Collaborative Research: Quantum cascade laser sources of high-power, coherent frequency combs

合作研究：高功率相干频率梳的量子级联激光源

• 批准号: 1614631
• 负责人: Federico Capasso
• 金额: $ 28.8万
• 依托单位: Harvard University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-06-01 至 2019-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1614631&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Quantum; cascade; laser

Abstract title: Compact, high-power semiconductor laser sources of coherent frequency combs for fast and efficient molecular detectionAbstract:Non-technical: The objective of the project is the development of compact, practical, high-power semiconductor laser sources of coherent frequency combs in the mid-infrared spectral range. The combs work as rulers in frequency space, providing fast and accurate readings of frequencies of molecular vibrations. These frequencies can serve as unique identifiers of different molecules. Therefore, the proposed laser sources will enable ultra-broadband and fast molecular spectroscopy, which has a wide range of applications in trace gas environmental monitoring, pharmaceutical quality control and remote detection of biochemical agents. The project will explore a new mechanism of frequency comb generation, which is based on coherent pulsations in quantum cascade lasers. The project will be pursued as a collaborative effort between the team members at Harvard and Texas A&M University and in collaboration with world-leading spectroscopy experts from Europe. This will create unique inter-disciplinary and multi-cultural education, research, and outreach opportunities for all involved students and researchers. Technical: The objective of this collaborative research is to develop high-power semiconductor laser sources of coherent frequency combs in the mid-infrared based on continuously pumped quantum cascade lasers. The field of quantum cascade laser mode locking and frequency combs has seen rapid expansion over the last three years, due to contributions of the proposing team and several other groups. However, so far broadband phase-coherent combs have been demonstrated in lasers of special design in a narrow interval of currents near threshold. Ultrafast gain relaxation presents a fundamental obstacle to most mode locking techniques. The proposing team will focus on a new route to frequency combs through coherent Rabi oscillations, which result in parametric generation of a phase-coherent "supercomb" of modes separated by terahertz frequency intervals. The resulting harmonic mode locking is equivalent in time domain to amplitude modulation at terahertz frequencies comparable to the gain relaxation rate. This new mechanism of frequency comb generation is entirely phase-coherent and intrinsically operates high enough above threshold, yielding high power per mode. The project will pursue several strategies of utilizing the Rabi mechanism for generation of stable, high-power, and broadband combs using standard high-performance laser chips.

摘要标题：用于快速高效分子检测的紧凑型、高功率相干频率梳半导体激光源摘要：非技术性：该项目的目标是开发紧凑、实用、高功率相干频率梳半导体激光源中红外光谱范围。梳子充当频率空间中的标尺，提供快速、准确的分子振动频率读数。这些频率可以作为不同分子的唯一标识符。因此，所提出的激光源将实现超宽带和快速分子光谱，在微量气体环境监测、药品质量控制和生化制剂远程检测方面具有广泛的应用。该项目将探索一种基于量子级联激光器中相干脉动的频率梳生成新机制。该项目将由哈佛大学和德克萨斯农工大学的团队成员共同努力，并与来自欧洲的世界领先的光谱学专家合作。这将为所有参与的学生和研究人员创造独特的跨学科和多元文化教育、研究和推广机会。技术：本次合作研究的目标是开发基于连续泵浦量子级联激光器的中红外相干频率梳高功率半导体激光源。由于提出团队和其他几个团队的贡献，量子级联激光锁模和频率梳领域在过去三年中得到了快速扩展。然而，到目前为止，宽带相位相干梳已经在特殊设计的激光器中在接近阈值的窄电流间隔中得到证明。超快增益弛豫对大多数锁模技术构成了根本障碍。提议团队将重点研究通过相干拉比振荡实现频率梳的新途径，从而以参数方式生成由太赫兹频率间隔分隔的模式的相位相干“超级梳”。 由此产生的谐波锁模在时域中相当于太赫兹频率下的幅度调制，与增益弛豫率相当。这种新的频率梳生成机制完全是相位相干的，并且本质上运行在阈值之上足够高的位置，从而在每种模式下产生高功率。该项目将采取多种策略，利用拉比机制，使用标准高性能激光芯片生成稳定、高功率和宽带梳。

项目成果

Radio frequency transmitter based on a laser frequency comb

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1903534116
• 发表时间: 2019-04
• 期刊: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
• 作者: M. Piccardo;Michele Tamagnone;B. Schwarz;P. Chevalier;N. Rubin;Yongrui Wang;Christine A. Wang;M. Connors;Daniel McNulty;A. Belyanin;F. Capasso