The system produces a pair of modelocked femtosecond lasers (optical frequency combs) with a slightly different pulse repetition rate. In the time domain, the optical delay is rapidly swept through a range of 16 nanoseconds at high speeds. In the frequency domain, beat notes between each pair of optical comb lines are generated via heterodyne detection.
Through a novel shared-cavity architecture, our system is able to achieve ultra-low noise simply in free-running operation. In particular, the laser pair is passively stable with highly correlated intensity, timing, and phase noise properties between the two combs. Since there is only one laser cavity and no high-speed locking electronics or optical amplification, most of the complexity of conventional dual-comb and ASOPS systems is removed, while providing a small footprint and superior performance.
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Features
Low-repetition rate single-cavity dual-comb laser
- Two spatially separated pulse trains with >1.5 W per beam
- <250 fs pulse duration
- Sub-cycle relative timing jitter
- Ultra-low relative intensity noise
- Fundamental Gaussian beam mode output
- Tunable and long-term stable repetition rate difference
- Very compact system design
- 24/7 turn-key operation
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Technical specifications
Specifications
| Power per comb | >1.5 W |
| Pulse duration | <250 fs, clean sech² pulses |
| Repetition rate | 60 MHz or 80 MHz options available |
| Pulse energy | >25 nJ |
| Center wavelength | 1050±10 nm |
| Beam quality factor M2 | <1.1 |
| Individual comb RIN | <-160 dBc/Hz for frequencies from 200 kHz |
Dual comb specifications
| Repetition rate difference | tunable between 0 Hz – 1000 Hz |
| Relative timing noise | sub-10 fs [100 Hz, 100 kHz] |
SHG option
| Center wavelength | 525±5 nm |
| Power per comb | >500 mW |
THG option
| Center wavelength | 350±3 nm |
| Power per comb | >80 mW |
Supercontinuum-generation option
| Fiber integration | Inquire for specific fibers |
| Optical | Two spatially separated pulse trains |
| Cross-correlation signal | Trigger signal at the repetition rate difference |
Controls
| Repetition rate difference | Digital (analog on request) |
| Repetition rate | Fixed |
| Power | Power allocation between fundamental and SHG (SHG option only) |
Dimensions
| Laser head (L x W x H) | 540 x 321 x 179 mm3 (Hybrid version) |
| Beam output height | 75 mm on (W) side |
| K2-Link Control Unit (L x W x H) | 395 x 436 x 88.05 mm3 (2U 19″ rack unit) |
| Cabling | 3 m between control box and laser head |
Requirements
| Operating temperature | 15 – 30 ºC (Water or Hybrid versions) |
| Relative humidity | <70% (non-condensing) |
| Electrical requirements | 100-120 VAC, 3 A, 50-60 Hz / 200-240 VAC, 1.5 A, 50-60 Hz |
| Power consumption | <150 W |
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Options
- Integrated second harmonic
- Integrated third harmonic
- Passive (air) or active (water) cooling
- Optical Isolation
- Other repetition rates
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Applications
- Pump-probe sampling
- Thin film inspection
- Precision ranging
- Nonlinear microscopy
- Gas sensing and process control
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Example characterization
