Picosecond Pulse Generation by Transverse Mode-Locking of Monolithic Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers

摘要ECCS-0801869 A。目的：激光锁模是产生频率梳和皮秒或飞秒光脉冲串的重要技术。到目前为止，只有纵向模式已被可靠地锁定，导致脉冲周围的激光腔中的方向的光束。智力优点：这个实验研究计划的目标是调查的一个新的过程，横向二维模式锁定在单片垂直腔面发射激光器（VCSEL？s），以及用于皮秒甚至飞秒脉冲和频率梳产生的新型器件的制造/探索。该项目的目的是证明，横向锁模圆形VCSEL？S产生围绕发射孔径作圆周运动的孤子。这项工作不仅将提供理解的超快动力学和孤子在VCSEL的传播？s，但它将为这一日益重要的激光器类别增加超快锁模和频率梳产生。它是预期的，例如，横向锁模VCSEL？S将提供比常规的纵向锁模单片半导体激光器更好的两个数量级的脉冲重复率控制，在常规的纵向锁模单片半导体激光器中，重复率仅可调谐约0.5%。锁模VCSEL？的可能有重要的应用，光通信，传感器和显示器中的蓝色和绿色的颜色产生的倍频。更广泛的影响：该项目给研究生和本科生在几个重要领域的实践经验：飞秒技术，光子学，纳米科学和半导体技术。它还支持跨学科的光子学课程计划和早期实验室经验计划，涉及匹兹堡大学代表性不足的少数民族

AbstractECCS-0801869A. Heberle, University of PittsburghObjective: Mode-locking of lasers is an important technique for generation of frequency combs and trains of picosecond or femtosecond optical pulses. So far, only longitudinal modes have been locked reliably, leading to pulses traveling around the laser cavity in direction of to the light beam.Intellectual Merit: The goal of this experimental research program is the investigation of a new process, lateral two-dimensional mode-locking in monolithic vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL?s), and the fabrication/exploration of novel devices for picoseconds or even femtosecond pulse and frequency comb generation. The project aims to demonstrate that lateral mode-locking of round VCSEL?s produces solitons that move in circles around the emission aperture. This work will not only provide understanding of ultrafast dynamics and soliton propagation in VCSEL?s, but it will add ultrafast mode-locking and frequency comb generation to this increasingly important class of lasers. It is expected, for example, that laterally mode-locked VCSEL?s will provide two orders of magnitude better control of the pulse repetition rate than conventional, longitudinally mode-locked monolithic semiconductor lasers, in which the repetition rate can be tuned by only about 0.5%. Mode-locked VCSEL?s could have significant applications for optical communication, sensing, and displays in which the blue and green colors are generated by frequency doubling.Broader Impact: The project gives graduate and undergraduate students hands-on experience in several important fields: femtosecond technology, photonics, nanoscience, and semiconductor technology. It also supports the interdisciplinary photonics course program and the early lab experience program that involves underrepresented minorities at the University of Pittsburgh