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Titanium:sapphire-on-insulator integrated lasers and amplifiers.
Joshua Yang1, Kasper Van Gasse1,2, Daniil M Lukin1
1E. L. Ginzton Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Nature
|June 26, 2024
Summary
Researchers developed a new titanium:sapphire-on-insulator (Ti:SaOI) platform for compact, low-cost lasers. This miniaturized Ti:sapphire technology enables ultralow thresholds and high-power amplification, making advanced laser applications more accessible.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Laser Technology
- Materials Science
- Quantum Optics
Background:
- Titanium:sapphire (Ti:sapphire) lasers are crucial for research but are limited by size, cost, and high pump power requirements.
- Existing Ti:sapphire technology restricts applications in areas like optical frequency combs and quantum optics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a miniaturized, cost-effective, and scalable Ti:sapphire laser technology.
- To overcome the limitations of conventional Ti:sapphire lasers through integrated photonics.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of low-loss whispering-gallery-mode resonators using a titanium:sapphire-on-insulator (Ti:SaOI) platform.
- Development of Ti:SaOI waveguides for enhanced mode confinement.
- Integration of Ti:SaOI lasers with low-cost green laser diodes for pumping.
Main Results:
- Achieved a Ti:sapphire laser with an ultralow, sub-milliwatt lasing threshold.
- Demonstrated an integrated optical amplifier with unprecedented distortion-free amplification of picosecond pulses to 1.0 kW peak power.
- Showcased a tunable integrated Ti:sapphire laser pumped by miniature green laser diodes.
Conclusions:
- The Ti:SaOI platform enables significant miniaturization, cost reduction, and scalability of Ti:sapphire laser technology.
- This advancement paves the way for new laser modalities, including massively scalable laser-array systems.
- The work democratizes Ti:sapphire technology, reducing cost and footprint by three orders of magnitude and enabling solid-state broadband amplification below 1 μm.
