In this paper, we report on the development and manufacture of a dual-slit electron-optical dissector based on the PIF-01 streak image tube with a picosecond time resolution operating in the crossed-sweep mode. The dissector is designed to work on synchrotron radiation sources and electron-positron colliders, when it is necessary to record simultaneously the temporal profiles of electron and positron bunches filling from two to several hundred neighboring separatrices of an accelerator ring. In order to obtain the crossed-sweep mode, high-frequency (HF) sinusoidal voltages with multiple frequencies are fed to two pairs of deflecting plates of the tube, located perpendicular to each other. This separation of pulses will allow separate acquisition of the bunch profiles from neighboring separatrices of an accelerator, which are superimposed on each other in the absence of the crossed sweep. During the tests of the device which have been conducted on a laser system, two trains of light pulses, ”shifted” in time with respect to each other, were recorded with a time resolution of 6 ± 0.5 ps. Improvement of a single slit dissector was also done using the MASIM software. As a result, the temporal resolution of the modernized dissector measured on a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser was about 1.5 ps. The dissector was tested on the MLS (Berlin, Germany) accelerator. Using both the HAMAMATSU C10910 streak camera and the dissector, comparative measurements of the longitudinal bunch length were performed.
N. Vorobiev, P. Gornostaev, V. Dorokhov, V. Korchuganov, V. Lozovoi, O. Meshkov, Xiaochao Ma, D. Nikiforov, A. Smirnov, E. Shashkov, M. Ya. Schelev, A. Stirin, A. Valentinov, A. Vereshchagin
Temporal parameters of synchrotron pulse radiation at damping ring (DP) installation of VEPP-5 type were measured with the help of PS-1/S1 picosecond streak camera having 1.5 ps time resolution. These measurements were proceeded within 400-900 nm spectral range. It has been shown that our streak camera may record either a train of electron bunches with ns-duration or internal structure inside a single bunch. We were able to record the distance ~ 1.5 ns between separate bunches as well as their amplitude, which depends on particle numbers inside a bunch. Depending on linear accelerator mode of operation it was possible to define a single bunch duration, which was deviated within the range of 20-100 ps. The temporal structure of a single bunch was measured with 1.5 ps time accuracy. As a result, the VEPP-5 damping ring parameters were optimized, and particles injection conditions were improved. In addition, we have measured the temporal parameters of Vavilov-Cherenkov radiation (VCR) emitted by electron beam of linear accelerator. Our results provided important information on electron bunches formation and their quality inside linear accelerator before electrons injection inside a damping ring. Another series of experiments were done at VEPP-4M electron-positron collider. The dependence of beam length of the beam current measured with streak-camera allowed us to compute the wide-band impedance of the accelerator. The same data were obtained at Siberia-2 synchrotron radiation source (NRC “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow).
We are reporting on a single frequency pulsed fiber laser based on extremely narrow band volume Bragg gratings
(VBGs) recorded in photo-thermo-refractive (PTR) glass. The performance of Yb-doped fiber laser was studied in both
passive and active Q-switch schemes. It is shown stable operation in both single TEM00 transverse mode and single
longitudinal mode regimes. It generates pulses of 40 - 200 ns duration at a repetition rate of 10 - 100 Hz in active and
17-250 KHz in passive Q-switch configurations with a pulse energy of ~50 μJ, limited by the onset of stimulated
Brillouin scattering that leads to fiber fracture.
A Fabry-Perot etalon, consisting of two π phase shifted reflecting volume Bragg gratings, is presented. These gratings
are obtained as a moiré pattern resulting from sequential recording of interference patterns with different periods in
photo-thermo-refractive glass and called moiré volume Bragg gratings (MVBGs). A detailed investigation of the
fundamental operating principles and measurement techniques for phase shifted gratings is shown. Experimental results
demonstrating a MVBG with a 15 pm bandwidth and 90% transmission at resonance are presented. The use of the
MVBG for longitudinal mode selection in a laser resonator is shown.
The method of temporal laser pulses shaping based on stretching-compressing and profiling of a pulse by volumetric
chirped Bragg gratings is proposed and realized in ps-duration range. Experimental results of the study are presented.
