Characteristic analysis of 1.06μm long-cavity diode lasers based on asymmetric waveguide structures

In long-cavity edge-emitting diode lasers,longitudinal spatial hole burning(LSHB),two-photon ab⁃sorption(TPA)and free carrier absorption(FCA)are among the key factors that affect the linear increase in out⁃put power at high injection currents.In this paper,a simplified numerical analysis model is proposed for 1.06μm long-cavity diode lasers by combining TPA and FCA losses with one-dimensional(1D)rate equations.The ef⁃fects of LSHB,TPA and FCA on the output characteristics are systematically analyzed,and it is proposed that ad⁃justing the front facet reflectivity and the position of the quantum well(QW)in the waveguide layer can improve the front facet output power.

An injection-locking diode laser at 671 nm with a wide tuning range up to 6 GHz

We present a compact injection-locking diode laser module to generate 671 nm laser light with a high output power up to 150 m W.The module adopts a master-slave injection-locking scheme,and the injection-locking state is monitored using the transmission spectrum from a Fabry-Perot interferometer.Beat frequency spectrum measurement shows that the injection-locked slave laser has no other frequency components within the 150-MHz detection bandwidth.It is found that without additional electronic feedback,the slave laser can follow the master laser over a wide range of 6 GHz.All the elements of the module are commercially available,which favors fast construction of a complete 671-nm laser system for the preparation of cold^(6)Li atoms with only one research-grade diode laser as the seeding source.

Quantitative Moisture Measurement with a Cavity Ring-down Spectrometer using Telecom Diode Lasers

Moisture measurement is of great needs in semiconductor industry, combustion diagnosis, meteorology, and atmospheric studies. We present an optical hygrometer based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy （CRDS）. By using different absorption lines of H20 in the 1.56 and 1.36 gm regions, we are able to determine the relative concentration （mole fraction） of water vapor from a few percent down to the 10-12 level. The quantitative accuracy is examined by comparing the CRDS hygrometer with a commercial chilled-mirror dew-point meter. The high sensitivity of the CRDS instrument allows a water detection limit of 8 pptv.

Influence of laser intensity in second-harmonic detection with tunable diode laser multi-pass absorption spectroscopy

Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy （TDLAS） has been widely employed in atmospheric trace gases detection. The ratio of the second-harmonic signal to the intensity of laser beam incident to the multi-pass cell is proved to be proportional to the product of the path length and the gas concentration under any condition. A new calibration method based on this relation in TDLAS system for the measurement of trace gas concentration is proposed for the first time. The detection limit and the sensitivity of the system are below 110 and 31ppbv （parts-per-billion in volume）, respectively.

Diode Laser Soldering Technology of Fine Pitch QFP Devices

The laser provides a controllable means of supplying localized energy for solder joint formation and is a valuable tool in electronics manufacture.Diode laser soldering for fine pitch QFP devices were carried out with Sn-Ag-Cu lead-free solder and Sn-Pb solder respectively,and the mechanical properties of micro-joints of the QFP devices were tested and studied by STR-1000 micro-joints tester.The results indicate that sound QFP micro-joints without bridging or solder ball are gained by means of diode laser soldering method with appropriate laser processing parameters,and the pitch of the QFP devices is as fine as to 0.4mm.Tensile strength of QFP micro-joints increases gradually with the increase of laser output power,the maximum tensile strength presents when the laser output power increase to a certain value.The results also indicate that the mechanical properties of QFP micro-joints soldered by diode laser soldering system are better than those of QFP micro-joints soldered by IR reflow soldering method.The experimental results may provide a theory guide for investigation of diode laser soldering.

A remote sensing system of vehicle emissions based on tunable diode laser technology

As being an effective real-time method of monitoring vehicle emissions on-road, a remote sensing system based on the tunable diode laser （TDL） technology was presented, and the key technologies were discussed. A field test in Guangzhou（Guangdong, China） was performed and was found that the factors, such as slope, instantaneous speed and acceleration, had significant influence on the detectable rate of the system. Based on the results, the proposal choice of testing site was presented.

