The role of intrapulse coherence in supercontinuum generation: (Conference Presentation)

Research output: Contribution to conferenceSlides to presentationResearchpeer review

Authors

External Research Organisations

  • Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy im Forschungsbund Berlin e.V. (MBI)
  • Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics (WIAS) Weierstraß-Institut für Angewandte Analysis und Stochastik (WIAS) Leibniz-Institute in Forschungsverbund Berlin e. V.
View graph of relations

Details

Original languageEnglish
Number of pages15
Publication statusPublished - 31 May 2018
EventReal-time Measurements, Rogue Phenomena, and Single-Shot Applications III - San Francisco, United States
Duration: 27 Jan 20181 Feb 2018

Conference

ConferenceReal-time Measurements, Rogue Phenomena, and Single-Shot Applications III
Period27 Jan 20181 Feb 2018

Abstract

Even more than 15 years after their first experimental demonstration, supercontinua have remained an extremely active field of research. In particular, photonic crystal fibers enable the broadening a laser source with a few nanometer initial spectral coverage to a supercontinuum that may encompass several octaves. Unfortunately, this extreme broadening does not come without a caveat: the initially coherent laser light loses most of this favorable property, which makes it impossible to compress the white-light pulse train to the bandwidth-limited single-cycle duration that two octaves could theoretically support. More precisely, this problem arises because of a loss of interpulse coherence, i.e., subsequent white-light pulses exhibit dramatically varying amplitude and phase structures. In fact, these variations are so extreme that they do not even follow a Gaussian distribution anymore, which gives rise to the phenomenon of optical rogue waves. Optical rogue waves are often explained by soliton dynamics. In the light of the above considerations, however, this seems quite paradoxical as solitons are coherent waveforms that evolve in a highly deterministic fashion. Moreover, frequency metrology applications of supercontinua exist which do not seem to be corrupted by a loss of interpulse coherence. In order to resolve this apparent conflict, we propose a new intrapulse coherence definition, which is experimentally verified by fringe contrast measurements in an f-to-2f interferometer. Numerical simulations indicate that intrapulse coherence is typically quite robust in the case of Kerr-dominated spectral broadening whereas it also quickly vanishes in plasma-dominated broadening scenarios, e.g., during filamentation. Interpulse coherence, in contrast, becomes more fragile at the low photon numbers of oscillator sources. As these two types of coherence appear rather independent of each other, situations can arise where interpulse coherence is conserved but intrapulse coherence vanishes and vice versa. Moreover, compressibility into a train of short pulses must not be used to conclude on the robustness of intrapulse coherence. We believe that this new coherence criterion has important implications, both for frequency metrology as well as for carrier-envelope phase stabilization of lasers. Specifically, in frequency metrology, limitations may arise for the obtainable maximum precision of optical frequency measurements. These limitations may impact the redefinition of the fundamental time and length units replacing the current microwave cesium standard by an optical one.

Cite this

The role of intrapulse coherence in supercontinuum generation: (Conference Presentation). / Steinmeyer, Günter; Raabe, Nils; Demircan, Ayhan et al.
2018. Real-time Measurements, Rogue Phenomena, and Single-Shot Applications III.

Research output: Contribution to conferenceSlides to presentationResearchpeer review

