U.S. patent application number 17/412154 was filed with the patent office on 2021-12-09 for characterizing an optical element.
This patent application is currently assigned to Quantum-Si Incorporated. The applicant listed for this patent is Quantum-Si Incorporated. Invention is credited to Faisal R. Ahmad, Brittany Lathrop, Andrey V. Okishev, Jonathan C. Schultz, Craig Wenger.
Application Number | 20210384696 17/412154 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005798537 |
Filed Date | 2021-12-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210384696 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schultz; Jonathan C. ; et
al. |
December 9, 2021 |
CHARACTERIZING AN OPTICAL ELEMENT
Abstract
A method and apparatus for characterizing an optical element.
The optical element is part of a laser and is mounted on a
translation stage to scan the optical element transverse to an
intracavity laser beam. A performance characteristic of the laser
is recorded as a function of position of the optical element.
Inventors: |
Schultz; Jonathan C.;
(Guilford, CT) ; Okishev; Andrey V.; (Guilford,
CT) ; Wenger; Craig; (Long Beach Township, NJ)
; Lathrop; Brittany; (Derby, CT) ; Ahmad; Faisal
R.; (Guilford, CT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Quantum-Si Incorporated |
Guilford |
CT |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Quantum-Si Incorporated
Guilford
CT
|
Family ID: |
1000005798537 |
Appl. No.: |
17/412154 |
Filed: |
August 25, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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16384335 |
Apr 15, 2019 |
11128098 |
|
|
17412154 |
|
|
|
|
62666677 |
May 3, 2018 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01S 3/1658 20130101;
H01S 3/08072 20130101; G01J 11/00 20130101; H01S 3/1671 20130101;
H01S 3/1115 20130101; H01S 3/0014 20130101; H01S 3/1673 20130101;
H01S 3/1653 20130101; H01S 3/0405 20130101; H01S 3/08081 20130101;
H01S 3/1643 20130101; H01S 3/1611 20130101; H01S 3/105 20130101;
H01S 3/08059 20130101; H01S 3/086 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H01S 3/11 20060101
H01S003/11; G01J 11/00 20060101 G01J011/00; H01S 3/00 20060101
H01S003/00; H01S 3/08 20060101 H01S003/08; H01S 3/086 20060101
H01S003/086; H01S 3/105 20060101 H01S003/105; H01S 3/16 20060101
H01S003/16 |
Claims
1. An optical characterization apparatus comprising: a laser
configured to generate a laser beam; a positioning mount arranged
to hold and move an optical element relative to an axis of the
laser beam; an optical detection system that receives and detects
at least one property of the laser beam and characterizes the
optical element therefrom; and a controller, coupled to the optical
detection system and positioning mount, that controls movement of
the optical element by the positioning mount based on the detected
at least one property of the laser beam.
2. A method of characterizing an optical element, the method
comprising: determining a performance characteristic of a laser
beam as a function of a relative position of the optical element;
and controlling movement relative to the laser beam, and deducing a
characterization, of the optical element based on the
determination.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This Application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 16/384,335, filed Apr. 15, 2019, entitled "CHARACTERIZING AN
OPTICAL ELEMENT", which is a Non-Provisional application (35 USC
119(e)) of Provisional U.S. Application Ser. No. 62/666,677, filed
May 3, 2018, entitled "CHARACTERIZING AN OPTICAL ELEMENT".
FIELD
[0002] The present application is directed to devices and methods
for characterizing an optical element.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Optical elements, such as (but not limited to) mirrors,
optically nonlinear crystals, saturable absorbers, nonlinear
self-focusing optical elements, and beam-shaping components, are
used in a variety of applications. There are particular
applications, such as using an optical element to form a laser,
that require very particular properties to ensure the laser
performs as expected.
[0004] By way of example, a saturable absorber mirror (SAM) may be
used as end mirror of a laser cavity. The SAM causes the laser to
passively mode-lock, creating ultrashort laser pulses. Ultrashort
optical pulses (i.e., optical pulses less than about 100
picoseconds) are useful in various areas of research and
development as well as commercial applications involving
time-domain analyses. For example, ultrashort optical pulses may be
useful for time-domain spectroscopy, optical ranging, time-domain
imaging (TDI), optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescent
lifetime imaging (FLI), and lifetime-resolved fluorescent detection
for genetic sequencing. Ultrashort pulses may also be useful for
commercial applications including optical communication systems,
medical applications, and testing of optoelectronic devices.
[0005] The above-noted applications typically have particular
requirements for the ultrashort optical pulses to be effective in a
given application. For example, the pulse duration (also referred
to as temporal pulse width, or simply "pulse width") should be less
than a threshold level for some applications and the optical power
should be greater than a threshold level for some applications. The
pulse duration and optical power of a laser is based, in large
part, on the characteristics of the SAM. Thus, the SAM must be
capable of producing sufficiently short pulses with large enough
optical power to be useful in a particular application.
[0006] Additionally, when manufacturing a laser, a SAM should be
selected that causes the laser to mode-lock at or below a specified
pump power and mode-locks without unwanted laser behavior such as
Q-switching. Mirrors and/or SAMs should also exhibit properties
indicating longevity and a damage threshold that is higher than the
operational power of the laser.
SUMMARY
[0007] The technology described herein relates to apparatus and
methods for characterizing optical elements.
[0008] According to one aspect of the present application, an
optical characterization apparatus is provided. The optical
characterization apparatus includes a laser configured to generate
a laser beam. The laser includes a first mirror and a second
mirror. The second mirror is mounted on a two-dimensional
translation stage configured to translate the second mirror in a
first direction and second direction, wherein the first direction
and second direction are perpendicular to a third direction defined
by the propagation direction of the laser beam at the location of
the second mirror. The first mirror and the second mirror define a
laser cavity of the laser.
[0009] According to one aspect of the present application, an
optical characterization apparatus is provided. The optical
characterization apparatus includes a laser configured to generate
an intracavity laser beam having a beam axis. The optical
characterization apparatus also includes a positioning mount
arranged to hold an optical element so that the optical element
receives the intracavity laser beam and can move the optical
element transverse to the axis.
[0010] According to one aspect of the present application, method
of characterizing an optical element is provided. The method
includes: scanning the optical element transvers to an intracavity
laser beam having a beam axis; and recording a performance
characteristic of the laser as a function of position of the
scanned optical element.
[0011] The foregoing and other aspects, implementations, acts,
functionalities, features and, embodiments of the present teachings
can be more fully understood from the following description in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The skilled artisan will understand that the figures,
described herein, are for illustration purposes only. It is to be
understood that in some instances various aspects of some
embodiments may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an
understanding of the embodiment. In the drawings, like reference
characters generally refer to like features, functionally similar
and/or structurally similar elements throughout the various
figures. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis
instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the
teachings. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the
present teachings in any way.
[0013] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an optical characterization
apparatus, according to some embodiments.
[0014] FIG. 2 depicts a train of pulses, according to some
embodiments.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an optical detection
system, according to some embodiments.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a pulsed laser, according
to some embodiments.
[0017] FIG. 5 illustrates a portion of an optical characterization
apparatus, according to some embodiments.
[0018] FIG. 6 illustrates an end mirror mount for an optical
characterization apparatus, according to some embodiments.
[0019] FIG. 7 illustrates how to modify a pulsed laser to obtain an
optical characterization apparatus, according to some
embodiments.
[0020] FIG. 8 illustrates a pulsed semiconductor laser, according
to some embodiments.
[0021] FIG. 9 illustrates a pulsed fiber laser, according to some
embodiments
[0022] FIG. 10 is a flow chart of a method of characterizing an
optical element, according to some embodiments.
[0023] FIG. 11 is a flow chart of a method for determining a
mode-locking pump threshold, according to some embodiments.
[0024] FIG. 12 is a computing device, according to some
embodiments.
[0025] FIG. 13A is an example power map, according to some
embodiments.
[0026] FIG. 13B is example pulse width data, according to some
embodiments.
[0027] FIG. 13C is an example pulse width map, according to some
embodiments.
[0028] FIG. 14A is example power, according to some
embodiments.
[0029] FIG. 14B is an example lasing regime map, according to some
embodiments.
[0030] FIG. 14C is an example pulse width map, according to some
embodiments.
[0031] FIG. 14D is an example power map, according to some
embodiments.
[0032] FIG. 14E is an example lasing regime map, according to some
embodiments.
[0033] FIG. 14F is an example pulse width map, according to some
embodiments.
[0034] FIG. 15A is an example lasing regime map, according to some
embodiments.
[0035] FIG. 15B is an optical microscope image for comparison with
the lasing regime map of FIG. 15A.
[0036] The features and advantages of the present application will
become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below
when taken in conjunction with the drawings. When describing
embodiments in reference to the drawings, directional references
("above," "below," "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "horizontal,"
"vertical," etc.) may be used. Such references are intended merely
as an aid to the reader viewing the drawings in a normal
orientation. These directional references are not intended to
describe a preferred or only orientation of an embodied device. A
device may be embodied in other orientations.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0037] Introduction
[0038] The inventors have recognized and appreciated that
conventional techniques for characterizing optical elements do not
sufficiently measure characteristics that are important for
building a laser system for a particular application. For example,
mirrors and saturable absorbers, e.g., saturable absorber mirrors
(SAMs), are conventionally characterized by visual observation
using microscopy and/or probing with an external laser system.
While such techniques are able to measure certain properties of an
optical element, the conventional techniques for characterizing an
optical element measure properties that are indirectly related to
the performance of a laser using said optical element and do not
directly measure the characteristics that are important for
building a laser system with particular properties. Accordingly,
the inventors have conceived optical characterization techniques
that provide information about an optical element that cannot be
measured using conventional techniques.
[0039] By way of example, and not limitation, a SAM may be used as
an end mirror of a laser cavity that generates ultrashort pulses of
light. Conventionally, a SAM is characterized by visually
inspecting the SAM under a microscope and/or probing the SAM using
a separate laser system. For example, the reflectivity and/or
absorption of the SAM in an unsaturated state may be measured using
reflectometry of a laser beam. Additionally, the relaxation time of
the SAM, e.g., how much time it takes for photoelectrons in the SAM
to relax from the conduction band to the valence band, may be
conventionally measured via a pump-probe technique using a pulsed
laser system. The inventors recognized and appreciated that, while
visual inspection, reflectivity and relaxation time may be useful
properties of a SAM to quantify, ensuring those measurements meet
certain conditions and/or criteria is not sufficient for
determining that using the SAM in a laser system will meet expected
performance criteria. For example, the conventional techniques
provide some guidance to the surface quality of the SAM, but does
not provide direct information about the mode-locking and power
performance of a laser using said SAM.
[0040] The inventors recognized and appreciated that including the
SAM in a laser system and measuring the properties of that laser
system provides direct information about the performance of a laser
that incorporates that particular SAM. In particular, the
mode-locking performance (repetition rate, pump threshold, quality
(e.g., no Q-switching)) and optical power of the laser can be
directly measured. Any defects in the SAM will be evidenced by loss
of power or poor mode-locking performance, allowing the
manufacturer of a laser system to choose SAMs that are high quality
and will meet the desired performance criteria for the laser
system.
