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A compact all-polarization maintaining 2.05 μm fiber laser system emitting femtosecond pulses at 1-MW peak power is studied and applied to dielectric laser acceleration of non-relativistic electrons obtaining acceleration gradients up to ∼ 50 MeV/m.

A method for analyzing the statistical nature of laser noise is demonstrated. By application to CEP noise characteristics, the method is shown to enable discriminating between deterministic technical and stochastic quantum noise contributions.

A novel broadband 6-um parametric amplifier driven by a fs 2.1-um Ho:YAG chirped-pulse amplifier is demonstrated. It offers an all-in-one solution for seeding, pumping, and CEP-stabilization of few-cycle pulses in ZnGeP2 and similar mid-IR crystals.

We have optically compared two fiber-based frequency combs with ultra-high stability. The resulting beat frequency shows integrated phase noise below 100 mrad (100Hz to 2MHz) and an overlapping Allan deviation of 1×10−16 at 1s, dropping below 1×10−18 at 500s.

Optics letters 41(15), 3435 - 3438(2016). doi:10.1364/OL.41.003435, We demonstrate an experimental technique for both transverse and longitudinal characterization of bunched femtosecond free electron beams. The operation principle is based on monitoring of the current of electrons that obtained an energy gain during the interaction with the synchronized optical near-field wave excited by femtosecond laser pulses. The synchronous accelerating/decelerating fields confined to the surface of a silicon nanostructure are characterized using a highly focused sub-relativistic electron beam. Here the transverse spatial resolution of 450 nm and femtosecond temporal resolution of 480 fs (sub-optical-cycle temporal regime is briefly discussed) achievable by this technique are demonstrated., Published by Soc., Washington, DC

Laser frequency combs have found their way from laboratory spectroscopy into astronomy to serve as calibrators for spectrographs. Boosting the precision available in astronomical spectroscopy, this might pave the way to many new discoveries. In this tutorial we give an overview on this recent development.

The use of femtosecond laser pulses allows precise and thermal damage -free removal of material (ablation) with wide-ranging scientificl(1,5), medical(6-11) and industrial applications(12). However, its potential is limited by the low speeds at which material can be removed(1,9-11,13) and the complexity of the associated laser technology. The complexity of the laser design arises from the need to overcome the high pulse energy threshold for efficient ablation. However, the use of more powerful lasers to increase the ablation rate results in unwanted effects such as shielding, saturation and collateral damage from heat accumulation at higher laser powers(6,13,14). Here we circumvent this limitation by exploiting ablation cooling, in analogy to a technique routinely used in aerospace engineering(13,16). We apply ultrafast successions (bursts) of laser pulses to ablate the target material before the residual heat deposited by previous pulses diffuses away from the processing region. Proof-of-principle experiments on various substrates demonstrate that extremely high repetition rates, which make ablation cooling possible, reduce the laser pulse energies needed for ablation and increase the efficiency of the removal process by an order of magnitude over previously used laser parameters(17,18). We also demonstrate the removal of brain tissue at two cubic millimetres per minute and dentine at three cubic millimetres per minute without any thermal damage to the bulk(9,11).

We report a novel source for mid-IR nonlinear spectroscopy in the molecular fingerprint spectral range based on a white-light-seeded ZnGeP2 OPA tunable in the 3-4.2 µm (signal) and 4.2-7 µm (idler) range and pumped by a 1-ps 2090-nm Ho:YAG laser.

