Vincent Lecocq

Synthesis and characterization of ionic liquids based upon 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium chloride/ZnCl2

Trialkylimidazolium chlorozincate molten salts resulting from the combination of zinc chloride and 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium chloride, [BMMI][Cl], have been prepared with a mole percent of ZnCl2, R (R n = n nZnCl2/nZnCl2 n + n n[BMMI][Cl]) equal to 0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.33, 0.5, 0.66, 0.75. Their analyses by DSC, 13C, 1H and 35Cl solid state and solution NMR, and mass spectrometry (ESI, MS/MS) are consistent with the presence of [BMMI][Cl] and [BMMI][ZnCl3] for R < 0.5; pure [BMMI][ZnCl3] for R n = 0.5, and [BMMI][ZnCl3] with [BMMI][Zn3Cl7] for R > 0.5. Infrared spectra realized in the presence of pyridine show that the Lewis acidity of ZnCl2–[BMMI][Cl] increases with R. High temperature (110 °C) n 13C and 35Cl NMR experiments on neat [BMMI][ZnCl3] n (R n = 0.5) evidenced that its structure varies with time from [BMMI][ZnCl3] to [BMMI⋯Cl⋯ZnCl2].

High-power tunable low-noise coherent source at 1.06 μm based on a surface-emitting semiconductor laser

Exploiting III-V semiconductor technologies, vertical external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) technology has been identified for years as a good candidate to develop lasers with high power, large coherence, and broad tunability. Combined with fiber amplification technology, tunable single-frequency lasers can be flexibly boosted to a power level of several tens of watts. Here, we demonstrate a high-power, single-frequency, and broadly tunable laser based on VECSEL technology. This device emits in the near-infrared around 1.06xa0µm and exhibits high output power (>100u2009u2009mW) with a low-divergence diffraction-limited TEM00 beam. It also features a narrow free-running linewidth of <400u2009u2009kHz with high spectral purity (side mode suppression ratio >55u2009u2009dB) and continuous broadband tunability greater than 250xa0GHz (<15u2009u2009V piezo voltage, 6xa0kHz cutoff frequency) with a total tunable range up to 3xa0THz. In addition, a compact design without any movable intracavity elements offers a robust single-frequency regime. Through fiber amplification, a tunable single-frequency laser is achieved at an output power of 50xa0W covering the wavelength range from 1057 to 1066xa0nm. Excess intensity noise brought on by the amplification stage is in good agreement with a theoretical model. A low relative intensity noise value of -145u2009u2009dBc/Hz is obtained at 1xa0MHz, and we reach the shot-noise limit above 200xa0MHz.

Industrial integration of high coherence tunable VECSEL in the NIR and MIR

Demanding applications such as LIDAR, velocimetry, gas analysis or atomic clock rely on a highly coherent laser. Offering high coherence at high power and flexible wavelength, the GaAs- and Sb-based VECSEL technologies seem to be a well suited path to fulfill the required specifications of demanding applications. Till now, technical and physical knowledge of high power high coherence single frequency compact diode-pumped VECSELs have been developed at IES [1], with low intensity and frequency noise, but this promising technology is still at laboratory stage. The expertise built up in this field allows considering the realization of user-friendly marketable products, with performances that do not exist on the market today at 1 μm and 2.3 μm. Our goal is to develop a single frequency diode-pumped VECSEL, intracavity element free, achieving the desired performances, and to integrate this component into a compact module. The VECSEL prototypes developed in the frame of this work exhibit exciting features compared to diode-pumped solidstate lasers; they combine high power high coherence in a single TEM00 mode emission, free running narrow linewidth with high SMSR, a linear polarization, broadband continuous tunability, and compact design without any movable intracavity elements. All these specifications can be reached thanks to the high finesse cavity of VECSEL technology, associated to ideal homogeneous laser QW gain behavior.

Integration of high coherence high power broadly tunable semiconductor lasers for NIR & MIR applications: Single and dual frequency state

Laser technology is finding applications in areas such as high resolution spectroscopy, radar-lidar, velocimetry, and more recently in the THz domain such as imaging or spectroscopy, where highly coherent tunable high power light sources are required. The Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VECSEL) technology [1] has been identified for years as a good candidate to reach high power high coherence and broad tunability while covering a wide emission wavelength range exploiting III-V semiconductor technologies. Offering such performances in the Near- and Middle-IR range, GaAs- and Sb-based VECSEL technologies seem to be a well suited path to meet the required specifications of demanding applications. Our expertise built up in this field allows the realization of compact and low power consumption marketable products, with performances that do not exist on the market today in the 0.8–1.1 μm and 2–2.5 μm spectral range.

Industrial integration of high coherence tunable single frequency semiconductor lasers based on VECSEL technology for scientific instrumentation in NIR and MIR

Laser technology is finding applications in areas such as high resolution spectroscopy, radar-lidar, velocimetry, or atomic clock where highly coherent tunable high power light sources are required. The Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VECSEL) technology [1] has been identified for years as a good candidate to reach high power, high coherence and broad tunability while covering a wide emission wavelength range exploiting III-V semiconductor technologies. Offering such performances in the Near- and Middle-IR range, GaAs- and Sb-based VECSEL technologies seem to be a well suited path to meet the required specifications of demanding applications. Built up in this field, our expertise allows the realization of compact and low power consumption marketable products, with performances that do not exist on the market today in the 0.8-1.1 μm and 2-2.5 μm spectral range. Here we demonstrate highly coherent broadly tunable single frequency laser micro-chip, intracavity element free, based on a patented VECSEL technology, integrated into a compact module with driving electronics. VECSEL devices emitting in the Near and Middle-IR developed in the frame of this work [2] exhibit exciting features compared to diode-pumped solid-state lasers and DFB diode lasers; they combine high power (>100mW) high temporal coherence together with a low divergence diffraction limited TEM00 beam. They exhibit a class-A dynamics with a Relative Intensity Noise as low as -140dB/Hz and at shot noise level reached above 200MHz RF frequency (up to 160GHz), a free running narrow linewidth at sub MHz level (fundamental limit at Hz level) with high spectral purity (SMSR >55dB), a linear polarization (>50dB suppression ratio), and broadband continuous tunability greater than 400GHz (< 30V piezo voltage, 6kHz cut off frequency) with total tunability up to 3THz. Those performances can all be reached thanks to the high finesse cavity of VECSEL technology, associated to ideal homogeneous QW gain behaviour [3]. In addition, the compact design without any movable intracavity elements offers a robust single frequency regime with a long term wavelength stability better than few GHz/h (ambient thermal drift limited). Those devices surpass the state of the art commercial technologies thanks to a combination of power-coherence-wavelength tunability performances and integration.