[0041] The inventors have further recognized and appreciated that
an optical characterization technique that includes the optical
element in a laser system is useful in characterizing optical
elements other than SAMs. For example, mirrors may be characterized
using such a system to ensure adequate output laser power and
mode-locking performance. Including the optical elements to be
characterized within a laser cavity, as opposed to the conventional
approach of measuring features of the optical component by probing
the optical element with the output of a separate and distinct
laser system, may also provide additional sensitivity that is not
possible using the conventional techniques. This additional
sensitivity comes from the fact that the output laser beam
characteristics of a laser system is a function of the quality and
characteristics of the constituent components of the laser system.
Increased sensitivity may be, in part, due to the optical feedback
that is inherent in generating a coherent beam of light in the
laser cavity. In addition to characterizing mirrors, nonlinear
optical elements can be characterized within a laser cavity, where
using an intra-cavity laser beam can provide additional information
about the performance of the nonlinear optical element that would
not be available using conventional techniques as well as increased
sensitivity.
[0042] Furthermore, the inventors have recognized and appreciated
that optical elements such as SAMs are not necessarily consistent
across their surface. There are multiple possible defects in a SAM
that may be responsible for loss of laser power, poor mode-locking
performance, or catastrophic failure. Accordingly, some embodiments
mount the SAM, or other optical element being characterized, on a
two-dimensional translation stage that is configured to translate
the SAM in a plane normal to the incident laser beam of the laser
cavity. By using a two-dimensional translation stage, the
illumination spot of the laser beam may be rastered over a portion
or the entirety of the SAM. Thus, a two-dimensional map of the SAM
may be created to show which portions of the SAM have defects that
affect the performance of the laser system. In some examples, SAMs
that have one or more large, unusable areas may be discarded or not
included in the manufacture of a laser system. If the SAM has
unusable areas that are small or localized to a small portion of
the SAM, then the SAM may be included in a laser system as long as
the SAM is positioned and arranged such that the illumination spot
of the laser beam is incident upon a region of the SAM that is
deemed usable (e.g., the laser system exhibits the necessary power
and mode-locking capabilities when using the identified portion of
the SAM).
[0043] The inventors have also recognized and appreciated that, in
an optical element characterization apparatus, it may be useful for
the optical element to be easily removed and replaced with another
optical element so that multiple optical elements may be
characterized efficiently. Accordingly, rather than having the
optical element positioned within a housing of a laser system, the
optical element is positioned outside of a laser housing. In some
embodiments, the optical element may be oriented perpendicular to
the plane of the laser system. For example, the laser cavity of the
laser system may include a mirror that reflects the laser beam out
of the housing in a direction perpendicular to the optics that
define the laser cavity such that the laser beam is incident on the
optical element being characterized. Positioning the optical
element being characterized outside of the laser housing may have
the additional advantage that the two-dimensional translation stage
does not need to be fitted into the housing and the range of motion
of the translation stage is not limited by the housing. By removing
the constraints of having to fit the optical element and the
translation stage in the housing it is possible to characterize
larger optical elements that would otherwise be possible. For
example, an entire SAM wafer of arbitrary size (e.g., one, two,
three, four, or five-inch diameter wafers) may be characterized
before dicing the wafer into individual components. By
characterizing the wafer before dicing, poor quality portions of
the SAM wafer may be discarded, saving time and effort that would
conventionally be spent manufacturing the individual component that
would ultimately be unusable in a completed laser system.
[0044] Various illustrative examples of techniques for
characterizing optical elements and devices for characterizing
optical elements, are described below. It should be appreciated,
however, that embodiments are not limited to operating in
accordance with any of the examples below, and that other
embodiments are possible.
[0045] FIG. 1 depicts an example optical characterization apparatus
100 that includes, in some embodiments, an ultrashort pulsed laser
110, an optical detection system 140, a two-dimensional translation
stage 145, and a controller 150. The ultrashort pulsed laser 110
includes a gain medium 105 (which may be a solid-state material is
some embodiments), a pump source for exciting the gain medium (not
shown), and at least two cavity end mirrors 102, 104 that define
ends of an optical laser cavity. In some embodiments, there may be
one or more additional optical elements in the laser cavity for
purposes of beam shaping, wavelength selection, and/or pulse
forming. When operating, the pulsed laser 110 may produce an
ultrashort optical pulse 120 that circulates back-and-forth in the
laser cavity between the cavity's end mirrors 102, 104 and through
the gain medium 105. One of the cavity mirrors 104 may partially
transmit a portion of the circulating pulse, so that a train of
optical pulses 122 are emitted from the pulsed laser 110. In some
embodiments, the end mirror 102 may be a SAM that allows the pulsed
laser 110 to passively mode-lock. The emitted pulses may form a
beam (indicated by the dashed lines) that is characterized by a
beam waist w.
[0046] In some embodiments, the pulsed laser 110 may include a
nonlinear optical element (not shown), such as a nonlinear crystal,
for converting at least a portion of the pulse wavelength to a
shorter wavelength via frequency doubling or a longer wavelength
via parametric amplification. When such a frequency conversion
occurs, the pulsed laser 110 may include a first beam comprising
light of a first wavelength and a second beam comprising light of a
second wavelength. For example, the gain medium 105 may lase at
1064 nm, creating pulses at 1064 nm. The 1064 nm pulses may be
converted via second harmonic generation (SHG) to 532 nm pulses
using a nonlinear crystal, such as KTP or BBO. Thus, the beam 122
may include both 1064 nm pulses and 532 nm pulses.
[0047] Measured temporal intensity profiles of the emitted pulses
122 may appear as depicted in FIG. 2. In some embodiments, the peak
intensity values of the emitted pulses may be approximately equal,
and the profiles may have a Gaussian temporal profile, though other
profiles such as a sech.sup.2 profile may be possible. In some
cases, the pulses may not have symmetric temporal profiles and may
have other temporal shapes. In some embodiments, gain and/or loss
dynamics may yield pulses having asymmetric profiles. The duration
of each pulse may be characterized by a full-width-half-maximum
(FWHM) value, as indicated in FIG. 2. Ultrashort optical pulses may
have FWHM values less than 100 picoseconds.
[0048] The pulses emitting from the laser may be separated by
regular intervals T. In some embodiments, T may be determined by
active gain and/or loss modulation rates in the laser. For
mode-locked lasers, T may be determined by a round-trip travel time
between the cavity end mirrors 102, 104. According to some
embodiments, the pulse separation time T may be between about 1 ns
and about 100 ns. In some cases, the pulse separation time T may be
between about 0.1 ns and about 1 ns. In some implementations, the
pulse separation time T may be between about 100 ns and about 2
.mu.s.
[0049] In some embodiments, the optical detection system 140 may
receive a beam of pulses 122 from the laser 110 and detect one or
more properties of the laser beam. Detection results from the
optical detection system 140 are provided to the controller 150 for
analysis. The optical detection system 140 may also include guiding
optics to guide the laser beam to one of the various detectors. For
example, FIG. 3 illustrates an example optical detection system 140
that includes, as an example of guiding optics, a dichroic mirror
341 and a beam splitter 342. The dichroic mirror 341 may reflect
light of a first wavelength and transmit light of a second
wavelength. For example, if the laser beam 122 includes both 1064
nm pulses and 532 nm pulses, the 1064 nm light may be reflected
towards a first power meter 343 for measuring the power of the 1064
nm light. The beam splitter 342 may transmit a portion of the 532
nm light towards a second power meter 344 for measuring the power
of the 532 nm light. The 532 nm light that transmits through the
beam splitter 342 is directed to a pulse characterization detector
345. The pulse characterization detector 345 is configured to
measure the pulse width of the 532 nm pulses output by the laser
system 110. In some embodiments, the pulse characterization
detector 345 may be an autocorrelator, such as the pulseCheck
autocorrelator manufactured by APE. An autocorrelator measures the
temporal pulse width of the laser pulses. In other embodiments, the
pulse characterization detector 345 may include a device that
performs spectral interferometry for direct electric field
reconstruction (SPIDER) or frequency resolved optical gating
(FROG), which can both provide not only the temporal pulse width of
the laser pulses, but the full intensity and phase profile of the
laser pulses. Detection results from each of the individual
detectors of the optical detection system 140 are provided to the
controller 150.
[0050] Embodiments are not limited to a particular optical
detection system 140. For example, FIG. 1 illustrates the optical
detection system 140 as being completely external to the laser
system 110. In some embodiments, however, one or more detectors may
be included within the laser system itself. For example, in
embodiments where the laser cavity is formed from a plurality of
internal mirrors, a detector may be placed behind one or more of
the mirrors to detect a portion of the laser beam that transmits
through the mirror. Such detectors may be positioned within a
housing of the laser system to measure the power of the laser. In
some embodiments, the optical detection system 140 may include a
fast photodiode, which may be outside of the housing or inside the
housing.
[0051] Referring back to FIG. 1, the optical characterization
apparatus 100 may include a two-dimensional translation stage 145
configured to translate the end mirror 102 such that the
illumination spot of the laser beam on the end mirror 102 may be
scanned across the surface of the end mirror 102. Translating the
end mirror 102 does not change the length of the laser cavity
because the motion of the translation stage 102 is perpendicular to
the incident optical pulse 122 of the laser beam. The arrows within
the schematic depiction of the two-dimensional translation stage
145 of FIG. 1 show the two directions (up and down in the plane of
the page and into and out of the page) the translation stage moved
the end mirror 102 in the illustrated embodiment. In some
embodiments, the two-dimensional translation stage 145 is a
motorized translation stage controlled by the controller 150. In
some embodiments the two-dimensional translation sage 145 may
include a first one-dimensional translation stage mounted on a
second one-dimensional translation stage with the direction of
motion of the two translation stages being perpendicular to one
another. In addition to the two-dimensional translation stage 145,
some embodiments may include a two-axis tilt adjustment mount (not
shown) to control the tilt of the end mirror 102. The tilt
adjustment mount may use feedback from one or more power
measurements to ensure the end mirror 102 is properly aligned to
optimize performance of the pulsed laser 110.
[0052] As stated above, the optical characterization apparatus 100
includes a controller 150 for controlling the translation stage 145
and receiving measurement data from the optical detection system
140. As described in more detail below, the controller 150 may
include a storage device and a processor. The storage device may
store measurement data received from the optical detection system
140, as well as instructions that, when executed by the processor,
cause the processor to analyze the measurement data. The
instructions may further control the motion of the translation
stage 145.
[0053] Embodiments are not limited to a specific optical layout of
an optical characterization apparatus 100. In some embodiments, the
optical characterization apparatus 100 has a similar layout as that
of the laser system in which the optical element being
characterized will ultimately be included. In such cases, it may be
beneficial to ensure as many properties of the optical
characterization apparatus 100 are the same as the laser system.
For example, the length of the laser cavity may be the same in the
optical characterization apparatus 100 and the laser system for
which the optical element is intended. In some embodiments, the
optical characterization apparatus 100 may be formed by modifying
an existing laser system.