The best spectrographs are limited in stability by their calibration light source. Laser frequency combs are the ideal calibrators for astronomical spectrographs. They emit a spectrum of lines that are equally spaced in frequency and that are as accurate and stable as the atomic clock relative to which the comb is stabilized. Absolute calibration provides the radial velocity of an astronomical object relative to the observer (on Earth). For the detection of Earth-mass exoplanets in Earth-like orbits around solar-type stars, or of cosmic acceleration, the observable is a tiny velocity change of less than 10 cm s(-1), where the repeatability of the calibration--the variation in stability across observations--is important. Hitherto, only laboratory systems or spectrograph calibrations of limited performance have been demonstrated. Here we report the calibration of an astronomical spectrograph with a short-term Doppler shift repeatability of 2.5 cm s(-1), and use it to monitor the star HD 75289 and recompute the orbit of its planet. This repeatability should make it possible to detect Earth-like planets in the habitable zone of star or even to measure the cosmic acceleration directly.

We have investigated the radiation induced absorption (RIA) of optical fibers with high active ion concentration. Comparing our results to the literature leads us to the conclusion that RIA appears to be only weakly dependent on the rare earth dopant concentration. Instead, co-dopants like Al, Ge, or P and manufacturing processes seem to play the major role for the radiation sensitivity. It is also observed that different types of irradiation cause very similar RIA at the same dose applied, with the exception at very high dose rates. It has been studied how RIA can be efficiently reduced via moderate heating. Recovery of up to 70% of the original transmission has been reached after annealing at 450 K. We conclude that radiation induced color centers have weak binding energies between 20 and 40 meV. This suggests that annealing could become a key strategy for an improved survival of rare earth doped fibers in radiative environments, opening up new possibilities for long-term missions in space.

Optical frequency combs allow for the precise measurement of optical frequencies and are used in a growing number of applications. The new class of Kerr-frequency comb sources, based on parametric frequency conversion in optical microresonators, can complement conventional systems in applications requiring high repetition rates such as direct comb spectroscopy, spectrometer calibration, arbitrary optical waveform generation and advanced telecommunications. However, a severe limitation in experiments working towards practical systems is phase noise, observed in the form of linewidth broadening, multiple repetition-rate beat notes and loss of temporal coherence. These phenomena are not explained by the current theory of Kerr comb formation, yet understanding this is crucial to the maturation of Kerr comb technology. Here, based on observations in crystalline MgF2 and planar Si3N4 microresonators, we reveal the universal, platform-independent dynamics of Kerr comb formation, allowing the explanation of a wide range of phenomena not previously understood, as well as identifying the condition for, and transition to, low-phase-noise performance.

We propose a method of synchronizing mode-locked lasers separated by hundreds of meters with the possibility of achieving sub-fs performance by locking the phases of corresponding lines in the optical comb spectrum. The optical phase from one comb line is transmitted to the remote laser over an interferometrically stabilized link by locking a single frequency laser to a comb line with high phase stability. We describe how these elements are integrated into a complete system and estimate the potential performance.

We report on the generation of a high-power frequency comb in the 2 μm wavelength regime featuring high amplitude and phase stability with unprecedented laser parameters, combining 60 W of average power with

Here, we present a novel technique for time resolved experiments without any moveable external delay line. Optical Sampling by Cavity Tuning (OSCAT) method is based on a femtosecond laser with a tunable repetition rate and a passive delay line. The time delay between the pump and probe pulses is determined by the repetition rate of the femtosecond laser.

Optica 5(6), 687 - 690 (2018). doi:10.1364/OPTICA.5.000687, We experimentally demonstrate several physical concepts necessary for the future development of dielectric laser accelerators—photonic elements that utilize the inelastic interaction between electrons and the optical near fields of laser-illuminated periodic nanostructures. To build a fully photonic accelerator, concatenation of elements, large energy gains, and beam steering elements are required. Staged acceleration is shown using two spatio-temporally separated interaction regions. Further, a chirped silicon grating is used to overcome the velocity dephasing of subrelativistic electrons with respect to its optical near fields, and last, a parabolic grating geometry serves for focusing of the electron beam., Published by OSA, Washington, DC