KEYWORDS: Fiber Bragg gratings, Fiber lasers, Glasses, High power lasers, Beam controllers, Laser systems engineering, Diffraction gratings, Collimators, Output couplers, Chemical elements
Volume Bragg gratings (VBGs) recorded in photo-thermo-refractive (PTR) glass are used in a wide range of high-power
laser applications due to their unique spectral response and excellent optical and thermo-mechanical properties.
Experimental results of applications of narrow-band reflecting VBGs to spectral beam combining (SBC) and wavelength
control of fiber lasers are presented. Output power of 770 W from a system combining five fiber lasers with 91.7%
efficiency is demonstrated with spectral separation between channels of 0.5 nm around 1064 nm and no distortions in
diffracted beams. Similar system with 0.25 nm channel separation around 1550 nm is demonstrated with the same
efficiency and M2 of the spectrally-combined beam < 1.15. A novel compact monolithic multi-channel beam combiner
based on stacked tilted VBGs is suggested. Absolute efficiency exceeding 90% is reported for a four-channel device with
0.7 nm spectral separation of channels. We show that a linear stack of monolithic combining elements enables compact
spectrally-combined laser systems with output power of 10-100 kW. A common-cavity approach to multi-channel
spectral beam combining of high-power lasers is demonstrated. In this configuration wavelengths of the sources are
passively controlled by a combination of a common output coupler and intra-cavity VBGs, which also act as combining
elements. Laser wavelengths are automatically selected to match resonant wavelengths of respective gratings and
provide maximum combining efficiency. Stable operation of a passively-controlled system combining two amplifiers
with 0.4 nm spectral separation is demonstrated. Wavelengths of amplifiers are shown to automatically follow Bragg
condition of VBGs during heating of gratings.
This paper presents the results of experimental studies on
Q-switched flash-lamp pumped Nd:YAG laser with resonator
formed by volume Bragg gratings. This novel design results in
single-frequency mode operation with millijoules pulse
energy. The mode selection is performed only by volume Bragg gratings that dramatically simplifies laser design.
KEYWORDS: Glasses, Fiber lasers, Fiber Bragg gratings, Diffraction gratings, High power lasers, Absorption, Diffraction, High power fiber lasers, Laser systems engineering, Automatic control
Spectral beam combining (SBC) has been extensively used for power scaling of laser systems. SBC is an incoherent
technique of combining laser radiation from multiple sources with offset wavelengths into a single near-diffractionlimited
beam with increased energy brightness. SBC by means of volume Bragg gratings (VBGs) recorded in photo-thermo-
refractive (PTR) glass has been shown to be a simple and robust technique for combining high-power laser
radiation. High-efficiency large-aperture VBGs were fabricated in PTR glass wafers. While being photosensitive in the
UV, PTR glass offers high transmittance in the near-IR and visible parts of spectrum. Excellent mechanical properties
and refractive index independent of temperature enable VBGs in PTR glass to withstand high-power laser radiation,
making them ideal elements for high-power SBC. We report spectral combination of five randomly polarized fiber
lasers with 0.5 nm spectral separation between channels around 1064 nm using reflecting VBGs in PTR glass.
Maximum output power of the system is 773 W, corresponding to 91.7% combining efficiency. It is shown that VBGs
introduce no significant beam distortions under high-power operation. Additionally, a common-cavity configuration for
SBC with automatic wavelength control of sources by intra-cavity VBGs is suggested. Two fiber lasers are combined
using this technique and automatic wavelength control is demonstrated. We show how simple power scaling allows
obtaining multi-kW near-diffraction-limited laser radiation via SBC with volume Bragg gratings in PTR glass.
The results of experimental studies of formation and evolution of a multiply ionized (multicharged) laser microplasma produced in gases (air, helium, nitrogen and argon) with high intensity ( I ~ 1017 W/cm2 ) ultrashort (τ ~ 100 fs ) 800-nm laser pulses tightly focused in a region of diameter ~ 2-3 μm are presented. The measuring technique and experimental setup for generation and precise optical diagnostics of laser-induced plasma are described. The spatiotemporal distribution of the refractive index and the free electron density was studied by the interferometric pump-probe method with a spatial resolution of ~ 1.5 μm and a temporal resolution of ~ 100 fs. An almost complete ionization of the initial gas (down to the nuclei) was shown to occur even in the initial stage of gas plasma formation.
