Richard A. McCracken

Broadband phase coherence between an ultrafast laser and an OPO using lock-to-zero CEO stabilization

The carrier-envelope-offset frequencies of the pump, signal, idler and related second-harmonic and sum-frequency mixing pulses have been locked to 0 Hz in a 20-fs-Ti:sapphire-pumped optical parametric oscillator, satisfying a critical prerequisite for broadband optical pulse synthesis. With outputs spanning 400 - 3200 nm, this result represents the broadest zero-offset comb demonstrated to date.

Femtosecond optical parametric oscillator frequency combs

Techniques to measure and manipulate the carrier-envelope phase within femtosecond optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) allow their outputs to be stabilized in a way that produces a frequency comb structure, potentially tunable throughout the transparency band of the gain material. In this review we describe the fundamental principles of phase control, on which the development of singly- and doubly-resonant OPO frequency combs is based. We give examples of practical embodiments of such combs, and discuss in detail several applications, including spectroscopy, metrology, quantum computation and astrophotonics.

EELT-HIRES the high-resolution spectrograph for the E-ELT

The first generation of E-ELT instruments will include an optic-infrared High Resolution Spectrograph, conventionally indicated as EELT-HIRES, which will be capable of providing unique breakthroughs in the fields of exoplanets, star and planet formation, physics and evolution of stars and galaxies, cosmology and fundamental physics. A 2-year long phase A study for EELT-HIRES has just started and will be performed by a consortium composed of institutes and organisations from Brazil, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. In this paper we describe the science goals and the preliminary technical concept for EELT-HIRES which will be developed during the phase A, as well as its planned development and consortium organisation during the study.

Mid-infrared 333 MHz frequency comb continuously tunable from 1.95 to 4.0 μm

Idler pulses from a 333-MHz femtosecond optical parametric oscillator were carrier-envelope-offset stabilized using a versatile locking technique which allowed the resulting comb to be tuned continuously over a range from 1.95 μm to 4.0 μm.

Wavelength calibration of a high resolution spectrograph with a partially stabilized 15-GHz astrocomb from 550 to 890 nm

A visible astrocomb spanning 555-890 nm has been implemented on the 10-m Southern African Large Telescope, delivering complete calibration of one channel of its high-resolution spectrograph and an accurate determination of its resolving power. A novel co-coupling method allowed simultaneous observation of on-sky, Th-Ar lamp and astrocomb channels, reducing the wavelength calibration uncertainty by a factor of two compared to that obtained using only Th-Ar lines. The excellent passive stability of the master frequency comb laser enabled broadband astrocomb generation without the need for carrier-envelope offset frequency locking, and an atomically referenced narrow linewidth diode laser provided an absolute fiducial marker for wavelength calibration. The simple astrocomb architecture enabled routine operation by non-specialists in an actual telescope environment. On-sky spectroscopy results are presented with direct calibration achieved entirely using the astrocomb.

1-GHz harmonically pumped femtosecond optical parametric oscillator frequency comb

We present the first example of a femtosecond optical parametric oscillator frequency comb by using a 333-MHz Ti:sapphire laser to achieve a stabilized comb at 1-GHz mode spacing in the 1.1-1.6-μm wavelength band.

87Rb-stabilized 375-MHz Yb:fiber femtosecond frequency comb

We report a fully stabilized 1030-nm Yb-fiber frequency comb operating at a pulse repetition frequency of 375 MHz. The comb spacing was referenced to a Rb-stabilized microwave synthesizer and the comb offset was stabilized by generating a super-continuum containing a coherent component at 780.2 nm which was heterodyned with a (87)Rb-stabilized external cavity diode laser to produce a radio-frequency beat used to actuate the carrier-envelope offset frequency of the Yb-fiber laser. The two-sample frequency deviation of the locked comb was 235 kHz for an averaging time of 50 seconds, and the comb remained locked for over 60 minutes with a root mean squared deviation of 236 kHz.

Observation of laser pulse propagation in optical fibers with a SPAD camera

Recording processes and events that occur on sub-nanosecond timescales poses a difficult challenge. Conventional ultrafast imaging techniques often rely on long data collection times, which can be due to limited device sensitivity and/or the requirement of scanning the detection system to form an image. In this work, we use a single-photon avalanche detector array camera with pico-second timing accuracy to detect photons scattered by the cladding in optical fibers. We use this method to film supercontinuum generation and track a GHz pulse train in optical fibers. We also show how the limited spatial resolution of the array can be improved with computational imaging. The single-photon sensitivity of the camera and the absence of scanning the detection system results in short total acquisition times, as low as a few seconds depending on light levels. Our results allow us to calculate the group index of different wavelength bands within the supercontinuum generation process. This technology can be applied to a range of applications, e.g., the characterization of ultrafast processes, time-resolved fluorescence imaging, three-dimensional depth imaging, and tracking hidden objects around a corner.

A decade of astrocombs: recent advances in frequency combs for astronomy

A new regime of precision radial-velocity measurements in the search for Earth-like exoplanets is being facilitated by high-resolution spectrographs calibrated by laser frequency combs. Here we review recent advances in the development of astrocomb technology, and discuss the state of the field going forward.

Multi-color carrier-envelope-phase stabilization for high-repetition-rate multi-pulse coherent synthesis

Using a zero-offset carrier-envelope locking technique, we have synthesized an octave-spanning composite frequency comb exhibiting 132-attosecond timing jitter between the constituent pulses over a one-second observation window. In the frequency domain, this composite comb has a modal structure and coherence which are indistinguishable from those of a comb that might be produced by a hypothetical single mode locked oscillator of equivalent bandwidth. The associated phase stability enables the participating multi-color pulse sequences to be coherently combined, representing an example of multi-pulse synthesis using a femtosecond oscillator.