Anders Kragh Hansen

Concept for power scaling second harmonic generation using a cascade of nonlinear crystals

Within the field of high-power second harmonic generation (SHG), power scaling is often hindered by adverse crystal effects such as thermal dephasing arising from the second harmonic (SH) light, which imposes limits on the power that can be generated in many crystals. Here we demonstrate a concept for efficient power scaling of single-pass SHG beyond such limits using a cascade of nonlinear crystals, in which the first crystal is chosen for high nonlinear efficiency and the subsequent crystal(s) are chosen for power handling ability. Using this highly efficient single-pass concept, we generate 3.7 W of continuous-wave diffraction-limited (M(2)=1.25) light at 532 nm from 9.5 W of non-diffraction-limited (M(2)=7.7) light from a tapered laser diode, while avoiding significant thermal effects. Besides constituting the highest SH power yet achieved using a laser diode, this demonstrates that the concept successfully combines the high efficiency of the first stage with the good power handling properties of the subsequent stages. The concept is generally applicable and can be expanded with more stages to obtain even higher efficiency, and extends also to other combinations of nonlinear media suitable for other wavelengths.

Highly efficient single-pass sum frequency generation by cascaded nonlinear crystals.

The cascading of nonlinear crystals has been established as a simple method to greatly increase the conversion efficiency of single-pass second-harmonic generation compared to a single-crystal scheme. Here, we show for the first time that the technique can be extended to sum frequency generation, despite differences in the phase relations of the involved fields. An unprecedented 5.5 W of continuous-wave diffraction-limited green light is generated from the single-pass sum frequency mixing of two diode lasers in two periodically poled nonlinear crystals (conversion efficiency 50%). The technique is generally applicable and can be applied to any combination of fundamental wavelengths and nonlinear crystals.

Efficient generation of 1.9 W yellow light by cascaded frequency doubling of a distributed Bragg reflector tapered diode

Watt-level yellow emitting lasers are interesting for medical applications, due to their high hemoglobin absorption, and for efficient detection of certain fluorophores. In this paper, we demonstrate a compact and robust diode-based laser system in the yellow spectral range. The system generates 1.9 W of single-frequency light at 562.4 nm by cascaded single-pass frequency doubling of the 1124.8 nm emission from a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) tapered laser diode. The absence of a free-space cavity makes the system stable over a base-plate temperature range of 30 K. At the same time, the use of a laser diode enables the modulation of the pump wavelength by controlling the drive current. This is utilized to achieve a power modulation depth above 90% for the second harmonic light, with a rise time below 40  μs.

Generation of 3.5 W of diffraction-limited green light from SHG of a single tapered diode laser in a cascade of nonlinear crystals

Many applications, e.g., within biomedicine stand to benefit greatly from the development of diode laser-based multi- Watt efficient compact green laser sources. The low power of existing diode lasers in the green area (about 100 mW) means that the most promising approach remains nonlinear frequency conversion of infrared tapered diode lasers. Here, we describe the generation of 3.5 W of diffraction-limited green light from SHG of a single tapered diode laser, itself yielding 10 W at 1063 nm. This SHG is performed in single pass through a cascade of two PPMgO:LN crystals with re-focusing and dispersion compensating optics between the two nonlinear crystals. In the low-power limit, such a cascade of two crystals has the theoretical potential for generation of four times as much power as a single crystal without adding significantly to the complexity of the system. The experimentally achieved power of 3.5 W corresponds to a power enhancement greater than 2 compared to SHG in each of the crystals individually and is the highest visible output power generated by frequency conversion of a single diode laser. Such laser sources provide the necessary pump power for biophotonics applications, such as optical coherence tomography or multimodal imaging devices, e.g., FTCARS-OCT, based on a strongly pumped ultrafast Ti:Sapphire laser.

Megahertz measurement rate wavemeter with sub-picometer resolution using second harmonic generation

Information on the wavelength is essential for most laser applications and a wide range of devices are available for measuring it. Commercially available wavemeters can provide femtometer resolution in a wide wavelength range but their refresh rate rarely goes into the kHz range. Streak cameras, on the other hand, provide extremely fast measurements with a wide spectrum. However, the spectral resolution is severely limited due to the use of a grating as the wavelength separating element. Here we present a wavemeter that combines a megahertz measurement rate and sub-picometer wavelength resolution. The technique uses the steep wavelength acceptance curve of a thick non-linear crystal to calculate the wavelength from just two power measurements. The bandwidth is limited only by the speed of a photodiode while the resolution and wavelength range can be engineered by choosing a suitable crystal type and geometry. We use the wavemeter to examine how the longitudinal mode evolves during a single pulse from a tapered diode laser. High resolution, high speed measurements of the wavelength can give new information about laser diodes, which is valuable for applications requiring short but wavelength stable pulses, such as pulsing of the second harmonic light.

