Dissipative Soliton Fiber Lasers

本研究的目的是对光纤激光器中的耗散孤子进行系统的了解，并利用这种了解来设计具有前所未有性能的飞秒脉冲激光器。现代飞秒脉冲激光器是基于孤子形成的，其中非线性相位积累平衡了线性群速度色散的影响。康奈尔大学的一个研究小组将对一种产生超短激光脉冲的新方法进行理论和实验研究。这些脉冲被称为耗散孤子，它们在穿过激光腔时平衡相位和振幅的变化。研究将调查脉冲能量和持续时间的限制，以及为一系列应用开发实用激光器。来自华盛顿大学的理论家们将在这方面进行合作。耗散孤子作为一种新的非线性波在科学上具有重要意义。光纤激光器为系统地研究它们提供了一个理想的环境，这将大大增加我们对耗散孤子的实验知识。基于耗散孤子的激光器可以产生飞秒持续时间的脉冲，而无需腔内色散控制或异常色散，从而对抗了20年来的传统智慧。更广泛的影响短脉冲光纤激光器的影响有限，因为它们的性能落后于固态激光器。耗散孤子基本上允许脉冲能量比目前最好的光纤激光器增加数量级。由此产生的仪器将达到或超过固体激光器的性能，同时提供光纤的优点（波导介质，稳定性和更低的成本），因此应该对超快科学和技术产生重大影响。通过作为短脉冲传播基础的非线性波动方程，本项目开发的概念将与从非线性动力系统到生物学中神经脉冲传播的主题相关。学生将获得从理论和数值模拟到光纤技术方面的经验。建议的努力也将结合到本科和研究生的课堂教学中，通过基于开发仪器的演示。

ObjectiveThe objectives of this effort are to develop systematic understanding of dissipative solitons in fiber lasers, and to use that understanding to design femtosecond-pulse lasers with unprecedented performance. Intellectual MeritModern femtosecond-pulse lasers are based on soliton formation, in which nonlinear phase accumulation balances the effects of linear group-velocity dispersion. A group from Cornell University will perform theoretical and experimental studies of a new approach to the generation of ultrashort optical pulses in lasers. The pulses are referred to as dissipative solitons, which balance phase and amplitude changes as they traverse a laser cavity. Research will investigate limits to the pulse energy and duration, and the development of practical lasers for a range of applications. Theorists from the University of Washington will collaborate in this effort. Dissipative solitons are scientifically important as a new example of a nonlinear wave. Fiber lasers offer an ideal setting to study them systematically, and this should greatly increase our experimental knowledge of dissipative solitons. Lasers based on dissipative solitons counter two decades of conventional wisdom by generating femtosecond-duration pulses without intracavity dispersion control or anomalous dispersion.Broader ImpactsThe impact of short-pulse fiber lasers has been limited, because their performance has lagged behind that of solid-state lasers. Dissipative solitons fundamentally allow order-of-magnitude increases in the pulse energy over the current best fiber lasers. The resulting instruments will match or exceed the performance of solid-state lasers while offering the advantages of fiber (the waveguide medium, stability, and reduced cost ) and therefore should have major impact on ultrafast science and technology. Through the nonlinear wave equations that underlie short-pulse propagation, the concepts developed in this project will be relevant to topics ranging from nonlinear dynamical systems to the propagation of nerve impulses in biology.Students will gain experience ranging from theory and numerical simulations to technical aspects of fiber optics. The proposed effort will also be coupled to undergraduate and graduate classroom teaching through demonstrations based on the developed instruments.