Tombez, Lionel

2013-7-17, Tombez, Lionel, Cappelli, Francesco, Schilt, Stephane, Di Domenico, Gianni, Bartalini, Saverio, Hofstetter, Daniel

We report on the wavelength tuning dynamics in continuous-wave distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). The wavelength tuning response for direct current modulation of two mid-IR QCLs from different suppliers was measured from 10 Hz up to several MHz using ro-vibrational molecular resonances as frequency-to-intensity converters. Unlike the output intensity, which can be modulated up to several gigahertz, the frequency-modulation bandwidth was found to be on the order of 200 kHz, limited by the laser thermal dynamics. A non-negligible roll-off and a significant phase shift are observed above a few hundred hertz already and explained by a thermal model.

2011-8-10, Tombez, Lionel, Di Francesco, Joab, Schilt, Stephane, Di Domenico, Gianni, Faist, J., Thomann, Pierre, Hofstetter, Daniel

The frequency noise properties of commercial distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers emitting in the 4.6 um range and operated in cw mode near room temperature (277K) are presented. The measured frequency noise power spectral density reveals a flicker noise dropping down to the very low level of <100 Hz2/Hz at 10 MHz Fourier frequency and is globally a factor of 100 lower than data recently reported for a similar laser operated at cryogenic temperature. This makes our laser a good candidate for the realization of a mid-IR ultranarrow linewidth reference.

, Tombez, Lionel, Cappelli, Francesco, Schilt, Stephane, Di Domenico, Gianni, Bartalini, Saverio, Hofstetter, Daniel

We report on the wavelength tuning dynamics in continuous-wave distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). The wavelength tuning response for direct current modulation of two mid-IR QCLs from different suppliers was measured from 10 Hz up to several MHz using ro-vibrational molecular resonances as frequency-to-intensity converters. Unlike the output intensity, which can be modulated up to several gigahertz, the frequency-modulation bandwidth was found to be on the order of 200 kHz, limited by the laser thermal dynamics. A non-negligible roll-off and a significant phase shift are observed above a few hundred hertz already and explained by a thermal model.

2013, Schilt, Stephane, Tombez, Lionel, Di Domenico, Gianni, Hofstetter, Daniel

2011, Tombez, Lionel, Di Francesco, Joab F., Schilt, Stephane, Di Domenico, Gianni, Thomann, Pierre, Hofstetter, Daniel, Faist, Jérôme

The frequency noise properties of commercial distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers emitting in the 4.6 μm range and operated in cw mode near room temperature (277 K) are presented. The measured frequency noise power spectral density reveals a flicker noise dropping down to the very low level of <100 Hz²/Hz at 10 MHz Fourier frequency and is globally a factor of 100 lower than data recently reported for a similar laser operated at cryogenic temperature. This makes our laser a good candidate for the realization of a mid-IR ultranarrow linewidth reference.

, Schilt, Stephane, Tombez, Lionel, Di Domenico, Gianni, Hofstetter, Daniel

2012-4-21, Tombez, Lionel, Schilt, Stephane, Di Francesco, Joab, Di Domenico, Gianni, Hofstetter, Daniel, Thomann, Pierre

We report on the measurement of the frequency noise properties of a 4.6-μm distributed-feedback quantum-cascade laser (QCL) operating in continuous wave near room temperature using a spectroscopic set-up. The flank of the R(14) ro-vibrational absorption line of carbon monoxide at 2196.6 cm^−1 is used to convert the frequency fluctuations of the laser into intensity fluctuations that are spectrally analyzed. We evaluate the influence of the laser driver on the observed QCL frequency noise and show how only a low-noise driver with a current noise density below ≈1 nA/√Hz allows observing the frequency noise of the laser itself, without any degradation induced by the current source. We also show how the laser FWHM linewidth, extracted from the frequency noise spectrum using a simple formula, can be drastically broadened at a rate of ≈1.6 MHz/(nA/√Hz) for higher current noise densities of the driver. The current noise of commercial QCL drivers can reach several nA/√Hz , leading to a broadening of the linewidth of our QCL of up to several megahertz. To remedy this limitation, we present a low-noise QCL driver with only 350 pA/√Hz current noise, which is suitable to observe the ≈550 kHz linewidth of our QCL.

2011, Schilt, Stephane, Bucalovic, Nikola, Tombez, Lionel, Dolgovskiy, Vladimir, Schori, Christian, Di Domenico, Gianni, Zaffalon, Michele, Thomann, Pierre

We describe a radio-frequency (RF) discriminator, or frequency-to-voltage converter, based on a voltage-controlled oscillator phase-locked to the signal under test, which has been developed to analyze the frequency noise properties of an RF signal, e.g., a heterodyne optical beat signal between two lasers or between a laser and an optical frequency comb. We present a detailed characterization of the properties of this discriminator and we compare it to three other commercially available discriminators. Owing to its large linear frequency range of 7 MHz, its bandwidth of 200 kHz and its noise floor below 0.01 Hz²/Hz in a significant part of the spectrum, our frequency discriminator is able to fully characterize the frequency noise of a beat signal with a linewidth ranging from a couple of megahertz down to a few hertz. As an example of application, we present measurements of the frequency noise of the carrier envelope offset beat in a low-noise optical frequency comb.

, Tombez, Lionel, Schilt, Stephane, Di Francesco, Joab F., Führer, Thorsten, Rein, Benjamin, Walther, Thomas, Di Domenico, Gianni, Hofstetter, Daniel, Thomann, Pierre

We report on the measurement of the frequency noise properties of a 4.6-μm distributed-feedback quantum-cascade laser (QCL) operating in continuous wave near room temperature using a spectroscopic set-up. The flank of the R(14) ro-vibrational absorption line of carbon monoxide at 2196.6cm⁻¹ is used to convert the frequency fluctuations of the laser into intensity fluctuations that are spectrally analyzed. We evaluate the influence of the laser driver on the observed QCL frequency noise and show how only a low-noise driver with a current noise density below ≈1nA/√Hz allows observing the frequency noise of the laser itself, without any degradation induced by the current source. We also show how the laser FWHM linewidth, extracted from the frequency noise spectrum using a simple formula, can be drastically broadened at a rate of ≈1.6MHz/(nA/√Hz) for higher current noise densities of the driver. The current noise of commercial QCL drivers can reach several nA/√Hz , leading to a broadening of the linewidth of our QCL of up to several megahertz. To remedy this limitation, we present a low-noise QCL driver with only 350;pA/√Hz current noise, which is suitable to observe the ≈550;kHz linewidth of our QCL.