Hamburg 2009 – scientific programme
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 14: Ultrakurze Pulse: Erzeugung II
Q 14.3: Talk
Monday, March 2, 2009, 17:00–17:15, VMP 8 R206
All-fiber control of the repetition rate of an erbium fiber laser — Markus Löser1,2, •Till Walbaum1, Petra Groß1, and Carsten Fallnich1 — 1Institut für Angewandte Physik, Westfälische Wilhelm-Universität Münster, Münster, Deutschland — 2Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau (FH), Fachbereich Physikalische Technik, PF 201037, Zwickau, Deutschland
Stabilization of the repetition frequency of mode-locked lasers is an important issue for synchronisation purposes. Fiber optical means are of special interest in this context due to their low cost and high environmental stability. In order to realize an all-fiber control of the repetition rate, we have developed a fiber stretcher based on low-bending loss single mode fiber. Our device is capable of changing the repetition rate of an erbium fiber laser by more than 1.1kHz at a fundamental frequency of 47.66MHz, which is to our knowledge the largest difference yet achieved by fiber stretching. With this novel stretcher, repetition rate stabilization has been established, fully neutralizing thermal drift. Frequency noise could be reduced to 57mHz RMS, limited by the available RF-reference. Stress-induced changes of polarization have been charaterized and were shown to be negligible. While being stabilized, the pulse repetition rate could still be tuned within several hundred Hertz without affecting pulse duration or optical spectrum significantly, while the output power remained constant within ± 2% and the pulse duration within ± 2fs over the whole tuning range. The work will be continued including investigations for the transfer of repetition rate stability to a second laser by optical means only.