Auto-Stabilization of Lasers By Means of Resonant Structures

Reference number: STC-PS-0757
Inventor(s): L. Arissian; J. Diels
For more information, contact: Erin M. Beaumont (505-272-7912) or Jovan Heusser, M.B.A. (505-272-7908)

Patent(s)

Application(s) pending

Background

The steady increase in volume of data transfer will ultimately lead to a need for a radically new approach to telecommunication. Incremental approaches in electronic speeds are reaching the physical limits of what is possible. With optical pulses of a few tens of femtoseconds (fs) that are routinely produced, digital communication could in principle reach a rate of tens of THz. The fundamental difficulty in exploiting the high potential data rate of femtosecond optical pulses is that the original signal to be transmitted is at a much slower clock rate, in the GHz rather than THz range.

Technology

The invention pertains to the stabilization of lasers in general, and mode-locked lasers in particular. Undesirable excursions of the cavity mode frequency are caused when the laser cavity length is changed by vibrations. The excursions occur on the order of tens of MHz. It is the first purely optical auto-stabilizing system; and it is advantageous because it eliminates the error associated with electrical and/or mechanical stabilization. A highly stable mode frequency allows for many new application areas to be explored.

This purely solid state system, without moving parts nor liquid dye jets achieves a resolution of less than 1 Hz using a hybridly mode-locked laser system. It can easily be miniaturized for different applications.

Applications/Advantages

The extremely high rate of accuracy and stability that can be achieved in mode-locked lasers makes the vision of 10 THz bit rate communication realistic.

Downloads

• UNM-757 Published Patent App (339.54 KB PDF)

Related Categories

• Optoelectronics and Lasers