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Fundamental Mode-Locking of a Composite-Cavity Electro-optic Microchip Laser for Microwave Photonics
David Yoo, Asher Madjar, Samuel Goldwasser, and Peter Herczfeld
Center for Microwave/Lightwave Engineering, ECE Department, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract — Compact solid-state lasers are an attractive mode-locking be fully explored. This is the emphasis of potential source for high speed, low noise optical pulses the work presented here. suitable for microwave photonic systems such as optical A/D conversion or digital communications. These small devices can be mode-locked at the fundamental cavity II. FUNDAMENTAL VS. HARMONIC MODE-LOCKING resonance, thereby avoiding the complications arising from the presence of supermodes in harmonically mode-locked Fundamental mode-locking is typically established by lasers. An Nd:YVO4/MgO:LiNbO3 microchip laser was modulating either the optical loss or phase inside a laser mode-locked at a fundamental frequency of 20 GHz. When with an electronic oscillator close to the cavity locked to a synthesizer, the phase noise was source-limited to -72 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz offset. A coupled optoelectronic resonance. This leads to a pulsed optical output at a rate oscillator structure was then used to mode-lock the device equal to this resonance frequency. In order to achieve without a microwave source, yielding a further reduced the picosecond pulse rates desirable for high speed phase noise of -95 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz offset. sampling, the laser cavity resonance frequency must be Index Terms — Mode locked laser, analog-digital in the microwave range. For solid-state lasers, this conversion, optical communication, solid lasers, electrooptic translates into millimeter-scale devices. devices, timing jitter. Such a scale is impractical for fiber lasers. Instead, they are harmonically mode-locked to generate high I. INTRODUCTION speed optical pulses. However, harmonic mode-locking can also support multiple supermodes inside the cavity. For high bandwidth digital or analog/digital mixed These supermodes are not correlated, and the noises of signal systems, there are applications where photonic neighboring wavelengths belonging to differing replacement of electronic components is desirable. New supermodes do not completely cancel at the digital microwave photonic sub-systems (such as optical photodetector. This is observed as noise spurs at offset ADCs) require stable, rapid optical pulses for samplers frequencies corresponding to the harmonics. or clocks. In these scenarios, mode-locking is the In practice, the phase noise of mode-locked pulses is architecture of choice. usually dominated by the locking source. Since the Much literature has recently been presented on the timing jitter is the integral of the phase noise, low noise design and application of mode-locked EDFA ring lasers is important for stable pulses, and the integration limits as a higher quality alternative to semiconductor lasers. of the phase noise are an essential consideration. From This technology is well-established and highly modular sampling theory, it is reasonable to require low phase in nature. However, their high number of components, noise at frequencies up to the Nyquist (i.e., half the pulse cost, and large footprints make fiber lasers impractical repetition) frequency to fully exploit the bandwidth. For for many applications. More importantly, their long pulse rates at tens of GHz, this means that phase noise is lengths translate into low cavity resonances, usually in still important at offset frequencies where harmonically the MHz range. For rapid pulse rates, these lasers must mode-locked lasers can particularly suffer from be mode-locked at a high harmonic of the fundamental thousands of spurs which will be cumulatively resonance. This harmonic mode-locking can generate incorporated as additional timing jitter. supermode noise spurs. Although suppression schemes Fundamental mode-locking of solid-state lasers is a have been investigated [1], such methods require even desirable alternative for high sampling rates. However, more components. due to the typically shorter cavity lengths, there are In contrast to harmonic mode-locking, fundamental several issues which must be considered that are not mode-locking of solid-state lasers is relatively less present (or have reduced importance) in lasers studied for microwave photonic applications (due to employing harmonic mode-locking. These include: factors such as the difficulty realizing a suitable laser), • Modal competition effects in short-cavity lasers yet is immune to supermode noise. For low noise, high • Optimization of microwave/optical wave interaction bandwidth operation, it is thus essential that fundamental An important sacrifice when switching from harmonic Using a Fabry-Perot architecture with a to fundamental mode-locking is the loss of the ability to homogeneously broadened gain material (such as easily add more components inside the laser to alter Nd:YVO4) reduces the potential number of free-running functionality at any given time. As a result, though lasing modes. This makes the predictability of the optical lasers which employ fundamental mode-locking may behavior (especially modal competition) an important appear to have deceptively simple structures, functional consideration for regenerative mode-locking. Therefore, considerations must be accounted for in their entirety spatial hole burning effects were investigated to ensure before device assembly. that a laser cavity designed to have a free spectral range of 20 GHz did in fact have multimode operation of adjacent cavity modes. This is needed to yield the free- III. LASER DESIGN FOR FUNDAMENTAL MODE-LOCKING running microwave signal at the fundamental cavity resonance necessary for feedback. A. Laser Configuration