Some theoretical milestones, in definite sense summarizing our studies on temporal compressing of photoelectron
bunch with time-depending electric fields, are elucidated. The recent experimental results on dynamic compression of
photoelectron bunches of picosecond duration, gained with the use of a newly designed photoelectron gun employing the
electric field ramp of about 1.5 kV/ns, are presented and compared with the results of computer simulation.
Developed is the granulated, Au film-based, semitransparent photocathode consisting of spherical Au nanoparticles.
The granulated Au films are activated by a thin layer of cesium and oxygen of about two monolayer thicknesses to
decrease the work function down to about 1 eV and gain the photoemission effect in the visible spectrum range. The
sensitivity maximum equal to about one mA/W is located in the green spectrum range. The nanoparticles formation and
photocathode surface structure are studied with the use of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy technique. Those studies
have shown that the photoemission effect in the wavelength range &lgr;> 450 nm is conditioned by excitation of the surface
plasmons in quasi-spherical Au nanoparticles. This has allowed manufacturing of a streak tube with the introducible, Au
nanoparticles-based photocathode, stability of which has been remaining invariant.
Presented are the experimental results on femtosecond streak tubes measurements in dynamic mode. Several streak tube prototypes have been manufactured, with either distributed coaxial-strip line or capacitor-type photocathode-accelerating mesh assembly. Electrical field transition time in the photocathode-accelerating mesh gap was investigated. Tubes have been tested in a variety of regimes, in order to define the most efficient ones. Dynamic parameters of the developed femtosecond streak tubes were measured inside the streak camera prototype. The following dynamic parameters were evaluated: ultimate time resolution, dynamic range, and signal/noise ratio, spectral range, input sensitivity, streak speed and its nonlinearities, etc. The developed and optimized femtosecond streak tubes represent a reliable basis for design of streak cameras being required for photographic recording of ultrafast events in laser and plasma physics, time-resolved spectroscopy, laser interaction with matter, laser fusion, etc.
We report on time-resolved spectroscopy of femtosecond laser plasma with the use of ultrafast streak cameras. Laser spark was excited in air, nitrogen, argon or helium by tightly focused Ti: sapphire 130 fs, 1mJ, 800 nm single laser pulses. Maximum laser radiation intensity in the focal point was up to 2.5x1017 W/cm2. The time behavior of laser plasma continuum, tabulated spectral lines as well as the second and third harmonics were observed with pico-femtosecond time resolution. We believe that the second harmonic generation in femtosecond laser spark was recorded for the first time.
The selection of ballistic photons from a radiation, passed through a biological medium, is necessary for obtaining qualitative images in optical tomography. Within the framework of a non-stationary two-flux model of radiation transport in high scattering medium there is found the fraction of ballistic photons as function on macroscopic characteristics of a medium. With the purpose of separation of photons the application of bisphthalocianine dyes of rare-earth and transitional elements is considered. The experiments on deriving contrasted images in margarine and water solution of milk are carried out.
The criteria were determined for simultaneous observation of scattered and unscattered (ballistic) peaks in temporal distribution of a narrow pulsed laser beam passed through a strongly scattering medium. Conditions were found for such an observation on the basis of non-stationary two-flux model for radiation transport. Calculation results permitted to define a compromise between parameters of the initial laser pulse and properties of a scattering medium. This has provided the separate observation of various types of photons. The theoretical calculations were confirmed by experiments on recording pulse profiles of passed radiation of fs-laser in a water-milk solution.
The single shot autocorrelator designed to measure the AF of the ultrashort laser pulses in the temporal range of 30 - 200 fs and in spectral range 730 - 820 nm is described.