We present the first stringent tests of a novel calibration system based on a laser frequency comb (LFC) for radial velocity measurements. The tests were obtained with the high-resolution, optical spectrograph, High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher. By using only one echelle order, we obtain a calibration repeatability of 15 cm s −1 for exposures that are several hours apart. This is comparable with a simultaneous calibration using a Th–Ar lamp that makes use of all 72 echelle orders. In both cases, the residuals are compatible with the computed photon noise. Averaging all LFC exposures, recorded over a few hours, we could obtain a calibration curve with residuals of 2.4 m s −1 . Thanks to the adjustable and optimally chosen line density of the LFC, we resolve a periodicity of 512 pixels in the calibration curve that is due to the manufacturing process of the CCD mask. Previous Th–Ar calibration was unable to resolve these systematic deviations, resulting in a deviation of up to 70 m s −1 from the true calibration curve. In future, we hope to be able to make use of all echelle orders in order to obtain a calibration repeatability below 1 cm s −1 and absolute calibration within a few m s −1 .

The solar convection manifests as granulation and intergranulation at the solar surface. In the photosphere, convective motions induce differential Doppler shifts to spectral lines. The observed convective blueshift varies across the solar disk. We focus on the impact of solar convection on the atmosphere and aim to resolve its velocity stratification in the photosphere. We performed high-resolution spectroscopic observations of the solar spectrum in the 6302\,\AA\ range with the Laser Absolute Reference Spectrograph (LARS) at the Vacuum Tower Telescope. A laser frequency comb enabled the calibration of the spectra to an absolute wavelength scale with an accuracy of ${\rm 1\,m\,s^{-1}}$. We systematically scanned the Quiet Sun from disk center to the limb at ten selected heliocentric positions. The analysis included 99 time sequences of up to 20\,min in length. By means of ephemeris and reference corrections, we translated wavelength shifts into absolute line-of-sight velocities. A bisector analysis on the line profiles yielded the shapes and convective shifts of seven photospheric lines. At disk center, the bisector profiles of the iron lines feature a pronounced C-shape with maximum convective blueshifts of up to ${\rm -450\,m\,s^{-1}}$ in the spectral line wings. Toward the solar limb, the bisectors change into a \textbackslash-shape with a saturation in the line core at a redshift of ${\rm +100\,m\,s^{-1}}$. The center-to-limb variation of the line core velocities shows a slight increase in blueshift when departing the disk center for larger heliocentric angles. This increase in blueshift is more pronounced for the magnetically less active meridian than for the equator. Toward the solar limb, the blueshift decreases and can turn into a redshift. Best spectroscopic measurements enabled the accurate determination of absolute convective shifts in the solar photosphere., Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, appendix with 5 figures

We have explored the performance of two "dark fibers" of a commercial telecommunication fiber link for a remote comparison of optical clocks. The two fibers, linking the Leibniz University of Hanover (LUH) with the Physi-kalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Braunschweig, are connected in Hanover to form a total fiber length of 146 km. At PTB the performance of an optical frequency standard operating at 456 THz was imprinted to a cw trans-fer laser at 194 THz, and its frequency was transmitted over the fiber. In order to detect and compensate phase noise related to the optical fiber link we have built a low-noise optical fiber interferometer and investigated noise sources that affect the overall performance of the optical link. The frequency stability at the remote end has been measured using the clock laser of PTB's Yb+ frequency standard operating at 344 THz. We show that the frequency of a frequency-stabilized fiber laser can be transmitted over a total fiber length of 146 km with a relative frequency uncertainty below 1E-19, and short term frequency instability given by the fractional Allan deviation of sy(t)=3.3E-15/(t/s).

We report on an external cavity diode laser at 972 nm stabilized to a mid-plane mounted Fabry-Perot (FP) resonator with a finesse of 400000. The 0.5 Hz optical beat note line width between two similar lasers (Allan deviation 2 × 10 −15 ) is limited by thermal noise properties of two independent FP res- onators. The long term drift of the FP resonator and mirror substrates made from Ultra-Low-Expansion glass (ULE) is small and can be well predicted on time intervals up to many hours if the resonator is stabilized at the zero thermal expansion temperature Tc. Using a Peltier element in a vacuum chamber for tem- perature stabilization allows stabilization of the FP cavity to Tc which is usually below the room temperature. Beat note measurements with a femtosecond opti- cal frequency comb referenced to a H-maser during 15 hours have shown a well defined linear drift of the FP resonance frequency of about 60 mHz/s with residual frequency excursions of less than ±20 Hz.

