Unit 3.1. Laboratory of Ultrafast Nonlinear Optics
Expertise and services: studies of ultrafast light-matter interactions: nonlinear propagation, spectral broadening, and supercontinuum generation in dielectric materials, semiconductors, and photonic crystal fibers; characterization of ultrashort pulse-induced nonlinear phenomena in temporal, spatial, and spectral domains; pulse post-compression and femtosecond filamentation phenomena in transparent bulk materials; frequency conversion processes with femtosecond pulses
Laser sources
Amplified Yb:KGW laser (Pharos, Light Conversion Ltd.): pulse duration 180 fs, wavelength 1035 nm, energy up to 1 mJ, average power 6 W, pulse repetition rate up to 200 kHz.
Optical parametric amplifier (Orpheus-ONE-HP, Light Conversion Ltd.): pulse duration 180 fs, wavelength tuning range 1320-4500 nm, pulse repetition rate 10 kHz; difference-frequency generator with wavelength tuning range 5-12 µm.
Home-built high average power FCPA Yb-laser system based on Yb:KGW oscillator (FLINT, Light Conversion Ltd.) and diode-pumped Yb-doped polarization-maintaining double clad rod-type fiber amplifier (aeroGAIN-ROD-PM85, NKT Photonics), pulse repetition rate 76 MHz, average power 70 W, pulse duration 114 fs, wavelength 1034 nm with optional second harmonic generation module (average power 30 W).
Instruments and accessories
Home-built automated and flexible data acquisition system.
Home-built high dynamic range scanning prism spectrometer, 200-4900 nm detection range.
SHG-FROG and XFROG setups on laboratory breadboard with MatLab code-based semi-analytical non-iterative XFROG algorithm for retrieval of complex-shaped broadband pulses.
Scanning autocorrelator (GECO, Light Conversion Ltd.).
Portable UV-VIS-NIR spectrometers: AvaSpec-3648 (Avantes), AvaSpec-ULS2048CL (Avantes), AvaSpec-2048-USB1 (Avantes), QE65000 (Ocean Optics), Qmini VIS-LC (RGB Photonics), portable NIR-SWIR spectrometer NIRQuest NQ512-2.2 (Ocean Optics), detection range 900-2100 nm.
On request, supplementary instruments, e.g. spectrophotometer, optical microscope, etc., are available from the General Equipment list.
Numerical tools
Originally developed MatLab code based on solving unidirectional propagation equation for numerical simulations of nonlinear pulse propagation in various materials and operating conditions.
Three light pulse interaction (TLPI) code for numerical simulation of ultrashort pulse parametric frequency conversion processes (second harmonic, sum and difference frequency generation, optical parametric amplification) with up-to-date database of nonlinear crystals.
Originally developed software „Parametrika“ for numerical simulation of parametric up-conversion and down-conversion processes, calculation of phase matching conditions, evaluation of gain bandwidth in bulk, and periodically poled nonlinear media with interactive menu. Available in Windows (desktop mode) and Android (tablet mode) versions.
Originally developed MatLab code for numerical simulation of supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fibers.
Unit 3.2. Laboratory of Laser-Matter Interaction and THz spectroscopy
Expertise and services: studies of laser-matter and laser-plasma interactions in solids and gases; THz generation; nonlinear optical phenomena in air; spectroscopy and characterization of materials and radiation sources in the far infrared and THz spectral ranges; high-sensitivity time-resolved quantitative measurements of permanent and transient light-induced refractive index changes by means of digital holography.
Laser Sources:
Ti:sapphire laser system (Legend Elite Duo, Coherent): pulse duration 45 fs, wavelength 800 nm, repetition rate 1 kHz. Two independent compressed outputs: main channel energy up to 5 mJ, secondary channel energy up to 500 µJ.
Optical parametric amplifier (TOPAS-HE, Light Conversion Ltd.): pulse duration 50 fs, wavelength tuning range 1150-2500 nm, with second harmonic, sum and difference frequency generators, the entire tuning range 235 nm – 9 µm.
Amplified Yb:KGW laser (Pharos, Light Conversion Ltd.): pulse duration 250 fs, wavelength 1030 nm, average power up to 8 W, pulse repetition rate up to 200 kHz.
Amplified Yb:KGW laser (Pharos, Light Conversion Ltd.): adjustable pulse duration in the range of 190 fs – 10 ps, wavelength 1030 nm, energy up to 1 mJ, average power 6 W, pulse repetition rate up to 200 kHz.
Instruments and accessories
Home-built time-resolved digital holographic microscopy setup with control unit for automatic pump-probe hologram acquisition and sample positioning; digital hologram reconstruction and post-processing software. Spatial resolution down to 1 µm. Probe 1: Home-built noncollinear optical amplifier, pulse duration 25 fs, central wavelength 540 nm, maximum delay range 2 ns. Probe 2: Q-switched, frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser with electronic delay control, pulse duration 3 ns, wavelength 532 nm.
Home-made gas-filled hollow-core fiber-based pulse compressor, pulsewidth 10 fs, wavelength 800 nm, energy up to 300 µJ.
Home-made THz spectrometer, detection range 1–100 THz (3–300 μm).
Multi-shot autocorrelators: PulseCheck 15 ShortPulse (APE), GECO (Light Conversion Ltd.).
Imaging spectrograph (Acton SP2300, Princeton Instruments) coupled with low-noise detector (Pixis 256E).
Portable spectrometers: AvaSpec-3648 (Avantes) for 300-1100 nm spectral range and NIRQuest NQ512-2.2 (Ocean Optics) for 900-2100 nm spectral range.
On request, supplementary instruments, e.g. spectrophotometer, optical microscope, etc., are available from the General Equipment list.
Unit 3. 3. Laboratory of Optical Parametric Phenomena
Expertise and services: studies of sub-ns, narrow-band optical parametric oscillation and generation; poling quality evaluation of periodically poled nonlinear crystals; experiments on spontaneous parametric down-conversion; quantum optics; supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fibers (optional) and characterization of their dispersive and nonlinear properties.
Laser Sources:
Yb:KGW oscillator (FLINT, Light Conversion Ltd.): pulse duration 48 fs, wavelength 1041 nm, pulse repetition rate 76 MHz, average power 2.9 W, second harmonic generation module (HIRO, Light Conversion Ltd.), average power 1.6 W.
Frequency tripled subnanosecond Nd:YAG microlaser (STA01-TH-8 MOPA, Standa) with beam control and manipulation modes, wavelength 355 nm, pulsewidth 500 ps, pulse repetition rate 1 kHz; additional outputs at fundamental (1064 nm, 100 mW) and second (532 nm, 40 mW) harmonics.
Instruments and accessories
Optical spectrum analyzer (AQ6317C, Ando), spectral range 900-1700 nm, resolution 5 pm.
Optical spectrum analyzer (OSA207C, Thorlabs), spectral range 1-12 µm, resolution 5 pm at 1 µm.
Single-photon counting module (SPCM-780-14-FC, Excelitas), spectral range 600-1050 nm (2 units).