[0054] Mode-Locked Laser Module
[0055] Referring to FIG. 4, an example of a compact mode-locked
laser module 1-108 that may be modified to form an optical
characterization apparatus 100 is shown. The compact mode-locked
laser module 1-108, according to some embodiments, can include a
laser cavity (which includes optical elements between an output
coupler 1-111 that can function as a first end mirror of the laser
cavity and saturable absorber mirror (SAM) 1-119 that can function
as a second end mirror of the laser cavity), a formed base chassis
2-105 (also referred to as a housing) on which some or all of the
components of the mode-locked laser 110 are mounted, at least one
intracavity optical element 2-128 that can stabilize operation of
the mode-locked laser, frequency-doubling elements 2-170, 2-164,
2-160 that can participate in converting an output from the laser
to a shorter wavelength, and electrical components 2-190, 2-154,
2-182, 2-116 that monitor operational parameters of the laser (such
as optical power) and generate an electronic clock signal that is
synchronized to the optical pulses produced by the laser. A pump
module 2-140 can be mounted to the base chassis 2-105 and used to
excite the gain medium 1-105 of the mode-locked laser.
[0056] The base chassis 2-105 of a compact mode-locked laser module
1-108 may measure between about 20 cm and about 30 cm in length L,
between about 10 cm and about 20 cm in height H, and has a
thickness between about 10 mm and about 30 mm, according to some
embodiments. In some cases, one or more of the dimensions can be up
to 20% larger. According to some embodiments, a volume occupied by
the compact, mode-locked laser module 1-108 can be about 30
cm.times.18 cm.times.3 cm or approximately 1620 cm.sup.3. According
to some implementations, the overall shape or form factor of the
mode-locked laser module 1-108 is a slab having a length L longer
than a height H and a thickness much less than either the length or
height, occupying a volume less than 2850 cubic cm and weighing
less than, or has a weight of, approximately, 2 kilograms. In some
cases, the weight of the module 1-108 is between 1 kilogram and 2
kilograms.
[0057] In some embodiments, the base chassis 2-105 can be formed
from aluminum, titanium, an alloy of aluminum, or an alloy of
titanium. Other materials can be used in other embodiments. In some
implementations, the base chassis 2-105 can include a plurality of
cavities 2-102 that are machined or otherwise formed (e.g., by
casting or assembly) into the base chassis. In some embodiments,
12.5 mm-diameter optical components (or smaller) can be used to
construct the mode-locked laser 110 and be partially or fully
recessed into the cavities 2-102 of the base chassis 2-105, so that
a cover (not shown) can be placed over the cavities 2-102 to
protect the components within the cavities from outside
environmental factors and contaminants. In some embodiments, a
cover can be placed over the cavities 2-102 to hermitically seal
one or more of the cavities.
[0058] Between the cavities 2-102, there can be ribs 2-107 formed
in the base chassis 2-105. In some of the ribs, there can be holes
or openings (not visible) that allow the intracavity laser beam to
pass through the ribs to adjacent cavities. According to some
embodiments, there can be one or more diagonal ribs 2-107 that run
at an angle with respect to an edge of the base chassis 2-105. For
example, a diagonal rib 2-107 can run in a corner-to-corner
direction across the base chassis 2-105. The diagonal rib 2-107 can
increase the torsional stiffness of the base chassis 2-105 by a
factor of three compared to having no diagonal ribs. An increased
torsional stiffness can help prevent instability of laser operation
and improve the module's resistance to perturbing forces acting on
the base chassis 2-105. In some cases, at least portions of the
ribs can extend from a bottom of a cavity to a top surface of the
base chassis 2-105, so that one or more covers (not shown) for the
laser module 1-108 can attach to the ribs. In this regard, any
suitable cover may be used including, but not limited to, a stiff
metal cover (e.g., a metal having a thickness greater than
approximately 1 mm), a stiff polymer cover (e.g., a polymer having
a thickness greater than approximately 2 mm), or a flexible
material (metal or polymer) that can be sealed to the base chassis
2-105, or held against the base chassis 2-105 with a supporting
piece (e.g., a metal frame). In some cases, a covering material
comprises Tyvek.RTM. (approximately 0.25 mm thick) that is held
against the base chassis with a metal frame (approximately 1.5 mm
thick).
[0059] In some implementations, one or more mounting features 2-103
can be located at one or more ribs 2-107. The mounting features
2-103 can be used to mount the compact laser module 1-108 to an
instrument or other platform. In some cases, the mounting features
provide kinematic mounting, so that each laser module 1-108, or the
same laser module, reproducibly mounts in nearly the same location
and alignment (e.g., to within .+-.100 microns). Kinematic mounting
may also reduce induced stresses caused by the mounting process.
The mounting features 2-103 may comprise holes that are tapped or
are clear. The holes can be countersunk or counterbored. For
kinematic mounting, there can be three mounting features 2-103 for
which the bottom surfaces (not shown in FIG. 4) comprise a conical
contacting surface or ring contact for a first mounting feature, a
wedged contacting surface or two-point contacting surface for a
second mounting feature, and a flat surface or single-point contact
for a third mounting feature. Alternatively, two countersunk holes
at the mounting features 2-103 may be used to align the base
chassis 2-105 to a receiving support structure.
[0060] A mode-locked laser 110 of the laser module 1-108 can
comprise an output coupler 1-111 at an output end of the laser's
cavity, a gain medium 1-105, and a saturable absorber mirror (SAM)
1-119 at an opposite end of the laser cavity. There can be multiple
mirrors 2-116, 2-117, 2-120, 2-121, 2-122, 2-123, 2-124, 2-125
within the laser cavity to fold the optical axis 1-125 of the laser
and extend the length of the laser cavity to achieve a desired
pulse repetition rate or pulse separation interval T. There can
also be beam-shaping optics (e.g. lenses and/or curved mirrors)
within the laser cavity to alter a size and/or shape of the
intracavity laser beam.
[0061] Example optical components for a mode-locked laser that
operates at a lasing wavelength of 1064 nm will now be described.
It will be appreciated that embodiments of invention are not
limited to only the described optical components. Fewer or more
optical components may be used in some implementations (e.g.,
adding or removing mirrors to change the pulse repetition rate),
and the optical coatings on components can be different for lasers
that lase at different wavelengths.
[0062] The gain medium 1-105 can comprise a neodymium-doped
material that is mounted in a thermally-conductive mount (e.g., an
aluminum or copper block or other thermally-conductive material)
which dissipates heat into the base chassis 2-105. When the
mode-locked laser operates at high average powers (e.g., over 300
mW) thermal lensing effects in the gain medium 1-105 occur. In some
cases, such thermal lensing could destabilize operation of the
laser. To improve heat transfer from the gain medium to the
thermally-conductive mount, the gain medium 1-105 can be wrapped in
indium foil or any other suitable material that improves heat
transfer to the thermally-conductive mount. In some cases, silver
epoxy or any other suitable thermally-conductive adhesive can be
used to secure the gain crystal to the thermal mount. In some
cases, the gain medium 1-105 and thermally-conductive mount can be
mounted on a thermo-electric cooler (TEC), which can sink heat into
the base chassis 2-105. The TEC or other active cooling techniques
such as liquid cooling can provide active temperature control of
the gain medium 1-105 and reduce thermal lensing effects.
[0063] Elimination of active cooling of the gain medium 1-105 can
reduce cost and complexity of the laser. Active temperature control
of the gain medium need not be used for the mode-locked laser 110
of the present embodiments, even when optical pumping powers of up
to 10 Watts are used to pump the gain medium. Surprisingly, the
mode-locked laser 110 remains stably mode locked over this range of
pump power, even though the associated thermal lensing effects
(positive lensing) can change a thermally-induced focal length of
the gain medium from 0 to approximately 15 diopters over the pump
power range. For thermal lensing in excess of 15 diopters, the
laser cavity can become an unstable resonator that may not support
mode-locked operation nor continuous-wave operation. The stability
of mode locking over such a large range of thermal lensing in the
gain medium is due in part to the selection and arrangement of
optical components for the mode-locked laser 110. According to one
embodiment, stability and improved performance of mode-locked
operation depends critically on having an amount of thermal lensing
occur in the gain medium. In embodiments, stable mode-locked
operation of the mode-locked laser 110 can be obtained for an
amount of thermal lensing between one diopter and 15 diopters of
positive lensing effect. Even though the thermal lensing may vary
over this range, no mechanical adjustments need be made to the
laser cavity to maintain stable mode locking. Improved performance
of the mode-locked laser can be obtained when the amount of thermal
lensing in the gain medium 1-105 is between 8 diopters and 12
diopters of positive thermal lensing. For continuous-wave
operation, there can be between 0 diopter and at least 15 diopters
of positive thermal lensing. An amount of thermal lensing (greater
than approximately 4 diopters) can be measured by passing a
continuous wave laser probe beam (e.g., from a helium neon laser or
laser diode) through the gain medium 1-105 (e.g., at an angle) and
measuring a relative displacement of the probe beam at a distance
from the gain medium between "pump-beam-on" and "pump-beam-off"
states. A pump-beam-on state is when the laser diode pump beam is
on and exciting the gain medium 1-105 for mode-locked lasing of the
laser 110. Values below 4 diopters can be difficult to measure
accurately, since the relative displacement becomes small.
[0064] Absorption of an optical pump beam in the gain medium 1-105
can cause thermal lensing in the gain medium. In embodiments, an
amount of thermal lensing in the gain medium can be changed by
changing an amount of power in an optical pump beam applied to the
gain medium 1-105 (e.g., changing an amount of power from pump
module 2-140). Additionally or alternatively, an amount of thermal
lensing in the gain medium can be changed by tuning an optical
wavelength of an optical pump beam used to excite the gain medium
1-105. Tuning of the optical pump beam's wavelength can be
performed, for example, by tuning a temperature of a laser diode in
the pump module 2-140. Tuning a pump beam's wavelength can change
an amount of absorption of the optical pump beam in the gain medium
1-105.
[0065] In some implementations, the gain medium 1-105 can comprise
neodymium vanadate (e.g., Nd.sup.3+:YVO4), which can provide lasing
at 1064 nm. Other solid state crystals such as, but not limited to,
Nd:YAG, Nd:YLF, and Cr:Forsterite can be used in other embodiments.
In some implementations, a neodymium vanadate gain medium 1-105 can
be used to provide lasing at 1342 nm alternatively or additionally,
provided optical components in the cavity are designed and coated
for lasing at this wavelength. The gain medium can have a length
between 3 mm and 11 mm, in some cases. In some embodiments, the
length of the gain medium can be between 5 mm and 9 mm. The
neodymium dopant level (atomic %) can be between 0.10% and 1%, in
some cases. In some implementations, the dopant level can be
between 0.10% and 0.50%. In some implementations, the dopant level
can be between 0.24% and 0.30%. According to some embodiments, the
crystal length can be approximately 7 mm and the dopant level can
be approximately 0.27%. Doping levels (atomic %) appreciably higher
than 0.3% for lengths of approximately 7 mm can destabilize
operation of the laser at higher operating powers (e.g., induce
lasing in higher-order spatial modes, or destabilize or terminate
mode locking), which may undesirably require readjusting
intracavity components. For example, with 1% doping, mode locking
terminated above a certain pump power level, and intracavity
optical elements had to be readjusted to regain mode locking. The
transverse dimension or dimensions of the gain medium 1-105 can be
any suitable value (e.g., between 1 mm and 4 mm). The gain medium
can be in the form of a cylindrical rod, rectangular bar, or any
other shape.
[0066] End facets of the gain medium 1-105 can be anti-reflection
coated for the lasing wavelength .lamda.l (which can be about 1064
nm for neodymium vanadate) and for the pump wavelength .lamda.p
(which can be about 808 nm for neodymium vanadate), according to
some embodiments. In some embodiments, one end facet of the gain
medium can be coated with an output coupler coating, so that the
end facet acts as an end mirror of the laser cavity and a separate
output coupler 1-111 need not be used.