Steinmeyer, G, Raabe, N, Demircan, A & Brée, C 2018, 'The role of intrapulse coherence in supercontinuum generation: (Conference Presentation)', Real-time Measurements, Rogue Phenomena, and Single-Shot Applications III, 27 Jan 2018 - 1 Feb 2018. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2292993
Steinmeyer, G., Raabe, N., Demircan, A., & Brée, C. (2018). The role of intrapulse coherence in supercontinuum generation: (Conference Presentation). Real-time Measurements, Rogue Phenomena, and Single-Shot Applications III. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2292993
Steinmeyer G, Raabe N, Demircan A, Brée C. The role of intrapulse coherence in supercontinuum generation: (Conference Presentation). 2018. Real-time Measurements, Rogue Phenomena, and Single-Shot Applications III. Epub 2018 Mar 14. doi: 10.1117/12.2292993
Steinmeyer, Günter ; Raabe, Nils ; Demircan, Ayhan et al. / The role of intrapulse coherence in supercontinuum generation : (Conference Presentation). Real-time Measurements, Rogue Phenomena, and Single-Shot Applications III.15 p.
Download
@conference{f4d0081410b747059dff255b630b7310,
title = "The role of intrapulse coherence in supercontinuum generation: (Conference Presentation)",
abstract = "Even more than 15 years after their first experimental demonstration, supercontinua have remained an extremely active field of research. In particular, photonic crystal fibers enable the broadening a laser source with a few nanometer initial spectral coverage to a supercontinuum that may encompass several octaves. Unfortunately, this extreme broadening does not come without a caveat: the initially coherent laser light loses most of this favorable property, which makes it impossible to compress the white-light pulse train to the bandwidth-limited single-cycle duration that two octaves could theoretically support. More precisely, this problem arises because of a loss of interpulse coherence, i.e., subsequent white-light pulses exhibit dramatically varying amplitude and phase structures. In fact, these variations are so extreme that they do not even follow a Gaussian distribution anymore, which gives rise to the phenomenon of optical rogue waves. Optical rogue waves are often explained by soliton dynamics. In the light of the above considerations, however, this seems quite paradoxical as solitons are coherent waveforms that evolve in a highly deterministic fashion. Moreover, frequency metrology applications of supercontinua exist which do not seem to be corrupted by a loss of interpulse coherence. In order to resolve this apparent conflict, we propose a new intrapulse coherence definition, which is experimentally verified by fringe contrast measurements in an f-to-2f interferometer. Numerical simulations indicate that intrapulse coherence is typically quite robust in the case of Kerr-dominated spectral broadening whereas it also quickly vanishes in plasma-dominated broadening scenarios, e.g., during filamentation. Interpulse coherence, in contrast, becomes more fragile at the low photon numbers of oscillator sources. As these two types of coherence appear rather independent of each other, situations can arise where interpulse coherence is conserved but intrapulse coherence vanishes and vice versa. Moreover, compressibility into a train of short pulses must not be used to conclude on the robustness of intrapulse coherence. We believe that this new coherence criterion has important implications, both for frequency metrology as well as for carrier-envelope phase stabilization of lasers. Specifically, in frequency metrology, limitations may arise for the obtainable maximum precision of optical frequency measurements. These limitations may impact the redefinition of the fundamental time and length units replacing the current microwave cesium standard by an optical one.",
author = "G{\"u}nter Steinmeyer and Nils Raabe and Ayhan Demircan and Carsten Br{\'e}e",
year = "2018",
month = may,
day = "31",
doi = "10.1117/12.2292993",
language = "English",
note = "Real-time Measurements, Rogue Phenomena, and Single-Shot Applications III ; Conference date: 27-01-2018 Through 01-02-2018",