Factors Related to Prognosis of Refractory Glaucoma with Diode Laser Transscleral Cyclophotocoagulation Treatment

Objective To evaluate the predictive factors of refractory glaucoma treated with diode laser transscleral cyclophotocoagulation(TSCP) in a midterm observation.Methods Fifty-four consecutive patients(54 eyes) with refractory glaucoma were enrolled and underwent TSCP(power of 1.5-2.0 W,exposure time of 2 seconds and 20-50 applications).Patients were regularly followed up for 12 months.Intraocular pressure(IOP) was measured before TSCP treatment and at each follow-up visit.Patients were divided into the sensitive and insensitive groups according to the effect of a single treatment of TSCP on IOP.The success rate was defined as the percentage of eyes achieving an IOP between 5 and 21 mm Hg following TSCP therapy at their final follow up visit.Difference of age between the sensitive and insensitive groups was evaluated with Independent-samples T test and that of gender distribution of two groups was evaluated with Fisher's exact test.The success rate of different types of glaucoma to TSCP was calculated.Results A total of 32 patients were sensitive to TSCP(sensitive group) and 22 patients were insensitive to TSCP(insensitive group).The success rates of female(77.8%,14/18) and cases being over 50 years(71.4%,20/28) were higher than those of male(50.0%,18/36) and ones being under 50 years(46.2%,12/26)(all P>0.05).The age of the sensitive and insensitive groups was 56.0±15.5 and 46.4±15.4 years,respectively(P=0.029).The age(P=0.029) and gender distribution(P=0.046) of the two groups had significant difference.The success rate of neovascular glaucoma,primary angle-closure glaucoma,primary open angle glaucoma,traumatic glaucoma,uveitic glaucoma,and secondary glaucoma after silicone oil injection to TSCP was 57.1%,100.0%,50.0%,20.0%,81.8%,and 0%,respectively.Conclusion Age,gender,and type of glaucoma appear to be associated with effect of TSCP on IOP control.

Diode laser using narrow bandwidth interference filter at 852 nm and its application in Faraday anomalous dispersion optical filter

We demonstrate an 852-nm external cavity diode laser（ECDL） system whose wavelength is mainly determined by an interference filter instead of other wavelength selective elements. The Lorentzian linewidth measured by the heterodyne beating between two identical lasers is 28.3 k Hz. Moreover, we test the application of the ECDL in the Faraday atomic filter.Besides saturated absorption spectrum, the transmission spectrum of the Faraday atomic filter at 852 nm is measured by using the ECDL. This interference filter ECDL method can also be extended to other wavelengths and widen the application range of diode laser.

Broad bandwidth interference filter-stabilized external cavity diode laser with narrow linewidth below 100kHz

Interference filter-stabilized external cavity diode lasers （ECDLs） have properties of simple configurations, high sta- bilities, and narrow linewidths. However, the interference filter used in common ECDL designs requires an ultra-narrow bandwidth （about 0.3 nm） to achieve mode selection, that is considerably expensive and not yet available for a wide range of wavelengths. In this paper, a robust ECDL using an available broad bandwidth （about 4 nm） interference filter as the wavelength discriminator is constructed and tested. The ECDL demonstrated a narrow Lorentzian fitted linewidth of 95 kHz and a spectral purity of 2.9 MHz. The long-term frequency stability of the ECDL reaches 5.59 x 10 12.

Arbitrary frequency stabilization of a diode laser based on visual Labview PID VI and sound card output

We report a robust method of directly stabilizing a grating feedback diode laser to an arbitrary frequency in a large range. The error signal, induced from the difference between the frequency measured by a wavelength meter and the preset target frequency, is fed back to the piezoelectric transducer module of the diode laser via a sound card in the computer. A visual Labview procedure is developed to realize a feedback system. In our experiment the frequency drift of the diode laser is reduced to 8 MHz within 25 min. The robust scheme can be adapted to realize the arbitrary frequency stabilization for many other kinds of lasers.

Effects of diode laser photocoagulation treatment on ocular biometric parameters in premature infants with retinopathy of prematurity

AIM:To investigate the effects of diode laser treatment on ocular biometric parameters in premature infants with retinopathy of prematurity(ROP).METHODS:Premature infants who received diode laser treatment for ROP(n=68)and premature infants with spontaneous regressed ROP without treatment(n=50)were performed longitudinal ocular biometric measurements including anterior chamber depth,lens thickness and axial length as follows:1 d prior to laser treatment,and 3,6,9,and 12 mo after the laser treatment.RESULTS:The mean birth weight,gestational age and initial examination time values were 936.53±302.07 g,26.66±2.42 wk,36.26±2.73 wk in the treatment group and 959.78±260.08 g,27.28±2.10 wk,36.56±2.54 wk in the control group.There was no statistically significant difference in these demographic characteristics of the groups.Anterior chamber depth,lens thickness and axial length demonstrated statistically significant linear increases during the study period in the two groups(P<0.001 for each).There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of anterior chamber depth after laser treatment.Measurements of the lens thickness at 9 th and 12 th months(9 th month 3.70±0.22 vs 3.60±0.21 mm,P=0.017;12 th month 3.81±0.21 vs 3.69±0.22 mm,P=0.002)and the axial length at 12 th month(19.35±0.79 vs 19.13±0.54 mm,P=0.031)after laser treatment were statistically higher in the treatment group.CONCLUSION:Diode laser retinal photocoagulation treatment in premature infants seems to increase the lens thickness and axial length.