After a brief overview of time-resolved electron diffraction experiments on a nanosecond time scale, more recent instrumental improvements are described which successfully extend the time resolution of the apparatus to the picosecond regime. Modifications described include a new sample inlet system, intensified detector, and electron pulse generation laser. Taken together, they have led to significant improvements in both signal level and ultimate time resolution; an upper estimate of the electron pulse width is approximately 20 ps. Enhancements are such that, for operation in the nanosecond time domain, an entire diffraction pattern over a useful range of scattering angles may be collected from a gas-phase sample in a single electron pulse.
The dependence of the optical density of a model strongly scattering medium-aqueous milk solution on its layer thickness was investigated. IR lasers generating pulses of various short (from nanosecond to femtosecond) duration were used as the radiation sources. There were determined the dependences of the attenuation coefficients of such pulses on the solution concentration in the areas of low and more high optical densities of the solution layer for different values of radiation detector angular aperture. A modification of the two-flux Kubelka-Munk model was used to derive an expression describing the dependence of the transmission of a solution layer on its parameters when radiation detectors with a finite angular aperture are used. The absorption and scattering coefficients of the medium were obtained. A comparison of the calculations and experiments revealed a forward scattering anisotropy of short-duration laser radiation in an aqueous milk solution characteristic for the Mie's scattering.
A set of versatile streak camera was developed in GPI Photoelectronics Department to meet various experimental requirements in laser and plasma physics, laser ranging, fiber optics communication and ecology. Among these camera there are milli-micro-nanosecond camera intended for explosion studies, nano-picosecond streak camera--for application in communication field and nano-subpicosecond streak camera--for laser and laser plasma research.
The paper discusses potential causes for femtosecond laser pulse (FP) broadening by an optics system. Design options are suggested for optics systems with minimized distortion in the FP space-time pattern.
Current GPI status on femtosecond cameras and diffractometers research and development is overviewed. Discussed are the key components of the femtosecond diffractometer which is now under design. The first experimental prototype of 20 - 40 kV, femtosecond photoelectron diffractometer is computer designed, manufactured and tested.
The goal of the present work is to determinate the limiting time resolution value for streak camera versus the recorded wavelength and to detect the photoelectron energy dispersion by processing the obtained data. In the experiments the femtosecond laser system operating in spectral range from 210 nm to 1500 nm and the Imacon-500 streak cameras equipped with the PV-001/S1 were used. Based on the received data the dependence of energy photoelectrons dispersion versus the recorded wavelength was obtained which is in a good agreement with the published data.
There are some difficulties in the use of a well-known X-ray computer tomography technique due to the strong light scattering in biological tissues. We propose to analyze the whole light scattering picture for the development of novel processing algorithms in tomographical imaging. Time-resolved experiments on the forward scattering of IR-light from a model of biological media illuminated by a picosecond YAG-laser with 10 ps pulse duration have been performed. The scattering radiation was recorded by a streak camera having 1.5 ps time resolution. From these results and theoretical considerations the analytic expression for intensity against time distribution of the laser radiation passed through the media has been obtained. The expression can be used as the basis for tomographical reconstruction.
Time profiles of picosecond Nd:YAG-laser radiation transmitted through homogeneous and inhomogeneous scattering models of biological objects contrasted by new dyphtalocyanine dyes have been investigated. These dyes have specially synthesized as the contrasting substances for biological tissues in order to increase signal-to-noise ratio in optical image processing. By using this dye contrasting technique the ratio improvement has been demonstrated in time-resolved experiments on determination of inner details for some model biological objects.
For successful application of laser tomography methods for earlier medical diagnostics the signal-to-noise ratio (contrast) must be increased. For this purpose it is possible to use the absorbing dyes. We have theoretically investigated optical imaging conditions in high scattering medium on a model object. In our experiments a YAG:Nd laser generating picosecond pulses was employed. Output radiation has been recorded by a high speed streak camera with 1.5 ps temporal resolution. The high stability of the laser and of measurement scheme characteristics was provided. We looked for the contrasting substances having tropism with pathologically changed tissue of the tumor. For this purpose some dyphthalocyanines were synthesized. The experiments with laboratory animals have demonstrated that saturated dye concentrations were noticeably lower than toxicologic dangerous concentration values. We have demonstrated a possibility of the contrasting for a model object. The experimental temporal profile of scattered radiation can be explained by the nonstationary two-flow theory.