[0067] The gain medium 1-105 can be mounted in a non-adjustable
mount (a mount that provides no fine angular or positional
adjustment) in an orientation where end facets of the gain medium
have normal vectors oriented at an angle between about 1 degree and
about 3 degrees to the optical axis 1-125 of the laser cavity. For
example, a thermally-conductive mount for the gain medium can
include a recess in which the gain medium 1-105 is placed. The
recess can align the gain medium to the thermally-conductive mount.
The thermally-conductive mount can then register to features on the
base chassis 2-105 (e.g., any one or combination of machined
surfaces, pins, screw holes) to align the gain medium at an angle
to the optical axis 1-125 of the laser cavity. According to some
implementations, the gain medium 1-105 can be cut and oriented in
its mount so that it aligns with a favored polarization intended
for lasing. For example, the gain medium 1-105 can be oriented to
lase with a linear polarization parallel to the Y axis in FIG.
4.
[0068] According to some embodiments, an output coupler 1-111 for a
compact mode-locked laser can be a high-quality laser optic having
a surface quality of 10-5 (scratch and dig) and a wavefront error
of at most .lamda./10. One surface of the output coupler 1-111 can
be coated with a multi-layer dielectric to provide a reflectivity
having a value between about 75% and about 95% for the lasing
wavelength .lamda..sub.l and allow (with minimal reflectance)
transmission of a pump wavelength .lamda..sub.p that is used to
excite the gain medium 1-105. In some embodiments, the lasing
wavelength may be about 1064 nm and the pump wavelength may be
about 808 nm, though other wavelengths can be used in other
embodiments. In some implementations, the reflectivity of the
output coupler at the lasing wavelength is between 82% and 88%. An
output coupler within this range of reflectivity provides a desired
amount of output power with stable operation of the laser and
provides appropriate amounts of fluence on the saturable absorber
mirror 1-119 over an operating range of the laser.
[0069] A second surface of the output coupler 1-111 (toward the
laser output) can be coated with an antireflection coating for both
the pump wavelength and lasing wavelength, and can be oriented at
an angle (e.g., between about 1 degree and about 4 degrees) with
respect to the reflective surface of the output coupler. A small
amount of reflection of the lasing wavelength from the output
(transmitting) surface of the output coupler 1-111 can appreciably
and adversely broaden pulses from the mode-locked laser. According
to some embodiments, the coatings on the output coupler are
dichroic, so as to transmit with negligible reflection the pump
wavelength .lamda..sub.p.
[0070] According to some embodiments, the output coupler 1-111 can
be mounted in a two-axis adjustable mount that provides angular
adjustment with respect to the optical axis 1-125 about two
orthogonal axes (e.g., about the Y and X axes in FIG. 4). In some
embodiments, the output coupler 1-111 can be mounted in a
non-adjustable mount which can be integrated into the base chassis
2-105. A non-adjustable mount reduces cost and complexity of the
compact laser. In yet other embodiments, the output coupler 1-111
can be formed as a multilayer optical coating on an end-face of the
gain medium 1-105 instead of a separate optical component
comprising a transparent substrate and one or more optical
coatings.
[0071] Changing a distance between the output coupler 1-111 and the
gain medium 1-105 can change the FWHM value of the mode-locked
pulse temporal profile (also referred to as pulse duration).
Mode-locking of the laser can be achieved with the distance between
the output coupler 1-111 and the gain medium 1-105 varied between 0
mm and 10 mm, and the pulse duration can be varied between
approximately 9 picoseconds and approximately 38 picoseconds over
this range of distances by selecting different distances to obtain
different pulse durations. According to some embodiments, the
distance between the output coupler 1-111 and the gain medium 1-105
is set between 4 mm and 8 mm.
[0072] Stable and efficient operation over a range of average
lasing powers is achieved when the intracavity beam waist of the
laser at the output coupler 1-111 is between 100 microns and 180
microns (beam radius measured at 1/e.sup.2 level). The value of the
beam waist at the output coupler 1-111 is determined in part by
intracavity optics, such as curved mirror 2-117, by distance of the
output coupler to the curved mirror, and by the pump beam waist in
the gain medium 1-105. According to some embodiments, the beam
waist of the lasing wavelength in the gain medium can be
significantly smaller that the pump beam waist in the gain medium
1-105. For example, the beam waist for the lasing wavelength in the
gain medium can be between 100 microns and 150 microns in the gain
medium, and a smallest waist for the pump beam can be between 180
microns and 250 microns, wherein the pump beam may not be fully
symmetric about its optical axis. The value of the beam waist at
the output coupler 1-111 and in the gain medium 1-105 may also be
affected by the focal length of the second curved mirror 2-127 and
its distance to the saturable absorber mirror 1-119. Having a
smaller beam waist for the lasing beam of the mode-locked laser 110
than the laser diode pump beam can improve stability of the
mode-locked laser operation (e.g., make the laser less susceptible
to power and mode-locking fluctuations due to relative motion of
the laser beam and laser diode pump beam in the gain medium 1-105.
The term "beam waist" is used to refer to the spatial extent at
which the laser beam intensity falls from a peak value to a
1/e.sup.2 value on opposite sides of the beam. A round beam may be
characterized by a single beam waist. An elliptical beam may be
characterized by two beam waists: one for the beam's minor axis and
one for the beam's major axis.
[0073] At an opposite end of the laser cavity, a saturable absorber
mirror (SAM) 1-119 may be mounted. The SAM can comprise a
multilayer semiconductor structure that exhibits nonlinear optical
absorption (e.g., a multiple quantum well) and a high reflector
(e.g., Bragg reflector) formed on a substrate. The nonlinear
optical absorption can induce passive mode locking in the laser.
For example, the SAM can exhibit higher absorption and loss at low
optical intensities, and can bleach or exhibit little absorption
and less loss at high optical intensities. The semiconductor
structure can be spaced from the high reflector in the SAM so that
the semiconductor structure is located at approximately a peak
intensity of an optical standing wave created by the optical field
incident on and reflected from the high reflector. An example of a
SAM is part number SAM-1064-5-10ps-x available from BATOP
Optoelectronics GmbH of Jena, Germany. Because of the SAM's
nonlinear optical absorption, the laser preferentially operates in
a pulsed mode of operation (passively mode locked) since the high
intensities of the optical pulses experience less loss in the
cavity than lower intensity, continuous-wave operation of the
laser.
[0074] According to some embodiments, the SAM can be formed from a
gallium-arsenide semiconductor composition. The SAM can be cut from
a larger substrate or wafer, and can be square in shape with a
maximum dimension across the face of the SAM between 1 mm and 3 mm.
A relaxation time of the SAM's absorption can be between 10 ps and
30 ps. A non-saturated absorption of the SAM can be between 2% and
6%. The modulation depth of the SAM can be between 60% and 74% of
the SAM's non-saturated absorption. In some implementations, the
relaxation time is approximately 25 ps and the non-saturated
absorption is approximately 4%. Such a SAM 1-119 can support
mode-locked lasing with pulse durations between 12 ps and 20 ps. A
saturation fluence of the SAM can be about 70 microJoules/cm.sup.2
(.mu.J/cm.sup.2), in some embodiments.
[0075] The optical fluence on the SAM from the intracavity laser
beam should be kept below 2.5 milliJoules/cm.sup.2 (mJ/cm.sup.2)
for prolonged operation of a gallium-arsenide SAM. At values equal
to 5 mJ/cm.sup.2 or higher, the SAM may damage. In some
implementations, the fluence on the SAM can be kept below about 10
times the saturation fluence of the SAM. The fluence on the SAM can
be controlled by controlling the beam waist at the SAM (e.g., with
a curved mirror 2-127 located in the laser cavity) and by
controlling the intracavity power with the choice of reflectivity
of the output coupler 1-111. According to some embodiments, a beam
waist at the SAM is between 80 microns and 120 microns when the
output coupler reflectivity is between 82% and 88%.
[0076] Between the output coupler 1-111 and the SAM 1-119, there
can be a plurality of mirrors that fold the optical axis of the
laser cavity multiple times. Some of these mirrors (e.g., mirrors
2-115, 2-120, 2-121, 2-122, 2-123, 2-124, 2-125) can have flat
surfaces and be mounted in non-adjustable mounts. According to some
embodiments, two of the mirrors 2-117, 2-127 can have curved
surfaces and comprise a focusing reflector. In some cases, another
type of focusing optic (e.g., a lens or compound lens) can be used
instead of focusing reflectors for mirrors 2-117, 2-127 (e.g., if
the intracavity beam is not folded at the location of the mirrors
2-117 or mirror 2-127). For flat and curved mirrors that are used
to fold the optical axis of the laser, the reflectivity of the
mirror can be very high for the lasing wavelength at the angle of
incidence for which the mirror will be used. For example, the
reflectivity for such a mirror can be greater than 99% in some
cases, and yet greater than 99.5% in some cases. The surface
quality of one or more of the folding mirrors can be at least 10-5
(scratch and dig) and a wavefront error can be at most .lamda./10.
In some cases, the surface quality of one or more of the folding
mirrors can be at least 40-20 (scratch and dig) and a wavefront
error can be at most .lamda./10. A higher value for scratch-dig
surface quality can significantly reduce the cost of the folding
mirrors.
[0077] In some implementations, at least one of the mirrors (e.g.,
mirror 2-124) can fold the intracavity beam multiple times for a
single transit from the gain medium 1-105 to the SAM 1-119. For the
example configuration shown in FIG. 4, a bounce sequence for an
optical pulse 1-120 travelling from the gain medium 1-105 to the
SAM 1-119 is a sequence of reflections from mirrors 2-115, 2-117,
2-120, 2-121, 2-122, 2-123, 2-124, 2-125, 2-124, 2-127, 2-124, and
then to the SAM 1-119. In this sequence, one of the intracavity
mirrors 2-124 is used for multiple reflections and the angle of
incidence is reversed in sign on this mirror for at least two
reflections as the beam travels from one end of the laser cavity to
the other end. For example and referring to FIG. 4, the first angle
of incidence is in the +Z direction and the second angle of
incidence on mirror 2-124 is in the -Z direction as the beam
travels from the output coupler 1-111 to the SAM 1-119. After
reflecting from the SAM 1-119, the pulse will then return in the
reverse bounce sequence to the gain medium. By having multiple
folds of the optical axis within the compact laser module, the
cavity length can be extended to obtain a pulse repetition rate
below 200 MHz and as low as 50 MHz. The pulse repetition rate will
depend upon the length of the laser cavity, which is determined in
part by the number of bounces between mirrors in the cavity and the
distances between the mirrors. According to some embodiments, the
pulse repetition rate can be changed by relocating mirrors and
adding or removing mirrors within the cavity between the first
curved mirror 2-117 and the second curved mirror 2-127 to increase
or decrease the optical path length between the output coupler 110
and saturable absorber mirror 1-119. Because the intracavity beam
is approximately collimated between the first curved mirror 2-117
and the second curved mirror 2-127, changes to pulse repetition
rate can be made more easily than if the beam were not collimated
in this region. In some implementations, extra integrated optical
mounts can be formed in the base chassis for relocating mirrors to
obtain different pulse repetition rates.
