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Published on: October 11, 2016
Carrier-envelope phase shift caused by variation of grating separation.
Chengquan Li1, Eric Moon, Zenghu Chang
1J R Macdonald Laboratory, Department of Physics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA.
Optics Letters
|October 17, 2006
Summary
Vibrations in optical mounts cause significant carrier-envelope (CE) phase shifts in amplified pulses. Controlling grating separation stabilizes the CE phase, correcting errors caused by optical mount instability.
Area of Science:
- Ultrafast optics
- Nonlinear optics
- Laser physics
Background:
- The carrier-envelope (CE) phase is a critical parameter in ultrafast laser systems, influencing phenomena like high-harmonic generation and precision spectroscopy.
- Maintaining CE phase stability is essential for reproducible results and advanced applications of amplified laser pulses.
- Stretcher-compressor systems are commonly used to manage pulse duration and spectral properties, but can be sensitive to mechanical and thermal perturbations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of grating separation variations within a stretcher on the carrier-envelope (CE) phase of amplified laser pulses.
- To quantify the sensitivity of the CE phase to mechanical adjustments in the stretcher's optical mounts.
- To explore methods for stabilizing or correcting CE phase drift caused by environmental factors.
Main Methods:
- Experimental manipulation of grating separation in a pulse stretcher using a piezoelectric transducer.
- Precise measurement of the carrier-envelope phase shift in response to controlled changes in grating distance.
- Comparison of experimental results with theoretical predictions.
Main Results:
- A 1 micrometer (µm) change in grating separation resulted in a measurable shift of 3.7 ± 1.2 radians in the CE phase.
- The observed CE phase shift was consistent with theoretical estimations, validating the experimental approach.
- Demonstrated that optical mount stability is crucial, as vibrations and thermal drift directly introduce significant phase errors.
Conclusions:
- Optical mounts for gratings and telescope mirrors in pulse stretchers require exceptional interferometric stability to prevent CE phase errors.
- Environmental factors like vibration and thermal drift can significantly destabilize the CE phase, impacting laser performance.
- Feedback control of grating separation offers a viable method for correcting and stabilizing the CE phase drift in amplified laser pulses.
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