}

Download

TY - CONF

T1 - The role of intrapulse coherence in supercontinuum generation

T2 - Real-time Measurements, Rogue Phenomena, and Single-Shot Applications III

AU - Steinmeyer, Günter

AU - Raabe, Nils

AU - Demircan, Ayhan

AU - Brée, Carsten

PY - 2018/5/31

Y1 - 2018/5/31

N2 - Even more than 15 years after their first experimental demonstration, supercontinua have remained an extremely active field of research. In particular, photonic crystal fibers enable the broadening a laser source with a few nanometer initial spectral coverage to a supercontinuum that may encompass several octaves. Unfortunately, this extreme broadening does not come without a caveat: the initially coherent laser light loses most of this favorable property, which makes it impossible to compress the white-light pulse train to the bandwidth-limited single-cycle duration that two octaves could theoretically support. More precisely, this problem arises because of a loss of interpulse coherence, i.e., subsequent white-light pulses exhibit dramatically varying amplitude and phase structures. In fact, these variations are so extreme that they do not even follow a Gaussian distribution anymore, which gives rise to the phenomenon of optical rogue waves. Optical rogue waves are often explained by soliton dynamics. In the light of the above considerations, however, this seems quite paradoxical as solitons are coherent waveforms that evolve in a highly deterministic fashion. Moreover, frequency metrology applications of supercontinua exist which do not seem to be corrupted by a loss of interpulse coherence. In order to resolve this apparent conflict, we propose a new intrapulse coherence definition, which is experimentally verified by fringe contrast measurements in an f-to-2f interferometer. Numerical simulations indicate that intrapulse coherence is typically quite robust in the case of Kerr-dominated spectral broadening whereas it also quickly vanishes in plasma-dominated broadening scenarios, e.g., during filamentation. Interpulse coherence, in contrast, becomes more fragile at the low photon numbers of oscillator sources. As these two types of coherence appear rather independent of each other, situations can arise where interpulse coherence is conserved but intrapulse coherence vanishes and vice versa. Moreover, compressibility into a train of short pulses must not be used to conclude on the robustness of intrapulse coherence. We believe that this new coherence criterion has important implications, both for frequency metrology as well as for carrier-envelope phase stabilization of lasers. Specifically, in frequency metrology, limitations may arise for the obtainable maximum precision of optical frequency measurements. These limitations may impact the redefinition of the fundamental time and length units replacing the current microwave cesium standard by an optical one.

AB - Even more than 15 years after their first experimental demonstration, supercontinua have remained an extremely active field of research. In particular, photonic crystal fibers enable the broadening a laser source with a few nanometer initial spectral coverage to a supercontinuum that may encompass several octaves. Unfortunately, this extreme broadening does not come without a caveat: the initially coherent laser light loses most of this favorable property, which makes it impossible to compress the white-light pulse train to the bandwidth-limited single-cycle duration that two octaves could theoretically support. More precisely, this problem arises because of a loss of interpulse coherence, i.e., subsequent white-light pulses exhibit dramatically varying amplitude and phase structures. In fact, these variations are so extreme that they do not even follow a Gaussian distribution anymore, which gives rise to the phenomenon of optical rogue waves. Optical rogue waves are often explained by soliton dynamics. In the light of the above considerations, however, this seems quite paradoxical as solitons are coherent waveforms that evolve in a highly deterministic fashion. Moreover, frequency metrology applications of supercontinua exist which do not seem to be corrupted by a loss of interpulse coherence. In order to resolve this apparent conflict, we propose a new intrapulse coherence definition, which is experimentally verified by fringe contrast measurements in an f-to-2f interferometer. Numerical simulations indicate that intrapulse coherence is typically quite robust in the case of Kerr-dominated spectral broadening whereas it also quickly vanishes in plasma-dominated broadening scenarios, e.g., during filamentation. Interpulse coherence, in contrast, becomes more fragile at the low photon numbers of oscillator sources. As these two types of coherence appear rather independent of each other, situations can arise where interpulse coherence is conserved but intrapulse coherence vanishes and vice versa. Moreover, compressibility into a train of short pulses must not be used to conclude on the robustness of intrapulse coherence. We believe that this new coherence criterion has important implications, both for frequency metrology as well as for carrier-envelope phase stabilization of lasers. Specifically, in frequency metrology, limitations may arise for the obtainable maximum precision of optical frequency measurements. These limitations may impact the redefinition of the fundamental time and length units replacing the current microwave cesium standard by an optical one.

U2 - 10.1117/12.2292993

DO - 10.1117/12.2292993

M3 - Slides to presentation

Y2 - 27 January 2018 through 1 February 2018

ER -

By the same author(s)