[0078] As noted above, the inventors have recognized and
appreciated that pulse repetition rates below 200 MHz and as low as
50 MHz are desirable for massively-parallel analysis of samples on
a bio-optoelectronic chip. However, using multiple mirrors, with
some mirrors used multiple times, requires a very high degree of
stability of the mirrors with respect to each other to maintain
stable mode-locked lasing over periods of hours. Integrated
mounting of the mirrors against supporting surfaces in a base
chassis 2-105 that includes strengthening ribs can achieve the
requisite stability of the mirrors and stable mode-locking
operation.
[0079] In some implementations, one folding mirror 2-115 can be
configured to control polarization of radiation within the cavity
and allow monitoring of pump-beam radiation (indicated as the heavy
dashed line in FIG. 4). For example, the folding mirror 2-115 can
be coated to reflect s polarization (polarization that is out of
the plane of the base chassis, in the Y direction) with a high
reflectivity greater than 99%, or even greater than 99.5% in some
cases, and to have a lower reflectivity for the orthogonal p
polarization, so that lasing in the p polarization is prevented. In
some cases, the folding mirror 2-115 can be a polarizing beam
splitter that transmits more than 20% of the p polarization and
reflects the s polarization with high reflectivity. The folding
mirror 2-115 can additionally transmit most or nearly all of the
pump-beam radiation to a photodetector 2-116 located behind the
mirror. The folding mirror can include a dichroic coating to allow
transmission of the pump-beam radiation, in some embodiments. In
other embodiments, a dichroic coating may not be used, and the
coating for the lasing wavelength may allow adequate transmission
of the pump-beam radiation through the folding mirror 2-115 for
detection. An output from the photodetector 2-116 can be provided
to the PCB 2-190 for signal processing and/or transmission to an
external signal processor.
[0080] In some embodiments, two curved mirrors 2-117, 2-127 can be
designed and located within the laser cavity to obtain desired beam
waist sizes within the gain medium 1-105 and the SAM 1-119. A first
curved mirror 2-117 can be located in a first portion of the laser
cavity near the gain medium 1-105. A second curved mirror 2-127 can
be located in a second portion of the laser cavity near the SAM
1-119. At least between the curved mirrors, there can be a
plurality of folding mirrors that fold the optical axis of the
laser and extend the laser cavity length in a cavity length
extending region. There can additionally be a mirror 2-124 between
curved mirror 2-127 and the SAM 1-119 that folds the intracavity
laser beam multiple times to extend the length of the cavity in the
cavity length extending region. For example, curved mirror 2-127
and mirror 2-124 can fold the intracavity beam three times on
immediately successive bounces from these two reflectors, as
indicated in FIG. 4.
[0081] According to some embodiments, the first curved mirror 2-117
can be a spherical reflector and have a focal length f.sub.1
between 240 mm and 260 mm. A tolerance on the focal length for this
reflector can be .+-.1% of the focal length. The inventors have
found that the first curved mirror 2-117, with a focal length of
approximately 250 mm, can be placed between 230 mm and 310 mm from
the output coupler 1-111 and stable mode-locked operation having
different characteristics can be obtained. According to some
embodiments, the first curved mirror can be located between 280 mm
and 300 mm from the output coupler to obtain stable mode-locked
operation over a large range of operating powers of the compact
laser module. In this configuration, the gain medium 1-105 can be
located between 4 mm and 8 mm from the output coupler. The focal
length of the first curved mirror 2-117 and its location with
respect to the gain medium 1-105 and output coupler 1-111, and the
focal length of the second curved mirror 2-127 and its location
with respect to the SAM 1-119 can determine the beam waist of the
intracavity beam in the gain medium.
[0082] A focal length of the first curved mirror 2-117 may have
other values in other embodiments. For example, a shorter focal
length f.sub.1<230 mm can be used for a more compact mode-locked
laser that operates at lower powers. In embodiments, the output
coupler 1-111 can be placed a distance d.sub.1 from the first
curved mirror 2-117 that is in a range of values within 30% of the
focal length f.sub.1 (e.g., 0.7f.sub.1<d.sub.1<1.3f.sub.1).
In some cases, 0.9f.sub.1<d.sub.1<1.3f.sub.1.
[0083] In some implementations, the first curved mirror 2-117 can
be mounted in an adjustable mount that provides only two degrees of
freedom for adjusting orientation angles (in-plane, and
out-of-plane angles) of the mirror with respect to the optical axis
of the laser. An adjustable mount can allow an operator to finely
adjust the position (one or more of X, Y, Z) and/or orientation
(pitch and/or yaw with respect to the optical axis of the incident
intracavity beam) of the optical component while the laser is
lasing, so that operation of the laser can be tuned for stability,
beam quality, output power, and/or pulse characteristics. Fine
tuning can be achieved by micrometers and/or finely-threaded screw
adjustments on mirror mounts, for example. It is noted that an
adjustable is not a requirement for the first cured mirror 2-117.
Furthermore, other mirrors used to form the laser cavity may also
be used to finely adjust the cavity alignment.
[0084] Providing only two degrees of freedom for the first curved
mirror 2-117 and only one degree of freedom for a folding mirror
(e.g., mirror 2-123) as the only adjustments for aligning the laser
cavity in real time while the laser is lasing can reduce cost and
complexity of the compact mode-locked laser module. In other cases,
the mirror mount for the first curved mirror 2-117 can include
additional degrees of freedom for adjusting the position of the
mirror, for example. According to some embodiments, adjustments can
be made to the pump module 2-140 after adjusting curved mirror
2-117 to align or re-align the pump beam and increase output power
from the mode-locked laser.
[0085] A second curved mirror 2-127 can be a spherical reflector
and have a focal length f.sub.2 between 240 mm and 260 mm. A
tolerance on the focal length for this reflector can be .+-.1% of
the focal length. The inventors have found that the second curved
mirror 2-127, with a focal length of approximately 250 mm, can be
placed between 260 mm and 290 mm from the SAM 1-119 and stable
mode-locked operation having different characteristics can be
obtained. According to some embodiments, the second curved mirror
can be located between 270 mm and 285 mm from the SAM 1-119 to
obtain stable mode-locked operation over a large range of operating
powers of the compact laser module. The focal length of the second
curved mirror 2-127 and its location with respect to the SAM 1-119
can determine the beam waist of the intracavity beam at the SAM
1-119 and also affect the beam-waist at the gain crystal.
[0086] A focal length of the second curved mirror 2-127 may have
other values in other embodiments. For example, a shorter focal
length f.sub.2<240 mm can be used for a more compact mode-locked
laser that operates at lower powers. In embodiments, the SAM 1-119
can be placed a distance d.sub.2 from the second curved mirror
2-127 that is in a range of values within 20% of the focal length
f.sub.2 (e.g., 0.8f.sub.2<d.sub.2<1.2f.sub.2). In some cases,
f.sub.2<d.sub.2<1.2f.sub.2.
[0087] The second curved mirror 2-127 can be mounted in a
non-adjustable mount, for example, to reduce cost and complexity of
the laser module. As described above, all of the reflective
components in the laser cavity (except the first curved mirror
2-117 and the folding mirror 2-123) can be mounted in
self-aligning, non-adjustable mounts. Further, the first curved
mirror 2-117 can have only two degrees of freedom for angular
adjustments and the folding mirror 2-123 can have only one degree
of freedom for angular adjustment. The inventors have discovered
that the mode-locked laser cavity can be aligned for stable
operation for long periods of time using only these three
adjustments, according to some embodiments. For example, the first
curved mirror 2-117 can be used to steer a beam from the gain
medium 1-105 to the SAM 1-119, which is mounted in a fixed location
to receive the beam. Any out-of-plane deviations (in the .+-.Y
directions in FIG. 4) can be accommodated by adjusting the single
degree of angular adjustment on folding mirror 2-123. If the SAM
1-119 does not receive the intracavity beam at normal incidence so
as to reflect the beam back along the same path, the angle of
incidence on the SAM can be adjusted by translating the intracavity
beam on the second curved mirror 2-127. Since the SAM 1-119 is
nearly at the focus of the second curved mirror, a translation of
the beam on this mirror alters the incidence angle at the SAM. The
intracavity beam can be translated across the surface of the second
curved mirror by making angular adjustments to the first curved
mirror 2-117. Adjustments can be made to the first curved mirror
until the intracavity beam is reflected back on itself from the SAM
1-119.
[0088] The inventors have discovered that the spot size of the
intracavity laser beam on the SAM can be more sensitive to changes
in distance between the first curved mirror 2-117 and the laser's
output coupler 1-111 than to changes in distance between the second
curved mirror 2-127 and SAM 1-119. This result relates to the
extended cavity length between the first curved mirror 2-117 and
the second curved mirror 2-127. This extended cavity length can be
more than half the length of the laser cavity, throughout which the
intracavity laser beam can be approximately collimated. Changes in
the distance between the curved mirror 2-117 and output coupler
1-111 can affect collimation in the extended cavity, which can
amplify changes in beam size at the second curved mirror 2-127. The
amplification in turn affects the spot size in the SAM 1-119 more
strongly than changes in distance between the second curved mirror
2-127 and SAM 1-119. Accordingly, the position of the first curved
mirror 2-117 can be used to adjust the fluence on the SAM 1-119. In
some embodiments, the amplification effect can be reduced by
increasing the focal length of the second curved mirror 2-127.
[0089] When the laser cavity is aligned and configured as described
above, such that a beam waist in the gain medium 1-105 is between
100 microns and 150 microns, and the beam waist at the SAM 1-119 is
between 80 microns and 120 microns, the inventors have discovered
that the laser cavity satisfies a "stability criterion" for optical
resonators (a condition known to those skilled in the art of
lasers) that spans a change from 0 diopter to 15 diopters of
thermal lensing effects in the gain medium 1-105 and for focal
length errors of the two curved mirrors 2-117, 2-127 of .+-.1%. At
high optical powers, the gain medium 1-105 can acquire appreciable
heat from the pump radiation, and the heated gain medium can create
an optical lens (also referred to as thermal lensing) that has a
focusing power (diopter) that is dependent upon the temperature of
the medium. For optically-pumped, high-power lasers, the changes
due to this thermal lensing can destabilize the laser and
extinguish lasing for increases in pump power by 50% from an
initial stable operating point. The inventors have observed that
the compact mode-locked laser module 1-108 maintains stable
mode-locking operation for variations in pump power from 2 Watts to
8 Watts, an increase of 300% in pump power from an initial stable
operating point. The range of stability for the laser cavity is
surprisingly large, and allows the compact mode-locked laser to be
operated over a large range of intracavity and output powers. For
example, the average output power from the laser can vary between
350 milliwatts and 3.5 Watts over this range of pump power, while
the FWHM pulse duration remains between 12 picoseconds and 18
picoseconds. This output can be frequency doubled to produce pulses
of a same duration at a wavelength of 532 nm, for example, with
average power levels between 100 milliwatts and 1.5 Watts.
[0090] According to some embodiments, there can be optical
components mounted within the laser cavity to help stabilize
operation of the mode-locked laser and/or improve beam quality of
the mode-locked laser. For example, a spatial mode filter 2-118 can
be located in the laser cavity and configured to prevent lasing in
higher-order spatial modes. The mode filter 2-118 can comprise an
aperture of any suitable shape (e.g., round, oval, crescent shaped,
square, rectangular, polygonal, etc.). The aperture can be mounted
in a non-adjustable mount, or can be mounted such that it can be
moved in directions transverse to the intracavity beam's optical
axis. The size of the aperture can be adjustable in some cases
(e.g., an iris). In various embodiments, the aperture constrains
lasing operation to the lowest-order transverse spatial mode of the
laser cavity, which can improve stability of mode-locking.
