Comb-locked frequency-swept synthesizer for high precision broadband spectroscopy.

Frequency combs have made optical metrology accessible to hundreds of laboratories worldwide and they have set new benchmarks in multi-species trace gas sensing for environmental, industrial and medical applications. However, current comb spectrometers privilege either frequency precision and sensitivity through interposition of a cw probe laser with limited tuning range, or spectral coverage and measurement time using the comb itself as an ultra-broadband probe. We overcome this restriction by introducing a comb-locked frequency-swept optical synthesizer that allows a continuous-wave laser to be swept in seconds over spectral ranges of several terahertz while remaining phase locked to an underlying frequency comb.

Characterization of a DFG comb showing quadratic scaling of the phase noise with frequency.

We characterize an Er:fiber laser frequency comb that is passively carrier envelope phase-stabilized via difference frequency generation at a wavelength of 1550 nm. A generic method to measure the comb linewidth at different wavelengths is demonstrated. By transferring the properties of a comb line to a cw external cavity diode laser, the phase noise is subsequently measured by tracking the delayed self-heterodyne beat note.

Passive intrinsic-linewidth narrowing of ultraviolet extended-cavity diode laser by weak optical feedback.

We present a simple method for narrowing the intrinsic Lorentzian linewidth of a commercial ultraviolet grating extended-cavity diode laser (TOPTICA DL Pro) using weak optical feedback from a long external cavity. We achieve a suppression in frequency noise spectral density of 20 dB measured at frequencies around 1 MHz, corresponding to the narrowing of the intrinsic Lorentzian linewidth from 200 kHz to 2 kHz. Provided additional active low-frequency noise suppression and long-term drift compensation, the system is suitable for experiments requiring a tunable ultraviolet laser with narrow linewidth and low high-frequency noise, such as precision spectroscopy, optical clocks, and quantum information science experiments.

1.3-mW tunable and narrow-band continuous-wave light source at 191 nm.

We report on the realization of a continuous-wave light source based on nonlinear interaction in KBBF at a wavelength of 191 nm. More than 1.3 mW of deep-ultraviolet power was generated in a mechanically robust setup pumped by an amplified grating stabilized diode laser.

P-i-n junction quantum dot saturable absorber mirror: electrical control of ultrafast dynamics.

We report on nonlinear optical properties of a p-i-n junction quantum dot saturable absorber based on InGaAs/GaAs. Absorption recovery dynamics and nonlinear reflectivity are investigated for different reverse bias and pump power conditions. A decrease in absorption recovery time of nearly two orders of magnitude is demonstrated by applying a voltage between 0 and -20 V.

Third-harmonic generation for the study of Caenorhabditis elegans embryogenesis.

Live microscopy techniques (i.e., differential interference contrast, confocal microscopy, etc.