A set of experiments were devised to investigate the suitability of fundamental mode-locking in a composite- a cavity solid-state laser for microwave photonic applications. An Nd:YVO4/MgO:LiNbO3 electro-optic λ ω microchip laser was selected in order to achieve high 2×FSR 2×FSR optical spectral quality at 1.06 µm while maintaining a small form factor [2]. These materials are commonly available, and are no more difficult to assemble (or mass b produce) than the common green laser pointer. Since λ ω fundamental mode-locking is generally impractical at FSR FSR microwave frequencies inside a ring architecture, a Fabry-Perot structure was employed. The use of discrete Fig. 1. Conceptual diagrams of modal competition issues in gain and modulator crystals also allowed a degree of homogeneously broadened materials. Spectra on left represent modularization by offering the possibility of moving to the free-running optical signals; spectra on right are the different operating wavelengths (e.g., 1.34 or 1.55 µm) detected microwaves. Cases (a) and (b) are discussed below. by simply switching crystals. The intracavity lithium niobate phase modulator had a A simulation was conducted to determine regions of length of approximately 1.75 mm, while the vanadate high correlation of the standing waves of potential gain section had a length of 0.5 mm. Dielectric coatings longitudinal modes inside the laser. An experiment to were deposited on all optical surfaces, with 98% verify the conclusions of the simulation was also carried reflectivity on the far surface of the modulator and out, by suspending an antireflection-coated Nd:YVO4 antireflection coatings on the others. A glass mirror with crystal between two mirrors. This formed a laser cavity a high reflectivity to the lasing wavelength (1064 nm) where the position of the gain crystal relative to the two and low reflectivity to the pump wavelength (808 nm) mirrors could be adjusted with a translation stage. was used to complete the optical cavity. The distance Both the simulation and experiment confirmed that between the two optical mirrors was adjusted to create a placement of the gain medium was a critical design laser cavity with a free spectral range near 20 GHz. The factor significantly affecting the free-running optical input pump beam was provided by a narrow-stripe laser performance. Having a configuration where a mirror diode, using free space coupling optics to minimize the was directly deposited on (or closer than 2.5 mm to) the beam waist inside the gain crystal in order to enforce gain medium demonstrated the worst multimode single transverse mode operation. performance for a free spectral range of 20 GHz, as the short absorption length of vanadate (typically <1 mm) B. Modal Competition Effects in Short-Cavity Lasers resulted in suppressed spatial hole burning and increased In general, mode-locked lasers require an electronic gain competition of nearby modes (see Fig. 1a). In oscillator as a locking source to establish the pulsing contrast, placing the gain medium near the center of the behavior. An elegant method of circumventing the need cavity yielded minimal competition between adjacent for a high frequency oscillator is the regenerative mode- modes, allowing dual longitudinal mode operation of the locking scheme, first demonstrated in 1968 [3]. A novel laser to generate a fundamental microwave beat improvement to this feedback which is attractive for frequency for coupled optoelectronic feedback (as microwave photonics was suggested by Yao and Maleki depicted in Fig. 1b). Therefore, a laser geometry was in [4]. In this architecture, which is known as coupled selected where the gain crystal was placed as far away optoelectronic oscillation (COEO), a long fiber delay is from either cavity mirror as possible, creating a 2.64 mm added to the regenerative feedback loop to increase the air gap between the high reflectance mirror and the effective quality factor (Q) and reduce the phase noise. remainder of the cavity.
2 C. Optimization of Microwave/Optical Wave Interaction chain. Fig. 3 is a cross-section conceptually illustrating the mechanism enabling the microwave/optical wave The electronic locking signal was coupled to the laser interaction. phase modulator through the use of a microwave waveguide. As stated previously, sensitivity of the mode-locked laser to the microwave signal was a IV. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS primary concern, given the short interaction length. First, the laser was mode-locked by using an Anritsu Therefore, simulations were conducted (using HFSS) to 69637B microwave synthesizer set at 20 GHz. A block optimize the microwave coupling. These simulations diagram of the experimental setup is shown in Fig. 4. focused on maximizing the electric field inside the phase modulator section, and neglected the presence of the glass mirror and gain medium (due to the significantly SYNTH PA higher dielectric constant of the phase modulator with MSA AMP ISO respect to these elements), as well as the presence of small waveguide apertures (which allowed optical beams PUMP EOML ODC PD to enter and exit the microwave waveguide). SHORT OSA 3500 ) 3000 Fig. 4. Block diagram of fundamental mode-locking /m
(V experiment. Abbreviations – SYNTH: microwave synthesizer, 2500 de u
t PA: microwave power amplifier, PUMP: pump laser, ISO: i Microwave Waveguide n
g 2000 microwave waveguide isolator, EOML: electro-optic microchip
a Waveguide Cavity Waveguide + Post laser, SHORT: microwave waveguide short, ODC: optical d M 1500 l Cavity + Post directional coupler, OSA: optical spectrum analyzer, PD: Fie 1000 ic
r photodetector, AMP: microwave pre-amplifier, MSA: t c e l 500 microwave spectrum analyzer. Thick lines indicate optical E path. 0 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 Normalized Distance The optical spectrum of the free-running and mode- locked laser is shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 2. Simulation to optimize microwave/optical wave interaction. Electric field magnitude along optical propagation axis inside phase modulator (for a normalized input of 1 W).
