Search

We present a hybrid fiber link combining effective optical frequency transfer and evaluation of performances with a self-synchronized two-way comparison. It enables us to detect the round-trip fiber noise and each of the forward and backward one-way fiber noises simultaneously. The various signals acquired with this setup allow us to study quantitatively several properties of optical fiber links. We check the reciprocity of the accumulated noise forth and back over a bi-directional fiber to the level of 3.1(±3.9) × 10

The long-term carrier-envelope phase (CEP) coherence of a femtosecond laser with same pulse-to-pulse CEP value, obtained using the direct locking method, is demonstrated by employing a quasi-common-path interferometer (QPI). For the evaluation of the CEP stability, the phase noise properties of a femtosecond laser with the CEP stabilized using a QPI are compared with those obtained using a Mach-Zehnder f-2f interferometer, for which the phase power spectral density and the Allan deviation were calculated from the beat signals of the interferometers. With the improved CEP stability, the long-term CEP coherent signal with an accumulated phase noise well below 1 radian can be maintained for more than 56 hours, i.e., the CEP coherence is preserved without a phase cycle slip for more than 1.6 × 10(13) pulses at a repetition rate of 80 MHz. The relative stability is also estimated to be approximately 1.4 × 10(-22) at a central wavelength of 790 nm.

We performed an absolute frequency measurement of an acetylene stabilized laser utilizing a femtosecond injection locking technique that can select one component among the fiber laser comb modes. The injection locking scheme has all the fiber configurations. Femtosecond comb lines of 250 MHz spacing based on the fiber femtosecond laser were used for injection locking of a distributed feedback (DFB) laser operating at 1542 nm as a frequency reference. The comb injected DFB laser serves as a selection filter of optical comb modes and an amplifier for amplification of the selected mode. The DFB laser injection locked to the desired comb mode was used to evaluate the frequency stability and absolute frequency measurement of an acetylene stabilized laser. The frequency stability of the acetylene stabilized laser was measured to be 1.1 x 10(-12) for a 1 s averaging time, improving to 6.9 x 10(-14) after 512 s. The absolute frequency of the laser stabilized on the P(16) transition of (13)C(2)H(2) was measured to be 194 369 569 385.7 kHz.

Uniaxial alignment of liquid crystals (LCs) is prerequisite for a vast number of LC applications. To accomplish stable and uniform LC orientation, an alignment process to orient the LCs is required. Herein, we demonstrate a simple strategy for fabricating novel LC alignment layers that ensures well aligned LC, superior switching without any capacitance hysteresis, low transmittance loss, and high thermal stability with sufficient anchoring action. Thin films of reactive mesogens (RMs) were transferred onto conventional homeotropic polyimides from a UV-cured RM stamp via contact printing. LC displays using defect free RM/PI polymeric stacks exhibited superior electro-optic (EO) properties to those containing rubbed PI layers. This approach allows for the fabrication of various-mode LC displays such as twisted nematic (TN), in-plane switching (IPS), and optically compensated bend (OCB) mode LCDs by changing the combinations of RMs, base PIs and LCs.

578-nm yellow light with an output power of more than 10 mW was obtained using a waveguide periodically-poled-lithium-niobate crystal as a nonlinear medium for second harmonic generation, which is the highest output power at this wavelength using second harmonic generation of a solid state laser source without an enhancement ring cavity, to our knowledge. To achieve this result we made a high power 1156-nm external-cavity diode laser with the maximum output power of more than 250 mW. This system is expected to be an excellent alternative to the system using the sum-frequency generation with the advantage of simplicity and cost-effectiveness, and will be used as a clock laser of the ytterbium optical lattice clock with robust and reliable operation.

This study demonstrates 578 nm yellow light generation with a narrow linewidth using a waveguide periodically poled lithium niboate (PPLN) and an optical injection-locked diode laser. The frequency of an external cavity diode laser used as a master laser operating at 1156 nm in optical injection-locking mode was locked into a high-finesse cavity with the Pound-Drever-Hall technique, which results in a linewidth reduction of the master laser. The linewidth of the master laser was estimated to be approximately 1.6 kHz. In an effort to amplify the optical power, a distributed feed-back laser was phase-locked to the master laser by an optical injection-locking technique. A waveguide PPLN was used for second harmonic generation. Frequency-doubled yellow light of approximately 2.4 mW was obtained with a conversion efficiency of 6.5%.

This paper demonstrates a direct comparison of optical frequency combs (OFCs) with different repetition rates without a stable intermediate laser using a single-mode comb-injection-lock technique. Two OFCs based on Ti:Sapphire mode-locked lasers were compared utilizing a single-mode diode laser for the selection and the amplification of one mode of an OFC by comb-injection, which makes the direct comb comparison possible. The frequencies of the two combs were found to agree within 0.019 Hz at 352 THz with the uncertainty of 0.25 Hz (7.1 x 10(-16) ). This is one of the best results among the comparisons of combs referenced to a microwave frequency. This technique simplifies the comb comparison utilities and can be applied even when repetition rates differ.