Development of 2D Temperature and Concentration Measurement Method Using Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy

Exhaust gas temperature is an important factor in NOx, THC and PM emissions of engines. Especially 2D temperature and concentration distribution plays an important role for the engine efficiency. A thermocouple is intrinsically a point temperature measurement method and noncontact 2D temperature distribution cannot be attained by thermocouples. Recently, as a measurement technique with high sensitivity and high response, laser diagnostics has been developed and applied to the actual engine combustions. With these engineering developments, transient phenomena such as start-ups and load changes in engines have been gradually elucidated in various conditions. In this study, the theoretical and experimental research has been conducted in order to develop the noncontact and fast response 2D temperature and concentration distribution measurement method. The method is based on a Computed Tomography （CT） method using absorption spectra of water vapor at 1388 nm. It has been demonstrated that the method has been successfully applied to engine exhausts to measure 2D temperature distributions.

Silicothermic reduction of MgO using diode laser:Experimental and kinetic study

As a step toward realizing magnesium civilization,which needs a sustainable Mg production process,the reduction of MgO to Mg has been investigated.Direct diode laser(DDL)produces high power and continuous beam in tiny spots.The laser with energy density up to 83*10^(5) W/cm^(2) is focused on MgO/Si target inside the vacuum chamber,creating the high temperature zone,which stimulates the Mg production reaction.The vapor is collected on the copper plate;and then,analyzed chemically in terms of Mg production efficiency.The largest reduction and energy efficiencies in Ar atmosphere were 41%and 15.3 mg kJ^(−1),while in the vacuum,13.5%and 15.8 mg kJ^(−1) were attainable.The reactions of MgO and Si have been investigated.Calculations revealed that the MgO reduction with Si proceeds as heterogeneous reaction.The rate of reaction of Si with MgO is faster than the rate of MgO evaporation and Mg vapor deposition.

Design of NO2 photoacoustic sensor with high reflective mirror based on low power blue diode laser

An NO2 photoacoustic sensor system with a high reflective mirror based on a low power blue diode laser is developed in this work. The excitation power is enhanced by increasing the number of reflections. Comparing with a traditional photoacoustic system, the pool constant is improved from 300.24(Pa·cm)/W to 1450.64(Pa·cm)/W, and the signal sensitivity of the photoacoustic sensor is increased from 0.016 μV/ppb to 0.2562 μV/ppb. The characteristics of temperature and humidity of the new photoacoustic sensor are also obtained, and the algorithm is adjusted to provide a quantitative response and drift of the resonance frequency. The results of this research provide a new method and concept for further developing the NO2 photoacoustic sensors.

High-performance frequency stabilization of ultraviolet diode lasers by using dichroic atomic vapor spectroscopy and transfer cavity

We develop a high-performance ultraviolet(UV)frequency stabilization technique implemented directly on UV diode lasers by combining the dichroic atomic vapor laser lock and the resonant transfer cavity lock.As an example,we demonstrate a stable locking with measured frequency standard deviations of approximately 200 kHz and 300 kHz for 399 nm and 370 nm diode lasers in 20 min.We achieve a long-term frequency drift of no more than 1 MHz for the target 370 nm laser within an hour,which is further verified with fluorescence count rates of a single trapped ^171Yb+ion.We also find strong linear correlations between lock points and environmental factors such as temperature and atmospheric pressure.Our approach provides a simple and stable solution at a relatively low cost,and features flexible control,high feedback bandwidth and minimal power consumption of the target UV laser.

