulses as short as those emitted by the free running microchip laser (~600 ps). The time pulse emission is governed by the AOM allowing tunable repetition rate from 0 to more than 4 kHz with a temporal jitter reduced to less than 50 ns, i.e. a 600-fold reduction compared to that of the free running microchip. Furthermore, thanks to spectral broadening in the microstructured fiber, this source emits a supercontinuum from 700 nm to 1700 nm.