Mode-locked femtosecond lasers enable ultra precise measurements based on fundamental constants. Although in terms of pulse properties the performance of the state-of-the-art Ti:sapphire lasers are yet superior to alternative ultrafast laser technologies, it is the fiber laser technology that facilitates the development of breakthrough applications outside the laboratory environment. Reliability and robustness of fiber lasers are attractive features for industry, while the unique SWaP factor (size, weight and power) designates the fiber-based optical frequency combs a promising enabling technology even for space science.

Time dilation is one of the most fascinating aspects of special relativity as it abolishes the notion of absolute time. It was first observed experimentally by Ives and Stilwell in 1938 using the Doppler effect. Here we report on a method, based on fast optical atomic clocks with large, but different Lorentz boosts, that tests relativistic time dilation with unprecedented precision. The approach combines ion storage and cooling with optical frequency counting using a frequency comb. 7Li+ ions are prepared at 6.4% and 3.0% of the speed of light in a storage ring, and their time is read with an accuracy of 2×10−10 using laser saturation spectroscopy. The comparison of the Doppler shifts yields a time dilation measurement represented by a Mansouri–Sexl parameter , consistent with special relativity. This constrains the existence of a preferred cosmological reference frame and CPT- and Lorentz-violating ‘new’ physics beyond the standard model.

We report frequency measurements at the rovibronic transition P(42)1-14 (772 nm) and R(114)2-11 (735 nm) from the electronic X 1 Σ g + → B 3 Π 0 u + transition of the iodine molecule 127I2 with the help of a frequency comb as a reference. By using Doppler-free saturation spectroscopy a frequency precision in the 7 × 10−10 region is reached and two iodine cells both operated at 550–600 °C are compared. To relate our results to other measurements, the absolute transition frequency of the hyperfine structure line P(148)1-14 a1 at 780 nm with an already known transition frequency was also determined.

We have locked fceo and frep of an all-PM 250 MHz Er:fiber femtosecond frequency comb with a bandwidth exceeding 1 MHz. This results in record-low integrated phase noise of 68 mrad and 55 mrad respectively.

We have developed compact ultrafast laser sources for a wide variety of applications, including quality control and optical frequency combs for precision measurements. Fields ranging from astronomical observatories to spaceflights, optical clocks or long distance links are served with this technology.

We report on an oscillator seeded all-PM fiber based 2.05 µm CPA system emitting 371 fs pulses at 1 MHz and 1 MW peak power without the need of LMA amplifier or complex temporal management.

We demonstrate the generation of broadband, visible astronomical frequency combs with flattened spectral envelopes. The flat-top region of the spectrum ranges from about 450 to 730 nm, at mode spacings of 18 and 25 GHz.

A novel class of high energy ultrafast OPCPA system at 7 μm, pumped by an optically synchronized and Tm:fiber pumped 2 μm picosecond Ho:YLF CPA system, delivers mJ-level pulses supporting a sub-4 optical cycle duration.

The Doppler-free laser-spectroscopic frequency measurement of Doppler-shifted optical lines in forward and backward direction of a fast ion beam permits a sensitive test of the relativistic Doppler-formula and, hence, the relativistic time dilation factor γ SR=(1−ν 2/c 2)−1/2. An experiment on metastable 7Li+, stored at a velocity of ν=0.064c in the Heidelberg heavy-ion storage ring TSR, has confirmed time dilation with unprecedented accuracy. Latest tests at two different ion-velocities (ν=0.03c and ν=0.064c) will enhance these measurements. An improved version of this experiment will be carried out at the experimental storage ring (ESR) at the Gesellschaft fur Schwerionenforschung (GSI) in Darmstadt. The ESR permits 7Li+ to be stored at ν=0.33c which promises an improvement of the sensitivity to deviations from γ SRby an order of magnitude. A first test at the ESR has shown the feasibility for this kind of experiment.

