A new generation of ultrafast oscillators for mid-infrared applications
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A new generation of ultrafast oscillators for mid-infrared applications
Wed, 08/09/2021 - 15:00 to 16:00
Location:
Speaker:
Dr Nathalie Nagl
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ), Germany
Synopsis:
The mid-infrared (MIR) spectral range with wavelengths between 2 μm and 20 μm holds tremendous potential for the study of complex biological systems, given the abundance of intense and unique molecular absorption lines that can be detected. Consequently, spectroscopic applications of mid-infrared radiation have garnered enormous attention in recent years. A particularly striking example is the combination of multi-MHz-repetition-rate, few-cycle MIR light sources with electric-field-resolved techniques, enabling the recording of amplitude- and phase-resolved molecular signals with unparalleled specificity and shot noise limited sensitivity. Despite the ever-growing research demand, their widespread use is severely hampered by the lack of low-noise, compact, and ultrafast laser systems.
In this talk, a new generation of table-top mid-infrared laser sources is presented, bringing cutting-edge laser diode technology and few-cycle Cr:ZnS/ZnSe solid-state oscillators together for the first time. Not only have these laser systems proven to reliably provide coherent radiation in the 2-3 μm region, the simultaneous reduction in size and complexity, accompanied by an improved overall efficiency and – most importantly – noise performance, renders this approach as pioneering for future MIR applications. Up to now, three laser systems have been realized, each of them pushing the frontiers of directly diode-pumped laser technology. With output peak powers reaching 1 MW and pulse durations as short as 28 fs, direct generation of CEP-stable mid-infrared pulses in a nonlinear optical crystal became feasible. It resulted in a multi- octave-spanning spectrum between 4.5-14 μm at more than 20 mW of average power.
The successful realization serves as a foundation for a new generation of few-cycle MIR light sources, capable of performing spectroscopic measurements at unprecedented efficiency and shot noise limited sensitivity. Moreover, it will pave the way towards a more accessible alternative to synchrotron-like infrared radiation.
Biography:
Dr. Nathalie Nagl is a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching and works in the Laboratory for Attosecond Physics led by Prof. Ferenc Krausz. She received her Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD degree in Physics from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and was recently awarded the Springer Theses price for her dissertation. Starting with her PhD research in 2018, she has continuously pushed the frontiers of high-repetition-rate femtosecond laser sources and aims to generate highly intense few-cycle pulses in the mid-infrared spectral region. With her experimental findings, Nathalie has pioneered a new generation of highly compact and low-noise laser systems that will be used to analyze minuscule variations in the infrared response of body fluids and thereby identify early signs of illnesses such as cancer.