Optimization of diode-pumped doubly Q-switched mode-locked laser
with electro-optic modulator and GaAs saturable absorber
Tianli Feng, Shengzhi Zhao
n
, Kejian Yang, Dechun Li, Guiqiu Li, Jia Zhao
School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
article info
Article history:
Received 21 January 2013
Accepted 26 June 2013
Keywords:
Optimization
Doubly QML laser
Rate equation and solution
abstract
In this paper, by considering Gaussian distribution of the intracavity photon density, the coupled rate
equations for the diode-pumped doubly Q-switched and mode-locked (QML) laser with EO modulator
and GaAs saturable absorber are presented. These equations are numerically solved, and the key
parameters of an optimally coupled doubly QML laser have been determined. These key parameters
include parameters of the gain medium, the small-signal transmission of saturable absorber as well as
the modulation frequency of EO modulator, which can maximize the pulse energy of singly Q-switched
envelope. A diode-pumped doubly QML Nd:Lu
0.15
Y
0.85
VO
4
laser with EO modulator and GaAs saturable
absorber is constructed, the experimental results have verified numerical simulation applicable.
& 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
Simultaneously Q-switched and mode-locked (QML) lasers
around 1 μm have been paid much attention and found wide
application in many fields such as micromachining, material-
processing, nonlinear optics and so on [1–5]. Especially, the doubly
QML laser by using both active modulator and passive saturable
absorber in the cavity can generate more stable pulses with
shorter pulse width and higher peak power than singly QML
lasers [6–11], demonstrating more wider application fields.
The parameter optimization of solid-state laser is an important
method to design laser devices. For a given pump level and an
amplifying medium, by selecting the proper output coupler , the
saturable absorber transmission and so on, the greatest pulse energy,
the shortest pulse width or the highest peak power are obtained.
The QML laser involve s two dynamic processes of Q-switching
and mode-locking, which is different from the Q-switched laser .
The singly passive QML lasers, the doubly QML laser with acousto-
optic (AO) modulator and Cr
4+
:Y A G saturable absorber have been
optimized [12–16]. In comparison to AO modulator, the EO modulator
possesses faster switching and better hold-off ability [17].What's
more, the doubly QML laser with EO modulator can yield much
higher pulse energy compared with that with AO modulator [1 8].
For a QML laser , the singly Q-switched envelope pulse energy is one
of the most important parameters and its parameter op timization is
of special importance for designing QML laser. So far , the optimization
of doubly QML laser with EO modulator and passive saturable
absorber has not been reported.
In this paper, by considering the single-photon absorption
(SPA) and two-photon absorption (TPA) processes in the GaAs
saturable absorber as well as the influence of EO modulator, the
coupled rate equations under Gaussian distribution of the intra-
cavity photon density have been proposed. By numerically solving
these space-dependant rate equations, the key parameters which
can maximize the Q-switched envelope pulse energy can be
obtained. These parameters include the optimal reflectivity of
the output mirror, the optimal small-signal transmission of GaAs
saturable absorber as well as modulation frequency of EO mod-
ulator. A doubly Nd:Lu
0.15
Y
0.85
VO
4
QML laser with EO modulator
and GaAs saturable absorber is presented to demonstrate the
numerical simulation applicable.
2. Rate equations and solutions
2.1. Theory of fluctuation mechanism
For the QML lasers with saturable absorber, the generation of
picosecond pulses can be explained by the fluctuation mechanism
[17]. According to this mechanism, because the mode-locked pulse
shape can be considered not to be variable on sequent roundtrips,
the photon intensity shape in the cavity at the time t can be
expressed as [18,19]
ϕðtÞ¼ ∑
k ¼ 0
Φ
k
f ðt t
k
Þð1Þ
where t
k
¼kt
r
, Φ
k
is the relative amplitude of the mode-locked
pulses at the kth round trip, t
r
is the cavity round-trip time, f(t)is
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Optics & Laser Technology
0030-3992/$ - see front matter & 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.optlastec.2013.06.028
n
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: Shengzhi_zhao@sdu.edu.cn (S. Zhao).
Optics & Laser Technology 54 (2013) 371–375