The hyperfine structure splittings of the P(10)14-1, R(15)14-1, and R(99)15-1 transitions at 585 nm, P(62)17-1 at 576 nm, and P(80)21-1 at 565 nm in 127 I 2 are measured by heterodyne spectroscopy using two dye lasers. In addition, the absolute frequencies of the hyperfine components P(10)14-1 a 15 and P(80)21-1 a 10 are determined using a self-referenced frequency comb. These frequencies are used in an experiment testing relativistic time dilation by laser spectroscopy on a fast ion beam.

We report on the generation of a 2500 nm bandwidth frequency comb at 6.5 μm central wavelength based on critically phase-matched parametric down-conversion in the nonlinear crystal CdSiP(2) (CSP), driven by a compact Er,Tm:Ho fiber laser. The generated ultra-broadband pulses show a transform-limited duration of 2.3 optical cycles and carry up to 150 pJ of energy at a 100 MHz pulse repetition rate. For comparison, the spectrum generated in AgGaS(2) (AGS) spans from 6.2 to 7.4 μm at full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) with a pulse energy of 3 pJ. A full 3D nonlinear wave propagation code is used for optimization of the noncollinear angle, propagation direction, and crystal thickness.

The amplitude and frequency of laser light can be routinely measured and controlled on a femtosecond (10(-15) s) timescale. However, in pulses comprising just a few wave cycles, the amplitude envelope and carrier frequency are not sufficient to characterize and control laser radiation, because evolution of the light field is also influenced by a shift of the carrier wave with respect to the pulse peak. This so-called carrier-envelope phase has been predicted and observed to affect strong-field phenomena, but random shot-to-shot shifts have prevented the reproducible guiding of atomic processes using the electric field of light. Here we report the generation of intense, few-cycle laser pulses with a stable carrier envelope phase that permit the triggering and steering of microscopic motion with an ultimate precision limited only by quantum mechanical uncertainty. Using these reproducible light waveforms, we create light-induced atomic currents in ionized matter; the motion of the electronic wave packets can be controlled on timescales shorter than 250 attoseconds (250 x 10(-18) s). This enables us to control the attosecond temporal structure of coherent soft X-ray emission produced by the atomic currents--these X-ray photons provide a sensitive and intuitive tool for determining the carrier-envelope phase.

We report on the parametric generation of 100 fs sub-6-cycle 40 μJ pulses with the center wavelength at 5.2 μm using a 1 ps 2.1 μm pump laser and a dispersion management scheme based on bulk material. Our optically synchronized amplifier chain consists of a Ho:YAG chirped-pulse amplifier and white-light-seeded optical parametric amplifiers providing simultaneous passive carrier-envelope phase locking of three ultrashort longwave pulses at the pump, signal, and idler wavelengths corresponding, respectively, to 2.1, 3.5, and 5.2 μm. We also demonstrate bandwidth enhancement and efficient control over nonlinear spectral phase in the regime of cascaded χsup2/supnonlinearity in ZnGePsub2/sub.

We present a re-engineered version of the laser frequency comb that has proven a few-cm/s calibration repeatability on the HARPS spectrograph during past campaigns. The new design features even better performance characteristics. The newly arranged oscillator, filter cavities and fiber injection for spectral broadening allow robust long term operation, controlled from a remote site. Its automation features enable easy operation for non-experts. The system is being prepared for installation on the HARPS spectrograph in fall of 2014, and will subsequently become available to the astronomical community.

