Novel semiconductor disk lasers for biomedical and metrology applications

• Forschungsstelle: METAS
• Projektnummer: F-5117.30031
• Projekttitel Englisch: Novel semiconductor disk lasers for biomedical and metrology applications

Schlüsselwörter (Englisch)

Semiconductor pulsed laser, VECSEL, MIXSEL, optical frequency comb, spectroscopy, wavelength calibration

Kurzbeschreibung (Englisch)

The Nanotera.ch project MIXSEL has enabled Switzerland to take a leading role in the development of novel ultrafast semiconductor lasers. During the last three years significant progress in compact ultrafast semiconductor disk lasers also referred to as VECSELs and MIXSELs have been achieved. The aim of the Phase II Nanotera.ch project is to exploit the gained scientific leadership and to consolidate the research efforts for real application demonstrations.

Projektziele (Englisch)

METAS will work on two different main topics. In a first step, a MIXSEL-based stabilized optical frequency comb will be optimized and built with the main goal to apply this laser source to the calibration of high end multiline wavemeters. In a second step, METAS will work in close collaboration with ABB on the development of a compact dual comb spectrometer for high resolution and traceable spectroscopic measurements by using two MIXSEL-based optical frequency combs. The application of this system to the calibration of reference gas cells will be investigated, and its possible application to Doppler-free spectroscopic measurements will also be analyzed.

Abstract (Englisch)

The aim of this project was to evaluate the possible application of semiconductor mode locking lasers (VECSEL and MIXSEL) developed by ETHZ for optical frequency metrology applications. The main goal is the realization of compact and traceable optical frequency combs for calibrating high resolution spectrometers, such as wavemeters, or performing optical spectroscopy using dual frequency comb systems controlled by phase.

• For the first time, we successfully demonstrated the complete servocontrol of a MIXSEL laser, using a method that makes it simultaneously traceable to a microwave reference as well as to an optical reference (stabilized laser). This system allows to realize a set of  equidistant spectral lines (comb), separated by 11.3 GHz, centered around 1032 nm, and covering a spectral range of a few nanometers. The feedback achieved ensures a maximum uncertainty of 40 MHz on the optical frequency of each line, which corresponds to an uncertainty in terms of wavelength less than 0.14 fm. These performances are sufficient to calibrate high resolution spectrometers.
• We were able to validate this concept successfully by calibrating two different instruments (a diffraction grating spectrometer, as well as a Fourier transform spectrometer (FTIR) that we have also developed for this project

Umsetzung und Anwendungen (Englisch)

The results obtained were able to demonstrate the interest of MIXSEL lasers for the metrology of optical frequencies, but also highlighted the need to optimize the specifications of these lasers, in particular as regards the ranges of wavelengths that can be reached. Current wavelengths are centered around 1032 nm, and a shift to higher wavelengths (1300 nm and above) would make the developed solutions even more attractive.

Publikationen / Ergebnisse (Englisch)

P. Brochard, N. Jornod, S. Schilt. V. J. Wittwer, S. Hakobyan, D. Waldburger, S. M. Link, C. G. E. Alfieri, M. Golling, L. Devenoges, J. Morel, U. Keller, Th. Südmeyer, „First Investigation of the noise and modulation properties oft he carrier-envelope offset in a mode locked semiconductor laser”, Optics Letters, 41, 3165-3168, 2016.

S. Schilt, L. Devenoges, J. Morel, „Frequency Comb Spectroscopy“. Presentation at the MIXSEL-2 Comb spectroscopy Seminar, March 4, 206, ETHZ.

A. Jallageas, J. Morel, “Calibration of the wavelength scale of high performance spectrometers using a stabilized MIXSEL-based optical frequency comb"; Publication under preparation.