[0091] Beam steering components can be included in the laser module
1-108 in some embodiments for dynamic stabilization and alignment.
For example, one or more anti-reflection coated laser windows or
optical flats 2-128 that can be rotated at an angle with respect to
the intracavity beam can be operated automatically by an actuator
2-162 to translate and/or change an incident angle of the
intracavity beam on the SAM 1-119. There can be mechanical linkage
2-164 between an actuator and laser window and a pitch or yaw mount
for the laser window that enable automated pitch or yaw adjustments
to the laser window 2-128. The actuator 2-162 can comprise a
stepper motor, piezoelectric transducer, capacitive transducer, or
any other suitable actuator.
[0092] Rotation of an intracavity laser window will shift laterally
the outgoing beam from the laser window in the direction of
rotation. The amount of lateral shift can be determined by applying
Snell's law to the two interfaces of the laser window. If the laser
window is located between the second curved mirror 2-127 and the
SAM 1-119, then rotation of the laser window will mainly translate
the intracavity beam on the SAM. Rotation of such laser window can
be used to extend the lifetime of the SAM by moving the intracavity
beam across the SAM. A scanning motion may reduce fatigue of the
SAM, or if the SAM has been damaged the beam can be moved away from
the damaged spot. If the laser window 2-128 is located before the
second curved mirror 2-127 as depicted in FIG. 4, then rotation of
the laser window will mainly change the incident angle of the
intracavity beam on the SAM. Rotation of such laser window can be
used to dynamically align or realign the laser cavity to obtain
and/or maintain stable mode-locked operation.
[0093] Signals that indicate laser performance and that can be used
for automatically adjusting intracavity beam-steering components
can include any one or combination of pump power (detected with
photodetector 2-116 or a pump photodetector (not shown) that is
mounted in the pump module), laser power and/or pulse
characteristics (detected with a laser output photodetector 2-154,
which can be sensitive to the lasing wavelength), and
second-harmonic power (detected with a doubled-output photodetector
2-182). The signal or signals can be provided to circuitry on PCB
2-190 for processing and generation of feedback control signals to
operate one or more actuators 2-162. In some embodiments, one or
both of the laser output photodetector 2-154 and doubled-output
photodetector 2-182 can be mounted on the PCB 2-190 and received
radiation through a hole and/or window (not shown) located in a
side of the mode-locked laser module 1-108. In some
implementations, rotation of an intracavity beam-steering component
can be automated to fine tune cavity alignment and/or change a
position of the intracavity beam on the SAM 1-119 based on one or
more feedback signals.
[0094] According to some embodiments, cavity alignment can be
obtained additionally or alternatively by inducing asymmetric
thermal gradients in the gain medium 1-105. Asymmetric thermal
gradients can affect thermal lensing and alter the refractive index
within the gain medium 1-105 in such a way to cause small angular
deflections in the intracavity laser beam as it passes through the
gain medium 1-105. In some implementations, one or more
temperature-controlling devices (e.g., resistive heating elements,
TEC coolers, or a combination thereof) can be coupled to one or
more sides of the gain medium. According to some embodiments, the
gain medium 1-105 can have two to four independently-operable,
temperature-controlling devices (not shown in FIG. 4) thermally
coupled to two to four faces (four longitudinal edges) of the gain
medium. Thermal coupling can comprise thermal epoxy or indium foil
located between a temperature-controlling device and face of the
gain medium 1-105. A temperature-controlling device can also
include thermal coupling to a heat sink (such as the laser block)
on an opposite side of the temperature-controlling device. In some
cases, operation of one or more of the temperature-controlling
devices can provide beam deflection transverse to the optical axis
2-111. By selectively altering temperatures at the
temperature-controlling devices, the intracavity laser beam can be
steered and re-aligned. In some cases, one or more intracavity
laser windows 2-128 can be adjusted in tandem with thermal beam
steering in the gain medium to reposition the intracavity beam on
the SAM, for example, and/or maintain stable mode-locked operation
of the laser.
[0095] The inventors have recognized and appreciated that average
power and/or spectral characteristics of the mode-locked laser can
be determinative of stable, mode-locked operation. For example, if
the laser's average power during mode-locked operation falls below
a certain value, there may not be enough nonlinear optical
absorption in the SAM 1-119 to support mode locking. The laser may
then Q-switch and damage the SAM 1-119. In some cases, rapid
fluctuations of the laser's average output power may indicate that
the laser is Q-switching in addition to mode locking, which can
damage the SAM 1-119. In some embodiments, at least one sensor
2-154 (e.g., a photodiode) can be included and arranged to sense
optical power produced by the laser 110 and/or output pulse or
mode-locking characteristics of the laser. For example, a signal
from a first sensor 2-154 can be spectrally analyzed to detect
sidebands near the mode-locking frequency, which can indicate the
onset of Q-switching and/or instabilities in the mode-locked pulse
train of the laser 110. A second sensor (not shown) can detect
average optical power produced by the laser 110. If the sensed
average laser power drifts below a preset level and/or if sidebands
or power fluctuations are detected by the first sensor 2-154, an
automated cavity alignment routine can be executed to recover power
and/or the laser can be shut off for servicing. In some cases,
sidebands that indicate instabilities in the mode-locked pulse
train are due to lasing of higher-order spatial cavity modes. Such
instabilities can be corrected by adjusting an intracavity spatial
mode filter 2-118 automatically or manually, for example. According
to some embodiments, one or more sensors 2-154 that are sensitive
to the lasing wavelength can be mounted on PCB 2-190.
[0096] In some cases, additional signals can be processed to
analyze laser behavior. For example, the pump power can be
evaluated with a pump power sensor 2-116 (which can be a photodiode
or other suitable photodetector) in conjunction with the average
power level from the laser. In some embodiments, the amount of
frequency-doubled power can be monitored with sensor 2-182 (which
can be a photodiode or other suitable photodetector) additionally
or alternatively. For example, a reduction in average
frequency-doubled power while the average laser power remains
nearly constant could indicate changes in mode-locked pulse length,
or a problem with the frequency-doubling optical components.
[0097] The components of the compact mode-locked laser module 1-108
are attached to the based chassis 2-105 such that the laser cavity
is substantially in a single plane. The inventors have realized
that to modify such a laser module to be suitable as an optical
characterization apparatus, it would be useful to have the SAM
2-128 in a different plane than the rest of the components. In
particular, the SAM 2-128 may be mounted in a mount that is outside
of the housing of the laser module 1-108 that orients the SAM 2-128
in a direction that is perpendicular to the other optical
components of the laser cavity.
[0098] One example of such embodiment is shown in FIG. 5, where a
portion 500 of an optical characterization apparatus is
illustrated. A mode-locked laser module 1-108 includes housing 501.
Most of the components of the mode-locked laser module 1-108 are in
a single plane within the housing 501. A mount 502, positioned
outside of the housing 501 includes a receptacle in which an
optical component, such as a mirror or a SAM may be placed. The
mount 502 is arranged such that the optical component is dropped in
from above. The laser beam is incident upon the optical component
from above. The mount 502 is mounted on a motorized two-dimensional
translation stage, which includes two motor portions 510, 511 which
may control the position of the optical component within the mount
502 in the horizontal plane.
[0099] FIG. 6 shows a close-up view of the mount 502 with a SAM 601
disposed within the mount. In some embodiments, the mount 502 may
have a larger mounting area to accommodate an entire SAM wafer. An
entire SAM wafer would not fit within the housing 501, but by
positioning the mount 502 outside of the housing 501, there is
adequate space for a full wafer to be scanned.
[0100] To modify the existing mode-locked laser module 1-108 of
FIG. 4 such that the end mirror is outside of the housing, the
laser beam must be redirected out of the housing 501. To accomplish
this a hole is formed in the base chassis 2-105 at the location
indicated by the black circle 2-107 in FIG. 4. A pick-off mirror is
positioned above the hole to reflect the laser beam down through
the hole rather than allowing the laser beam to be incident upon
intracavity mirror 2-124 and SAM 1-119. Whereas most of the mirrors
of FIG. 4 are configured to efficiently reflect s-polarized light
within the plane established by the base chassis 2-105, the
pick-off mirror that is added to the laser module 1-108 is
configured to efficiently reflect p-polarized light. The
modifications to the existing mode-locked laser module 1-108 are
shown in FIG. 7, where the laser beam is reflected through the hole
701 by pick-off mirror 703. The dotted line of FIG. 7 represents
the laser beam path without the modification, which would include
reflection off the SAM 705. In some embodiments, the distance from
the pick-off mirror 703 to the position of the SAM 705 in an
unmodified system is equal to the distance from the pick-off mirror
703 to the SAM 601 in the mount 502. By keeping the distance the
same, the characteristics of the laser measured using this setup
will most closely resemble the behavior of the unmodified
mode-locked laser module 1-108 that includes the SAM in the
unmodified position.
[0101] While FIGS. 4-7 illustrate a particular laser module that
may be modified to be used as an optical characterization
apparatus, embodiments are not so limited. Other laser systems may
also be modified to act as an optical characterization apparatus.
FIG. 8 illustrates a mode-locked semiconductor laser that may be
used in some embodiments and FIG. 9 illustrates a mode-locked
semiconductor laser that may be used in some embodiments.
[0102] Referring to FIG. 8, mode-locked laser diodes 4-100 may
produce pulses at a desired wavelength (e.g., at blue, green, or
red wavelengths) that will be used directly for probing samples or
making measurements, according to some embodiments. In some cases,
pulses produced by a laser diode may be converted to another
wavelength (e.g., frequency doubled) for use in probing or
measuring applications. For example, a mode-locked laser diode may
produce pulses at infrared wavelengths, and these pulses may be
frequency doubled to the blue, green, or red regions of the optical
spectrum.
[0103] A mode-locked semiconductor laser may comprise a laser diode
4-105 and a saturable absorber mirror 3-120. The ends of the laser
cavity may be defined by a reflective coating 4-112 formed on one
end of the semiconductor laser diode 4-105 and the saturable
absorber mirror 3-120, according to some embodiments. The SAM 3-120
may be mounted on a two-dimensional translation stage to allow the
illumination spot of the laser beam to be scanned across the SAM
3-120. The laser cavity may include a first optical system OS.sub.1
that reshapes and/or changes the divergence of an optical beam from
the laser diode. The laser cavity may further include a second
optical system OS.sub.2 that may reshape and/or focus the
intra-cavity beam onto the saturable absorber mirror. In some
embodiments, the laser cavity may include an optical delay element
3-110. A mode-locked laser diode may lase at a wavelength
.lamda..sub.1 and produce a train of ultrafast pulses with
durations shorter than about 100 ps.
[0104] In some implementations, a laser diode 4-105 may include
optical coatings on either end of an optical waveguide structure.