Measurements of argon metastable density using the tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy in Ar and Ar/O2

Densities of Ar metastable states 1s5 and 1s3 are measured by using the tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy（TDLAS） in Ar and Ar/O2 mixture dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasma（DF-CCP）. We investigate the effects of high-frequency（HF, 60 MHz） power, low-frequency（LF, 2 MHz） power, and working pressure on the density of Ar metastable states for three different gas components（0%, 5%, and 10% oxygen mixed in argon）. The dependence of Ar metastable state density on the oxygen content is also studied at different working pressures. It is found that densities of Ar metastable states in discharges with different gas components exhibit different behaviors as HF power increases. With the increase of HF power, the metastable density increases rapidly at the initial stage, and then tends to be saturated at a higher HF power. With a small fraction（5% or 10%） of oxygen added in argon plasma, a similar change of the Ar metastable density with HF power can be observed, but the metastable density is saturated at a higher HF power than in the pure argon discharge. In the DF-CCP, the metastable density is found to be higher than in a single frequency discharge, and has weak dependence on LF power. As working pressure increases, the metastable state density first increases and then decreases,and the pressure value, at which the density maximum occurs, decreases with oxygen content increasing. Besides, adding a small fraction of oxygen into argon plasma will significantly dwindle the metastable state density as a result of quenching loss by oxygen molecules.

GaSb-based type-Ⅰ quantum well cascade diode lasers emitting at nearly 2-μm wavelength with digitally grown AlGaAsSb gradient layers

We report a GaSb-based type-I quantum well cascade diode laser emitting at nearly 2-μm wavelength.The recycling of carriers is realized by the gradient AlGaAsSb barrier and chirped GaSb/AlSb/InAs electron injector.The growth of quaternary digital alloy with a gradually changed composition by short-period superlattices is introduced in detail in this paper.And the quantum well cascade laser with 100-μm-wide,2-mm-long ridge generates an about continuous-wave output of 0.8 W at room temperature.The characteristic temperature T_(0) is estimated at above 60 K.

A 1550-nm linearly tunable continuous wave single-mode external cavity diode laser based on a single-cavity all-dielectric thin-film Fabry Pérot filter

A 1550-nm linearly tunable continuous wave （CW） single-mode external cavity diode laser （ECDL） based on a singlecavity all-dielectric thin-film Fabry-Pérot filter （s-AFPF） is proposed and realized in this paper. Its internal optical components as well as their operation mechanisms are introduced first, and then its longitudinal mode output characteristic is theoretically analyzed. Afterwards, we set up the experimental platform for the output characteristic measurement of this tunable ECDL; under different experimental conditions, we execute accurate and real-time measurements for the output central wavelength, output optical power, output longitudinal mode distribution, and the line-width of the tunable ECDL in its tuning process. By summing up the optimal experimental condition from the measured data, we obtain the optimal tunable ECDL relevant parameters： the tunable ECDL has a linear mode-hop-free wavelength tuning region of 1547.203 nm-1552.426 nm, a stable output optical power in the range of 40 μW-50 μW, and a stable output longitudinal mode distribution of a single longitudinal mode with a line-width in the range of 100 MHz-150 MHz. This tunable ECDL can be used in environmental gas monitoring, atomic and molecular laser spectroscopy research, precise measurements, and so on.

A 420nm Blue Diode Laser for the Potential Rubidium Optical Frequency Standard

We report a 42Ohm external cavity diode laser with an interference filter （IF） of 0.5am narrow-bandwidth and 79% high transmission, which is first used for Rb optical frequency standard. The IF and the cat-eye reflector are used for selecting wavelength and light feedback, respectively. The measured laser linewidth is 24 kHz when the diode laser is free running. Using this narrow-linewidth IF blue diode laser, we realize a compact Rb optical frequency standard without a complicated PDH system. The preliminary stability of the Rb optical frequency standard is 2 × 10^-13 at I s and decreases to 1.9 ×10^-14 at 1000s. The narrow-linewidth characteristic makes the IF blue diode laser a well suited candidate for the compact Rb optical frequency standard.

Portable Atmospheric Transfer of Microwave Signal Using Diode Laser with Timing Fluctuation Suppression

We demonstrate an atmospheric transfer of microwave signal over a 120 m outdoor free-space link using a compact diode laser with a timing fluctuation suppression technique.Timing fluctuation and Allan Deviation are both measured to characterize the instability of transferred frequency incurred during the transfer process.By transferring a 100 MHz microwave signal within 4500 s,the total root-mean-square(RMS)timing fluctuation was measured to be about 6 ps,with a fractional frequency instability on the order of 1×10-12 at 1 s,and order of 7×10-15 at 1000 s.This portable atmospheric frequency transfer scheme with timing fluctuation suppression can be used to distribute an atomic clock-based frequency over a free-space link.