Diffraction-limited 577 nm true-yellow laser by frequency doubling of a tapered diode laser

A wide range of laser medical treatments are based on coagulation of blood by absorption of the laser radiation. It has, therefore, always been a goal of these treatments to maximize the ratio of absorption in the blood to that in the surrounding tissue. For this purpose lasers at 577 nm are ideal since this wavelength is at the peak of the absorption in oxygenated hemoglobin. Furthermore, 577 nm has a lower absorption in melanin when compared to green wavelengths (515 − 532 nm), giving it an advantage when treating at greater penetration depth. Here we present a laser system based on frequency doubling of an 1154 nm Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) tapered diode laser, emitting 1.1 W of single frequency and diffraction limited yellow light at 577 nm, corresponding to a conversion efficiency of 30.5%. The frequency doubling is performed in a single pass configuration using a cascade of two bulk non-linear crystals. The system is power stabilized over 10 hours with a standard deviation of 0.13% and the relative intensity noise is measured to be 0.064 % rms.

Dynamics of a green high-power tunable external-cavity broad-area GaN diode laser

Although external-cavity feedback with a grating is widely used to achieve a tunable high-power narrow-linewidth broad-area diode laser (BAL) system, the dynamics of such a system is seldom studied. In this paper, the temporal dynamics of a tunable high-power green external-cavity diode laser system based on a GaN BAL and Littrow external-cavity is investigated experimentally. The regular pulse package oscillation (PPO) is observed just above the threshold. The oscillating period of the pulse package decreases with the increasing injected current. As the current increases further, the pulse package oscillates irregularly, and finally changes to a chaotic state. The PPO is observed, for the first time to our knowledge, in a BAL with an external-cavity grating feedback.

Modulation of Frequency Doubled DFB-Tapered Diode Lasers for Medical Treatment

The use of visible lasers for medical treatments is on the rise, and together with this comes higher expectations for the laser systems. For many medical treatments, such as ophthalmology, doctors require pulse on demand operation together with a complete extinction of the light between pulses. We have demonstrated power modulation from 0.1 Hz to 10 kHz at 532 nm with a modulation depth above 97% by wavelength detuning of the laser diode. The laser diode is a 1064 nm monolithic device with a distributed feedback (DFB) laser as the master oscillator (MO), and a tapered power amplifier (PA). The MO and PA have separate electrical contacts and the modulation is achieved with wavelength tuning by adjusting the current through the MO 40 mA.

1.9 W yellow, CW, high-brightness light from a high efficiency semiconductor laser-based system

Semiconductor lasers are ideal sources for efficient electrical-to-optical power conversion and for many applications where their small size and potential for low cost are required to meet market demands. Yellow lasers find use in a variety of bio-related applications, such as photocoagulation, imaging, flow cytometry, and cancer treatment. However, direct generation of yellow light from semiconductors with sufficient beam quality and power has so far eluded researchers. Meanwhile, tapered semiconductor lasers at near-infrared wavelengths have recently become able to provide neardiffraction- limited, single frequency operation with output powers up to 8 W near 1120 nm. We present a 1.9 W single frequency laser system at 562 nm, based on single pass cascaded frequency doubling of such a tapered laser diode. The laser diode is a monolithic device consisting of two sections: a ridge waveguide with a distributed Bragg reflector, and a tapered amplifier. Using single-pass cascaded frequency doubling in two periodically poled lithium niobate crystals, 1.93 W of diffraction-limited light at 562 nm is generated from 5.8 W continuous-wave infrared light. When turned on from cold, the laser system reaches full power in just 60 seconds. An advantage of using a single pass configuration, rather than an external cavity configuration, is increased stability towards external perturbations. For example, stability to fluctuating case temperature over a 30 K temperature span has been demonstrated. The combination of high stability, compactness and watt-level power range means this technology is of great interest for a wide range of biological and biomedical applications.

3.5 W of diffraction-limited green light at 515 nm from SHG of a single-frequency tapered diode laser

Multi-Watt efficient compact green laser sources are required for a number of applications e.g. within biophotonics, laser pumping and laser displays. We present generation of 3.5 W of diffraction-limited green light at 515 nm by second harmonic generation (SHG) of a tapered diode laser, itself yielding more than 9 W at 1030 nm. SHG is performed in single pass through a cascade of two nonlinear crystals with re-focusing and dispersion compensating optics between the two nonlinear crystals. The laser is single-frequency and the output power is stabilized to better than ±0.4%.