The optical coatings 4-110, 4-112 may be formed by any suitable
deposition process, such as a vapor deposition process or a
physical deposition process. In some implementations, a first end
of the laser diode may include a partially-transmissive coating
4-112 that serves as an output coupler for the laser cavity. The
transmissive coating 4-112 may transmit a portion of the lasing
beam outside the cavity to provide a train of ultrafast pulses. The
transmittance of the coating 4-112 may be between approximately 2%
and approximately 15%, according to some embodiments, and its
reflectivity may be between about 98% and about 85%. An opposite
end of the laser diode 4-105 may be coated with an anti-reflection
coating 4-110, so as to allow most of the radiation from the laser
diode to pass into the laser cavity without significant reflection.
For example, the anti-reflection coating 4-110 may reflect less
than 1% of the lasing wavelength .lamda..sub.1.
[0105] The use of mode-locked laser diodes may be advantageous for
some embodiments that do not require high amounts of power, for
example, power levels exceeding about 300 mW. One advantage of
mode-locked laser diodes is their compact size and a reduction in
the number of optical elements used in the laser. Because the
lasing medium can be very small (e.g., less than 5 mm in width), it
may be possible to use arrays of mode-locked laser diodes in some
embodiments. In some implementations, an array of mode-locked laser
diodes may share common optical elements. For example, two or more
laser diodes may share one or more optical elements (e.g., one or
more of an optical delay element 3-110, optical systems OS.sub.1,
OS.sub.2, and saturable absorber mirror 3-120).
[0106] Referring to FIG. 9, ultrafast pulses may also be produced
using mode-locked fiber lasers. A mode-locked fiber laser 5-200 may
include optical elements that are used in diode-pumped solid-state
lasers. However, in a mode-locked fiber laser the gain medium
comprises a length of optical fiber 5-120 that can also provide an
optical delay element for the laser cavity. According to some
embodiments, a diode pump source 3-105 may provide a pumping
wavelength .lamda..sub.p that is coupled into an end of the fiber
5-120, as depicted in FIG. 9.
[0107] In some implementations, optical coupling elements may be
fabricated or bonded at opposing ends of the optical fiber 5-120.
For example, a first optical element 5-210 may be bonded to or
formed on a first end of the optical fiber. The first optical
element may comprise a ball lens or a graded refractive index lens
that is attached directly, or attached with a supporting structure,
to an end of the optical fiber. Additionally, the first optical
element 5-210 may include a dichroic coating that transmits a
majority (e.g., more than about 98%) of the pump wavelength
.lamda..sub.p and reflects a majority (between about 98% and about
85%) of the lasing wavelength .lamda..sub.1. Accordingly, the first
optical element 5-210 may comprise an output coupler for the fiber
laser 5-200.
[0108] The second optical element 5-220 may comprise a dichroic
coating formed on an end of the optical fiber, in some embodiments,
that is engineered to transmit a majority (e.g., more than about
98%) of the lasing wavelength .lamda..sub.1 and reflect a majority
(e.g., more than about 98%) of the pump wavelength .lamda..sub.p
back into the optical fiber. In some embodiments, the second
optical element 5-220 may comprise a ball lens or a GRIN lens that
is attached directly, or coupled with a supporting structure, to an
end of the optical fiber. For example, a GRIN lens may be adhered
to an end of the fiber with an optical adhesive, and an exposed end
of the GRIN lens may be coated with a dichroic coating that is
engineered to transmit a majority (e.g., more than about 98%) of
the lasing wavelength .lamda..sub.1 and reflect a majority (e.g.,
more than about 98%) of the pump wavelength .lamda..sub.p back into
the optical fiber. According to some embodiments, there may be a
first optical lens system OS.sub.1 that is used to couple pump
radiation from the laser diode 3-105 into the optical fiber, and a
second optical lens system OS.sub.2 that is used to focus radiation
from the optical fiber onto the saturable absorber mirror 3-120,
which may be mounted on a two-dimensional translation stage.
[0109] Referring to FIG. 10, a method 1000 of characterizing an
optical element, such as a SAM, is illustrated. At block 1001, a
controller (e.g., controller 150 of FIG. 1) moves the SAM to an
initial position using the two-dimensional translation stage (e.g.,
stage 145 of FIG. 1). At block 1003, the controller (e.g.,
controller 150 of FIG. 1) measures at least one property of the
laser beam using the optical detection system. At block 1005, the
controller determines whether there are additional portions of the
SAM to be measured. If yes, then the method 1000 returns to block
1001 where the controller uses the translation stage to adjust the
position of the SAM relative to the illumination spot of the laser
beam. If there are no additional positions to measure, the method
1000 continues to block 1007 where the controller determines one or
more properties of the laser beam. At block 1009, the controller
creates a two-dimensional map of the SAM based on the one or more
properties of the laser beam. Embodiments of the method 1000 are
not limited to the order of actions presented in FIG. 10. For
example, some embodiments may perform block 1007 (determine one or
more properties of the laser) at the time that each property is
measured, before the block 1005.
[0110] In some embodiments, more than one property can be measured
in a given scan. There are different approaches for measuring the
different properties. In some implementations, multiple
measurements may be made at each position of the scan.
Alternatively, a first scan can be completed for a first
measurement followed by a second scan for a second measurement.
Each scan need not have the same number of positions or the same
"resolution," the resolution of a scan being determined by the step
size of the translation stage on which the SAM is mounted.
[0111] As mentioned earlier, the optical detection system may
detect a number of properties of the pulsed laser, including pulse
width, a power associated with each emitted wavelength, and/or a
fast photodiode signal. These quantities, measured in block 1003,
can be used to determine additional properties of the laser that
relate to the quality of the SAM. But some properties are useful to
characterize the SAM with no additional analysis. For example, in a
laser system that emits both light pulses at 532 nm and light
pulses at 1064 nm, the power of each beam of light pulses may be
important to the performance of the laser system. For example, a
laser system using a SAM may be expected to produce a certain power
of light at 532 nm. Thus, mapping the power of the light at 532 nm
across the face of the SAM is an important characterization to
perform.
[0112] Similarly the temporal pulse width of the laser pulses as
measured by the pulse characterization detector 345 is a useful
characteristic of the laser system to measure by scanning the face
of the SAM. In some embodiments, the autocorrelator signal is fit
to a sech.sup.2 curve, the FWHM of which is used as the temporal
pulse duration.
[0113] A first property that can be derived from the measured
quantities is whether the pulsed laser is continuous wave (CW),
passively mode-locking (ML) or Q-switching (QS). The manufacturer
of a laser system wants to ensure the laser is mode-locked, not
Q-switching. Certain SAMs are prone to Q-switching, so mapping the
mode-locking capability across the surface of the SAM is a helpful
measurement in determining whether the SAM should be used in a
manufactured laser system. One technique for determining whether
the laser is CW, mode-locking or Q-switching is based on the signal
from the fast photodiode. When a laser is CW, the fast photodiode
signal contains no pulses. When a laser is mode-locked, the fast
photodiode signal contains regularly spaced pulses with
approximately constant intensity. When a laser is Q-switching, the
fast photodiode signal contains pulses that fluctuate in intensity
on a relative short time scale. Thus, the fast photodiode signal
may be analyzed to determine which of these three operational
conditions are present for a given set of operational
parameters.
[0114] A second property that can be derived from the measured
quantities is a damage threshold. Because measuring the damage
threshold requires permanently damaging the SAM, a map of a damage
threshold may not be formed. Instead, the damage threshold may be
tested at a few positions around the periphery of the SAM. One
technique for measuring the damage threshold is based on the power
of the light pulses at 532 nm. The pump current may be increased,
which prior to reaching the damage threshold will result in an
increase in power of the light at 532 nm. When the damage threshold
is reached, a sudden drop of optical power at 532 nm will result.
Accordingly, determining the damage threshold may include analyzing
the signal from the power meter monitoring the power of the light
at 532 nm for a drop in power.
[0115] A third property that can be derived from the measured
quantities is a longevity of the SAM. The inventors have realized
that a SAM of poor quality and short longevity may spontaneously
change from mode-locking to Q-switching after running for a certain
period of time. For example, after about 24-72 hours of continuous
operation, a laser using a poor quality SAM may spontaneously begin
Q-switching. Thus, monitoring the fast photodiode signal for signs
of Q-switching may be used to determine the longevity of the SAM.
Alternatively or additionally, the power of the light pulses
generated may be used to determine longevity. The inventors have
recognized that when a laser is operated for a period of about
24-72 hours, the power of the light pulses at 532 nm and/or 1064 nm
may drop-off and the rate of the power drop-off is related to the
longevity of the SAM. Accordingly, if the power drops off at a rate
that is greater than a particular threshold rate, the SAM may be
considered poor quality. Because the longevity measurement is very
slow (e.g., it takes 24-72 hours) a scan of the SAM may be
performed. Instead a signal measurement of the SAM may be used to
characterize the entire SAM.
[0116] A fourth property that can be derived from the measure
quantities is a mode-locking pump threshold, also referred to as a
mode-locking current threshold. This property is the minimal value
of the electrical current of the laser pump at which the laser
system will passively mode-lock. There are a variety of techniques
that may be used to determine the mode-locking pump threshold. In
some embodiments, to reduce the time it takes to make the
determination (particularly the worst-case time), the mode-locking
pump threshold is determined using a binary search strategy, which
is described in connection with FIG. 11. Embodiments are not
limited to this approach. Another approach is to start at the
minimum possible pump current and increment the current by a step
size until the laser mode-locks. This type of approach, however, is
more time consuming than the binary search approach.
[0117] FIG. 11 is a flow chart of a method 1100 of determining the
mode-locking pump threshold for the optical characterization
apparatus with a particular SAM. At block 1101, the controller 150
initializes a current range and step size for the binary search.
The initial current range may be defined by a predetermined minimum
pump current and a predetermined maximum pump current. The initial
maximum pump current may, for example, be one or two steps below
the maximum current that the pump is capable of producing.
[0118] At block 1103, the controller sets the pump current to be at
the midpoint of the current range and determines if the laser is
mode-locked. The controller may determine if the laser is
mode-locked using the fast photodiode signal, as discussed above.
Alternatively the signal from the pulse characterization detector
may be used to determine if the laser is mode-locked.
[0119] At block 1105, the method 1100 continues to block 1113 if
the controller determines, at block 1103, that the laser is not
mode-locking at the midpoint current value. At block 1113, the
controller saves the present midpoint value as the new minimum pump
current of the range. The method 1100 then continues to block 1115
where the controller determines whether the new range is less than
the step size. If yes, then the controller 150 determines that no
mode-locking pump threshold can be found and the method 1100 ends.
If no, then the controller 150 returns to block 1103.
[0120] At block 1105, the method 1100 continues to block 1107 if
the controller determines, at block 1105, that the laser is
mode-locking at the midpoint current value. At block 1107, the
controller saves the present midpoint value as the new maximum pump
current of the range. The method 1100 then continues to block 1109
where the controller determines whether this is the third
consecutive time that the laser was determined to be mode-locking
at block 1103. If yes, then the controller 150 saves the present
midpoint value as the mode-locking pump threshold value and the
method 1100 ends. If no, then the controller 150 returns to block
1103. The method 1100 makes the determination of block 1109 in
order to avoid spurious detection of mode-locking, which may occur
below the actual mode-locking threshold.
[0121] In some embodiments, not all of the above-mentioned
properties are determined when performing a characterization of an
optical element. Any subset of properties may be determined for any
given characterization routine.
