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

摘要ECCS-0801869A。目的：激光锁模是产生皮秒或飞秒光脉冲频率梳和串的重要技术。到目前为止，只有纵模被可靠地锁定，导致脉冲沿着光束方向在激光腔内传播。智能优点：本实验研究计划的目标是研究一种新的工艺，即单片垂直腔面发射激光器(VCSEL？S)的横向二维锁模，以及制造/探索产生皮秒甚至飞秒脉冲和频率梳的新器件。该项目旨在证明圆形垂直腔面发射激光器的横向锁模？S产生的孤子绕发射光圈运动。这项工作不仅将有助于理解垂直腔面发射激光器S的超快动力学和孤子传输，而且将为这类日益重要的激光器增加超快锁模和频率梳的产生。例如，预计横向锁模VCSEL？S将提供比传统的纵向锁模单片半导体激光器更好的脉冲重复频率控制两个数量级，在传统的纵向锁模单片半导体激光器中，重复频率只能调整约0.5%。锁模垂直腔面发射激光器？S可能在光通信、传感和倍频产生蓝绿光的显示方面有重要应用。广泛影响：该项目为研究生和本科生提供了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。它还支持匹兹堡大学的跨学科光子学课程计划和早期实验室体验计划，该计划涉及代表人数不足的少数族裔

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