We transferred an optical frequency along a 1840km fiber link and achieved an instability of 3x10^-15 at 1s with 4x10^-19 after 100s. The transferred frequency shows no systematic offset within an uncertainty of 3x10^-19. Detailed analysis revealed a t^-2 response in the modified Allan deviation.

We report on a compact coherent All-PM fiber laser amplifier system at around 2.03 mm running at 100 MHz delivering broadband pulses at 290 mW average power and pulse duration down to 128 fs.

We measured relative envelope jitter of two fiber comb lasers, each with one comb line phase locked to a CW optical phase reference. Integrated jitter is 0.9fs RMS from 10Hz to 2MHz.

We report on an all-PM fiber oscillator-CPA system at 2.08 µm running at 7 MHz pulse repetition rate with 10 nJ pulse energy and 390 fs pulse duration behind external compression.

Using a high-Q Kerr-nonlinear SiN microresonator as a frequency comb source we generate a 1.44 Tbit/s (20×18 GBd PDM-QPSK) data stream and transmit it over 300 km. The comb is stabilized by a feedback control.

We characterize a GPS carrier-phase link with 450 km baseline, using a long-distance phase-stabilized optical fiber link. Active hydrogen masers at both ends are compared via both links simultaneously. This allows us to assess the instability and accuracy of the GPS link with sub-10^-15 resolution.

Precision time references in space are of major importance to satellite-based fundamental science, global satellite navigation, earth observation, and satellite formation flying. Here we report on the operation of a compact, rugged, and automated optical frequency comb setup on a sounding rocket in space under microgravity. The experiment compared two clocks, one based on the optical D2 transition in Rb, and another on hyperfine splitting in Cs. This represents the first frequency comb based optical clock operation in space, which is an important milestone for future satellite-based precision metrology. Based on the approach demonstrated here, future space-based precision metrology can be improved by orders of magnitude when referencing to state-of-the-art optical clock transitions.

Femtosecond laser-frequency comb techniques are vastly simplifying the measurement and synthesis of optical frequencies. A single mode-locked femtosecond laser, with its spectrum broadened by self-phase modulation in a microstructured or tapered nonlinear fiber, can produce millions of sharp laser lines in a precise evenly spaced grid spanning much of the visible and near-infrared spectrum. The absolute frequency of each line is determined by two observable radio-frequency signals. The pulse repetition rate gives the spacing of the comb lines and the rate at which the phase of the lightwave slips, relative to the intensity envelope from pulse to pulse determines the offset frequency by which each line is displaced from a precise integral multiple of the repetition frequency. This offset frequency can be measured most easily if the comb spans more than an optical octave so that one can observe a radio frequency beat note between the second harmonic of the infrared comb lines with the corresponding comb lines at the blue end. Such an optical-frequency synthesizer makes optical oscillations readily countable and provides the long-awaited compact optical clockwork for an all-optical clock.

International audience; Precise determinations of transition frequencies of simple atomic systems are required for a number of fundamental applications such as tests of quantum electrodynamics (QED), the determination of fundamental constants and nuclear charge radii. The sharpest transition in atomic hydrogen occurs between the metastable 2S state and the 1S ground state. Its transition frequency has now been measured with almost 15 digits accuracy using an optical frequency comb and a cesium atomic clock as a reference [1]. A recent measurement of the 2S - 2P3/2 transition frequency in muonic hydrogen is in significant contradiction to the hydrogen data if QED calculations are assumed to be correct [2, 3]. We hope to contribute to this so-called "proton size puzzle" by providing additional experimental input from hydrogen spectroscopy.

We report on an absolute frequency measurement of the hydrogen $1S\ensuremath{-}2S$ two-photon transition in a cold atomic beam with an accuracy of 1.8 parts in ${10}^{14}$. Our experimental result of 2 466 061 413 187 103(46) Hz has been obtained by phase coherent comparison of the hydrogen transition frequency with an atomic cesium fountain clock. Both frequencies are linked with a comb of laser frequencies emitted by a mode locked laser.