[0122] The controller 150 of FIG. 1 may be implemented using a
computing device. FIG. 12 illustrates one example implementation of
a computing device in the form of a computing device 1200 that may
be used in a system implementing techniques described herein,
although others are possible. Computing device 1200 may, for
example, be implemented as the controller 150 in FIG. 1. It should
be appreciated that FIG. 12 is intended neither to be a depiction
of necessary components for a computing device to operate as a
controller or any other computing device of a system operating
according to techniques described herein, nor a comprehensive
depiction.
[0123] Computing device 1200 may comprise at least one processor
1202, at least one input/output interface 1204, a display 1206, and
computer-readable storage media 1210. Computing device 1200 may be,
for example, a wearable device, a desktop or laptop personal
computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart mobile phone,
a tablet computer, a server, or any other suitable computing
device. Input/output interface(s) 1204 may be any suitable hardware
and/or software to enable the computing device 1200 to communicate
wired and/or wirelessly with the translation stage and/or the
components of the optical detection system. The input/output
interface(s) 1204 may include a network interface to communicate
with wireless access points, switches, routers, gateways, and/or
other networking equipment as well as any suitable wired and/or
wireless communication medium or media for exchanging data between
two or more computers, including the Internet. Computer-readable
media 1210 may be adapted to store data to be processed and/or
instructions to be executed by processor 1202. Processor 1202
enables processing of data and execution of instructions. The data
and instructions may be stored on the computer-readable storage
media 1210 and may, for example, enable communication between
components of the computing device 1200.
[0124] Device 1200 may, in some embodiments, include a display 1206
for presenting two-dimensional maps of the surface of the optical
component to a user of the device 1200.
[0125] The data and instructions stored on computer-readable
storage media 1210 may comprise computer-executable instructions
implementing techniques which operate according to the principles
described herein. In the example of FIG. 12, computer-readable
storage media 1210 stores computer-executable described
instructions implementing a controller facility 1216 and storing
various information, such as measurement data 1212 from the optical
detection system and analysis data 1214 resulting from analyzing
the measurement data 1212. The media 612 may additionally store
instructions for a controller facility 1216, which may implement
any of the techniques described above for controlling the optical
characterization apparatus 100.
[0126] While not illustrated in FIG. 12, a computing device 1200
may additionally have one or more components and peripherals,
including a user interface to allow a user to interact with the
controlling device 1200 and provide input to the device 1200. Such
devices may include as keyboards and pointing devices, such as
mice, touch pads, and digitizing tablets. As another example, a
computing device may receive input information through speech
recognition or in other audible format.
[0127] Example Results
[0128] FIGS. 13A-C illustrate example results obtained by mapping
the output power of the light pulses at 532 nm and the pulse width
using the optical characterization apparatus 100 for a two by two
(2.times.2) millimeter SAM with a 100 micrometer scanning step
size. FIG. 13A shows the output power at 532 nm across the face of
the SAM. As can be seen, the edges exhibit low power. Additionally,
there is a location near the center of the SAM that also exhibits
low power (indicated by the dashed circle of FIG. 13A). This may be
an indication of a defect in the SAM. In this case, the defect
appears small enough that the SAM may be used in a laser system,
but the SAM should be arranged such that the illumination spot of
the laser beam is at a different location from the defect. FIG. 13B
shows an autocorrelator measurement result for a single location on
the SAM. The FWHM of the sech.sup.2 fit is used as the pulse width.
FIG. 13C is a map of the pulse width for all of the locations
across the face of the SAM. At the same location where the power
map of FIG. 13A indicates a possible defect, the pulse width of the
laser of the optical characterization apparatus is significantly
increased relative to other portions of the SAM. The two maps of
FIGS. 13A and 13C together may be used to determine how to best
position the SAM within a laser cavity, or whether to use the SAM
at all if it is of insufficient quality.
[0129] FIGS. 14A-F illustrate example results from a different SAM
using the optical characterization apparatus. FIG. 14A is a map of
the power of the 532 nm laser pulses with 100 micrometer step size;
FIG. 14B is a map of the lasing regime (i.e., CW (Off), Q-switching
(QS), or mode-locking (ML)) with a 100 micrometer step size; FIG.
14C is a map of the pulse width with a 100 micrometer step size.
Again, the edges of the SAM do not provide adequate power,
mode-locking or pulse width. Additionally, there is a defect near
the center of the SAM, as indicated by the laser Q-switching at
that location and the pulse width being significantly larger than
other locations on the face of the SAM. FIGS .14D-F are maps that
zoom in on the defect using a smaller step size of 25 micrometers.
FIG. 14D is a map of the power of the 532 nm laser pulse width in
the vicinity of the defect; FIG. 14E is a map of the lasing regime
in the vicinity of the defect; FIG. 14F is a map of the pulse width
in the vicinity of the defect.
[0130] The inventors investigated the locations of the SAM where
the lasing regime indicates the presence of a defect (see FIG. 15A)
by visually inspecting the SAM using an optical microscope (see
FIG. 15B). There are not defects visible on the SAM at the
locations of the defects. Accordingly, the inventors have
recognized and appreciated that characterization techniques of some
embodiments are capable of detecting defects in optical components,
such as SAMs, that are not detectable using conventional techniques
such as visual inspection. In some embodiments, the optical
characterization apparatus is capable of probing nonlinear
characteristics of an optical element, which an optical microscope
cannot do. Additionally, the optical characterization apparatus can
probe an optical element with an intracavity laser beam, which
conventional inspection techniques such as optical microscopy
cannot do.
[0131] Other Considerations
[0132] Having thus described several aspects of several embodiments
of an optical characterization apparatus, it is to be appreciated
that various alterations, modifications, and improvements will
readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations,
modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this
disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of
the invention. While the present teachings have been described in
conjunction with various embodiments and examples, it is not
intended that the present teachings be limited to such embodiments
or examples. On the contrary, the present teachings encompass
various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will be
appreciated by those of skill in the art.
[0133] For example, embodiments may be modified to include more or
fewer optical components in a laser cavity than described above.
Moreover, laser cavity configurations may differ from those shown
with some laser cavities have more or fewer turns or folds in the
optical path. Additionally, while embodiments have been described
that mounting an end mirror and/or SAM on a translation stage,
other optical elements that are not at the end of the laser cavity
may be mounted on a translation stage to be characterized. In this
way, optical elements may be positioned to receive an intracavity
laser beam for purposes of characterizing the optical element.
[0134] While various inventive embodiments have been described and
illustrated, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily
envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing
the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the
advantages described, and each of such variations and/or
modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the inventive
embodiments described. More generally, those skilled in the art
will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials,
and configurations described are meant to be examples and that the
actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations
will depend upon the specific application or applications for which
the inventive teachings is/are used. Those skilled in the art will
recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine
experimentation, many equivalents to the specific inventive
embodiments described. It is, therefore, to be understood that the
foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and
that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents
thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as
specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the
present disclosure may be directed to each individual feature,
system, system upgrade, and/or method described. In addition, any
combination of two or more such features, systems, and/or methods,
if such features, systems, system upgrade, and/or methods are not
mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of
the present disclosure.
[0135] Further, though some advantages of certain embodiments may
be indicated, it should be appreciated that not every embodiment
will include every described advantage. Some embodiments may not
implement any features described as advantageous. Accordingly, the
foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.
[0136] All literature and similar material cited in this
application, including, but not limited to, patents, patent
applications, articles, books, treatises, and web pages, regardless
of the format of such literature and similar materials, are
expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety. In the event
that one or more of the incorporated literature and similar
materials differs from or contradicts this application, including
but not limited to defined terms, term usage, described techniques,
or the like, this application controls.
[0137] The section headings used are for organizational purposes
only and are not to be construed as limiting the subject matter
described in any way.
[0138] Also, the technology described may be embodied as a method,
of which at least one example has been provided. The acts performed
as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable way.
Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are
performed in an order different than illustrated, which may include
performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as
sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.
[0139] All definitions, as defined and used, should be understood
to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents
incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined
terms.
[0140] The term "optical" may be used to refer to ultraviolet,
visible, near infrared, and short-wavelength infrared spectral
bands.
[0141] The phrase "characteristic wavelength" or "wavelength" may
be used to refer to a central or predominant wavelength within a
limited bandwidth of radiation. In some cases, it may refer to a
peak wavelength within a bandwidth of radiation.
[0142] The phrase "characteristic energy" or "energy" may be used
to refer to an energy associated with a characteristic
wavelength.
[0143] The terms "about," "approximately," and "substantially" may
be used in reference to a value, and are intended to encompass the
referenced value plus and minus reasonable variations. The amount
of variation could be less than 5% in some embodiments, less than
10% in some embodiments, and yet less than 20% in some embodiments.
In embodiments where an apparatus may function properly over a
large range of values, e.g., a range including one or more orders
of magnitude, the amount of variation could be a factor of two. For
example, if an apparatus functions properly for a value ranging
from 20 to 350, "approximately 80" may encompass values between 40
and 160.
[0144] The term "adjacent" may be used to refer to two elements
arranged within close proximity to one another (e.g., within a
distance that is less than about one-fifth of a transverse or
vertical dimension of a larger of the two elements). In some cases
there may be intervening structures or layers between adjacent
elements. In some cases adjacent elements may be immediately
adjacent to one another with no intervening structures or
elements.
[0145] The indefinite articles "a" and "an," as used in the
specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the
contrary, should be understood to mean "at least one."
[0146] The phrase "and/or," as used in the specification and in the
claims, should be understood to mean "either or both" of the
elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively
present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases.
Multiple elements listed with "and/or" should be construed in the
same fashion, i.e., "one or more" of the elements so conjoined.
Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements
specifically identified by the "and/or" clause, whether related or
unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a
non-limiting example, a reference to "A and/or B", when used in
conjunction with open-ended language such as "comprising" can
refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements
other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally
including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to
both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.
[0147] As used in the specification and in the claims, "or" should
be understood to have the same meaning as "and/or" as defined
above. For example, when separating items in a list, "or" or
"and/or" shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the
inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a
number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted
items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as "only
one of" or "exactly one of," or, when used in the claims,
"consisting of," will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element
of a number or list of elements. In general, the term "or" as used
shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives
(i.e. "one or the other but not both") when preceded by terms of
exclusivity, such as "either," "one of," "only one of," or "exactly
one of." "Consisting essentially of," when used in the claims,
shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent
law.
[0148] As used in the specification and in the claims, the phrase
"at least one," in reference to a list of one or more elements,
should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any
one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not
necessarily including at least one of each and every element
specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding
any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This
definition also allows that elements may optionally be present
other than the elements specifically identified within the list of
elements to which the phrase "at least one" refers, whether related
or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a
non-limiting example, "at least one of A and B" (or, equivalently,
"at least one of A or B," or, equivalently "at least one of A
and/or B") can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one,
optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and
optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment,
to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A
present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet
another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than
one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B
(and optionally including other elements); etc.
[0149] In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all
transitional phrases such as "comprising," "including," "carrying,"
"having," "containing," "involving," "holding," "composed of," and
the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean
including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases
"consisting of" and "consisting essentially of" shall be closed or
semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively.
[0150] The claims should not be read as limited to the described
order or elements unless stated to that effect. It should be
understood that various changes in form and detail may be made by
one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit
and scope of the appended claims. All embodiments that come within
the spirit and scope of the following claims and equivalents
thereto are claimed.
* * * * *