WG
a POST Output beam Pump beam AP 1064 nm AP 808 nm LN V AG G PED
Fig. 3. Schematic of microwave waveguide cross-section. Abbreviations – AP: waveguide aperture, POST: circular cylindrical metallic post, LN: microchip laser magnesium oxide-doped lithium niobate phase modulator section, PED: metallic pedestal, V: microchip laser neodymium-doped yttrium orthovanadate gain section, AG: air gap, WG: microwave waveguide interior, G: glass dielectric mirror b
As determined from the simulations (see Fig. 2), coupling was facilitated by the use of a circular post (to concentrate the electric field inside the phase modulator) and a waveguide short (to create a microwave cavity to further increase the field amplitude inside the modulator). A waveguide isolator was included to prevent back reflections from re-entering the microwave Fig. 5. (a) Free-running, and (b) mode-locked optical spectrum
3 The optical pulses were detected with a high speed easily-built candidates for achieving high pulse rates. photodetector, and the phase noise of the resulting However, low phase noise is an important metric, as the microwave signal was found to be -72 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz integral of the phase noise determines the timing jitter. offset. The phase noise of the synthesizer was also For applications like sampling inside high-speed optical measured for reference, and the spectra of both were analog-to-digital converters, the phase noise at high similar, as expected in the source-limited case. offsets may need to be considered in the timing jitter. In Next, the laser was mode-locked by using a coupled these cases, supermode noise spurs induced by harmonic optoelectronic oscillator (COEO) structure, as shown in mode-locking can negatively affect the timing jitter, and Fig. 6. In order to increase the Q of the regenerative it may be more advantageous to use fundamental mode- loop, an optical fiber delay line was inserted between the locking as a solution instead. laser and the photodetector. As a result, the output of the An Nd:YVO4/MgO:LiNbO3 electro-optic microchip detector was a stable oscillation at 20 GHz (Fig. 7), with laser was mode-locked at the designed fundamental a phase noise of -95 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz offset, with no cavity resonance frequency of 20 GHz. When locked to supermode spurs. This significantly exceeds the a synthesizer, the phase noise of the detected beat performance of typical high frequency synthesizers, and frequency was -72 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz offset. The laser is suitable for microwave photonic applications. was then regeneratively mode-locked in a coupled optoelectronic oscillator (COEO) architecture, with a MD C WBF AMP phase noise of -95 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz offset and no PA supermode noise spurs at further offset frequencies. MSA PD Thus, it appears that fundamental regenerative mode- ISO locking of a compact solid-state laser is a promising candidate for developing applications such as all-optical PUMP EOML DELAY ODC A/D conversion. SHORT The current performance of the electro-optic OSA microchip laser is competitive with fiber laser-based Fig. 6. Block diagram of fundamental regenerative mode- COEOs [5]. Exceeding these results will require locking experiment. Abbreviations – DELAY: fiber-optic reduced cavity losses, increased modulation sensitivity, delay line, WBF: wideband microwave filter, MDC: and system stabilization to increase the effective Q. microwave directional coupler. All other abbreviations as in Therefore, further research will be conducted in several Fig. 4. areas. First, a study to suppress mode-pulling effects due to optical intracavity resonances by utilizing crystal wedging is currently underway. Next, a more detailed investigation of improved microwave coupling architectures exploiting microwave resonance effects is also in progress. Finally, a comprehensive analytical model of the COEO method applicable to short-cavity lasers will be pursued, with the goal of exploring this model to potentially realize further experimental improvement of the phase noise.
REFERENCES [1] C. M. DePriest, T. Yilmaz, and P.J. Delfyett, Jr., “Ultralow noise and supermode suppression in an actively mode-locked external-cavity semiconductor diode ring laser,” Opt. Lett., vol. 27, no. 9, pp. 719-721, 1 May 2002. [2] Y. Li, A. J. C. Vieira, S. M. Goldwasser, P. R. Herczfeld, Fig. 7. Regeneratively mode-locked laser microwave beat “Rapidly Tunable Millimeter-Wave Optical Transmitter frequency spectrum for Lidar/Radar,” IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech., vol. 49, no. 10, pp. 2048-2054, Oct. 2001. [3] G. R. Huggett, “Mode-locking of cw lasers by V. CONCLUSION regenerative rf feedback,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 13, pp. For optimum performance of mode-locked lasers as 186-187, Sept. 1968. [4] X. S. Yao and L. Maleki, "Dual microwave and optical samplers or clocks in next-generation microwave oscillator," Opt. Lett., vol. 22, no. 24, pp. 1867-1869, 15 photonic systems, it is necessary to investigate the Dec. 1997. parameters which ensure high speed performance while [5] E. Salik, N. Yu, and L. Maleki, “Ultra-low phase noise maintaining good purity. Harmonically mode-locked optical pulses generated by coupled opto-electronic lasers, such as fiber ring lasers, have been touted as oscillator,” Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO) 2004, vol. 1, pp. 141-143, 17-19 May 2004.
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