High-Energy Femtosecond Fiber Lasers by Self-Similar Pulse Evolution

康奈尔大学的一个小组将对超短脉冲产生的一种新方法进行理论和实验研究：自相似脉冲整形。这个制度是显着的，因为单调不断发展的，渐近解的支配波方程存在于激光器内部，尽管要求的字段reproduceitself后，每次遍历的腔。 自相似光纤激光器是一种具有高能量的激光器，其输出的脉冲能量远大于其他方法产生的脉冲能量。本论文的主要目标包括：* 对锁模激光器的研究，其中脉冲在穿过激光腔时会发生很大的变化;* 对自相似光纤激光器的性能进行优化;* 演示飞秒光纤激光器，其性能可与飞秒光纤激光器相媲美，甚至超过飞秒光纤激光器。固态激光器的影响更广泛拟议中的研究的影响远远超出了光纤激光器。在这个项目中发展的概念将涉及一系列主题，从非线性动力系统的基础科学到商业激光仪器。 产生飞秒光脉冲的光纤激光器具有很大的潜力，可以将短脉冲光学技术的范围扩展到实际应用中，例如机械加工、疾病诊断和治疗。自相似光纤激光器具有明显的商业潜力。固体激光器的性能也可以通过这个概念大大增强。从事该项目的学生将获得从理论和数值模拟到光纤光学最技术方面的经验。

Intellectual Merit A group from Cornell University will perform theoretical and experimentalstudies of a qualitatively new approach to ultrashort pulse-generation:self-similar pulse shaping. This regime is remarkable becausemonotonically-evolving, asymptotic solutions of the governing wave equationexist inside a laser, despite the requirement that the field reproduceitself after each traversal of the cavity. Self-similar pulses exist withmuch greater energies than can be produced stably by other means.Specific objectives of this work include* the development of complete understanding of a mode-locked laser in whichthe pulse undergoes large changes as it traverses the laser cavity* optimization of the performance of self-similar fiber lasers* the demonstration of femtosecond fiber lasers that offer performancecomparable to, and even exceding, that of solid-state lasers Broader ImpactsThe impact of the proposed research extends well beyond fiber lasers. Theconcepts developed in this project will bear on a range of topics, from thefundamental science of nonlinear dynamical systems to commercial laserinstruments. Fiber lasers that generate femtosecond-duration optical pulses have greatpotential for expanding the range of short-pulse optical techniques intoreal-world applications such as machining, and diagnosis and treatment ofdisease, for example. Self-similar fiber lasers have clear commercialpotential. The performance of solid-state lasers can also be enhancedsubstantially by this concept. The student working on this project will gain experience ranging from theoryand numerical simulations to the most technical aspects of fiber optics.