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Updated: Jun 4, 2026
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Low-cost Custom Fabrication and Mode-locked Operation of an All-normal-dispersion Femtosecond Fiber Laser for Multiphoton Microscopy
Published on: November 22, 2019
Fiber laser optical frequency standard at 1.54 μm
Jan Hald1, Lars Nielsen, Jan C Petersen
1Danish Fundamental Metrology, Matematiktorvet 307, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark. jha@dfm.dtu.dk
Optics Express
|March 4, 2011
Summary
A fiber laser was stabilized using acetylene gas for high-frequency stability. This simple setup achieves excellent repeatability, making it suitable for precise laser applications.
Area of Science:
- Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
- Spectroscopy
- Laser Technology
Background:
- Precise frequency stabilization of lasers is crucial for various scientific applications.
- Acetylene (C2H2) is a common reference gas for optical frequency standards.
- Saturated absorption spectroscopy offers a method for high-resolution spectral analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To stabilize a fiber laser to a specific acetylene transition.
- To evaluate the frequency instability and repeatability of the stabilized laser.
- To demonstrate a simple, cavity-free laser stabilization technique.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a 32 mW fiber laser locked to the P(16) (ν1 + ν3) transition of (13)C(2)H(2) at 1542 nm.
- Employed saturated absorption spectroscopy with a 21 cm gas cell.
- Analyzed spectroscopic lineshape, optical power, and acetylene pressure effects.
Main Results:
- Achieved short-term fractional frequency instability of 5.0 × 10(-13)(τ/s)-½.
- Demonstrated relative lock-point repeatability of 4.3 × 10(-13) over 2.5 months (83 Hz).
- Observed narrow linewidths of 300 kHz FWHM with a signal-to-noise ratio of 35 dB.
Conclusions:
- A simple, cavity-free fiber laser stabilization to acetylene is feasible.
- The system exhibits excellent short-term and long-term frequency stability.
- This technique offers a practical approach for developing precise laser sources.