We have stabilized the modes of a comb of optical frequencies emitted by a mode-locked femtosecond-laser and used it as a ruler to measure differences of up to 45.2 THz between laser frequencies in a new type of frequency chain. Directly converting optical to radio frequencies, we have used it for an absolute frequency measurement of the 1S–2S transition in the hydrogen atom. Here, an intuitive model of the comb's properties is given and essential techniques for its stabilization and efficient detection of beat signals are presented.

We have measured the absolute frequency of the 115 In+ 5s 2 1 S0–5s5p 3 P0 clock transition at 236.5 nm with an accuracy of 3.3 parts in 1011. For this measurement, a frequency synthesis chain was used which links the indium clock transition to a methane-stabilized He–Ne laser at 3.39 μm and a Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm whose second harmonic was locked to a hyperfine component in molecular iodine. A frequency gap in the chain of 1.43 THz at 850 nm was bridged with the help of an optical frequency comb generator. The frequency of the 115 In+ clock transition was determined to 1 267 402 452 914 (41) kHz, where the accuracy is limited by the uncertainty of the iodine reference. This measurement represents an improvement of more than three orders of magnitude in accuracy compared to previous measurements of the line.

We have measured the absolute optical frequency of the cesium ${D}_{1}$ line at 335 THz (895 nm). This frequency provides an important link for a new determination of the fine structure constant $\ensuremath{\alpha}$. The ${D}_{1}$ line has been compared with the fourth harmonic of a methane stabilized He-Ne laser at 88.4 THz ( $3.39\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$). To measure the frequency mismatch of 18.39 THz between $4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}88.4\mathrm{THz}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}354\mathrm{THz}$ and the ${D}_{1}$ line a frequency comb spanning around 244 000 modes of a Kerr-lens mode-locked laser was used. We find 1 167 688 (81) kHz for the hyperfine splitting of the ${6P}_{1/2}$ state and 335 116 048 807 (41) kHz for the hyperfine centroid from which we derive ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}137.0359924(41)$.

We demonstrate the generation of broad spectra with a flat intensity distribution from originally highly structured supercontinua, obtained with femtosecond pulses in a photonic crystal fiber. This is accomplished by truncating the spectra at a constant level using a liquid crystal based spatial light modulator. The technique is useful for astronomical spectrograph calibration using frequency combs, where it allows to equalize the optical power of the calibration lines. This enables an improved calibration accuracy by maximizing each line’s signal-to-noise ratio.

We demonstrate optical frequency transfer over an 1840 km underground optical fiber link using a single-span stabilization. To compensate for more than 420 dB of optical attenuation of the light we use twenty Erbium doped fiber amplifiers along the entire link and two additional fiber Brillouin amplifiers. The good passive stability of our fiber link allows us to reach short term instabilities expressed as the modified Allan deviation of 3 × 10-15 for a gate time τ of 1 s reaching 4 × 10-19 in just 100 s. By comparing the sent and transferred frequencies we find no systematic offset within the statistical uncertainty of about 3 × 10-19. The spectral noise distribution of our fiber link at low Fourier frequencies leads to a τ-2 slope in the modified Allan deviation.

To compare the increasing number of optical frequency standards, highly stable optical signals have to be transferred over continental distances. We demonstrate optical-frequency transfer over a 1840-km underground optical fiber link using a single-span stabilization. The low inherent noise introduced by the fiber allows us to reach short term instabilities expressed as the modified Allan deviation of $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}15}$ for a gate time $\ensuremath{\tau}$ of 1 s reaching $4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}19}$ in just 100 s. We find no systematic offset between the sent and transferred frequencies within the statistical uncertainty of about $3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}19}$. The spectral noise distribution of our fiber link at low Fourier frequencies leads to a ${\ensuremath{\tau}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ slope in the modified Allan deviation, which is also derived theoretically.