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Nearly quantum-noise-limited timing jitter from miniature Er:Yb:glass lasers.
A Schlatter1, B Rudin, S C Zeller
1Physics Department, Institute of Quantum Electronics, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 16, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland. schlatter@phys.ethz.ch
Optics Letters
|July 13, 2005
Summary
Two passively mode-locked Er:Yb:glass lasers achieved nearly quantum-limited timing jitter performance. Active cavity length control significantly reduced timing jitter to 26 fs, demonstrating stable miniature laser systems.
Area of Science:
- Laser Physics
- Optical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Passively mode-locked lasers are crucial for high-precision timing applications.
- Erbium-Ytterbium (Er:Yb) co-doped glass lasers offer specific advantages for pulsed operation.
- Achieving low timing jitter is essential for applications like optical communications and metrology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the timing jitter performance of passively mode-locked Er:Yb:glass lasers.
- To assess the impact of cavity length stability on timing jitter.
- To demonstrate jitter reduction through active cavity length control.
Main Methods:
- Utilized two passively mode-locked Er:Yb:glass lasers operating at a 10 GHz repetition rate.
- Measured relative timing jitter using a high-resolution spectral analysis method.
- Quantified cavity length fluctuations using interferometric techniques.
- Implemented active feedback control on the laser cavity length.
Main Results:
- Achieved relative timing jitter of 190 fs (100 Hz-1.56 MHz) root mean square without active control.
- Demonstrated cavity length stability with fluctuations below 7.5 pm (6 Hz-8 kHz).
- Reduced timing jitter to 26 fs (6 Hz-1.56 MHz) through active cavity length stabilization.
Conclusions:
- Passively mode-locked Er:Yb:glass lasers exhibit near quantum-limited timing jitter.
- Rugged miniature cavity designs provide excellent passive stability.
- Active cavity length control is effective in further minimizing timing jitter for demanding applications.