A simple technique for obtaining sinusoidally modulated laser radiation, of which the modulation period can be smoothly varied in the range from hundreds of femtosecond to tens of picosecond, is described. The idea of this method consists in the use of linear frequency modulated laser radiation when each axial mode has the same linear chirp.
A laser generating sinusoidally modulated radiation with stable and
reliable output parameters was created. As a basis for such a sourse the twofrequency,
pulse Nd-glass laser was chosen. In order to stabilize its output
parameters the cross positive electro-optical feedback was used. Such feedback
has provided Q-switched operation and simultaneos generation of two axial modes.
The modulation depth of output laser radiation is equal to 100%, but the
modulation period can be quasi-smoothly tuned from shot to shot within 6.6ns -
300fs time range.
A modified Imacon type streak camera with temporal resolution of 1.5 psec was used for the measurement of pulses generated by a mode locked Er fiber laser operating at 1.55 micron wavelength. The specially developed S1-PV001 image tube had an initial sensitivity of 26 mu A/W at 1.3 micron. To improve the signal to noise ratio for recording low level CW laser radiation additional shutter circuitry was added to the Imacon camera electronics. The camera was operated at 15 Hz repetition rate, triggered by a sample of the RF signal used for driving the acoustooptic mode locker. A very sensitive and simple recording system was used for recording the time dispersed pictures generated in the ICT output screen using a high gain PMT and a 150 micron slit mounted on a translation stage. The signal from the PMT was read with a box car averager and sent to a PC type computer which controlled the translation stage. The acoustooptically mode locked Er fiber laser can generate pulses of 80 psec in CW operation with a peak power of 0.6 W.
For identification of a phantom (hidden foreign object) inside turbid medium
with different optical properties the time of flight (TOF) technique was used.
Nd:YAG-laser (X1064nm) as a light source and a streak camera with ultimate
time resolution of l.5ps were employed. Analysis of laser light transmited through
an experimental medium (a 2mm metal strip located inside a diluted milk) was
perfomed with the help of this camera and read out system. Transmission profiles
have shown that contrast ratio depends on the object position and medium
concentration. Theoretical calculations made by Monte-Carlo simulation were in a
good agreement with the experimental results.
5±lps, spectrally limited optical pulses with less than 0.5% energy
instability, generated by hybrid mode-locked, and passive feedback controled
YA1O :Nd3 crystal laser were employed for measurements of Imacon 500 streak
cameas triggering instabilities. These cameras have operated in streak mode with
the streak speed of SxlO9cm/s. Synchronization signal was produced with the help
of a standard avalanche photodiode. Due to very high stability of the utilized
picosecond laser pulses, it was possible to measure with few picosecond accuracy
the jitter variation of Imacon 500 cameras. It was found that for some of them,
the triggering jitter does not exceed lOps RMS. In the present communication we
will discuss jitter dependence on triggering pulse amplitude, as well as on the
mains voltage variations.
A family of specially developed solid-state lasers intended for dynamic
calibration of various type streak cameras is presented. The developed lasers are
able to generate either ultrasho,rt single pulses or harmonically modulated signals
of nanosecond duration. 5±lps light pulses of 0.5% output energy instability were
emitted by YAlO :Nd crystal laser with hybrid mode-locking and passive intracavity
negative feedback produced by the action of a GaAs plate. After compression of single
pulse inside the fiber optics compressor, the minimum available pulse duration
approaches 300fs. 100 percent sinousoidally modulated nanosecond optical
radiat ion with modulation period adjustable in the 0 .3ps - 6. 6ns range was
generated by electro-optical positive feedback Nd:glass laser. Both ultrashort pulses
and harmonically modulated radiation were utilized for streak cameras dynamic
parameters evaluation. It is shown that for our streak camera equiped with PVOO1 tube
its minimum temporal response function approaches to O.7ps, while its intrinsic
triggering jitter does not exceed
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