ps6sol_2007.

nb 1

EE231 Problem Set 6 Solutions

Problem 1
(a) This problem is a straightforward application of the Rigrod analysis results. To find the output intensity at mirror 2, we
can use the expression from lecture 10, slide 18:
è!!!!!!!!!!!!!
T2 Isat
Iout,2 = ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ Ag0 - lnI1 ë R2 R1 ME
è!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
è!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I1 + R2 êR1 M I1 - R2 R1 M
In the problem we are told that the round-trip unsaturated power gain is 7. What does this mean? For an unsaturated single-
pass amplifier, the ratio of output to input power is expHg0 L, as is shown on lecture 10, slide 4. So the round trip unsaturated
power gain is expH2 g0 L. This means that ‰2 g0 = 7, which gives us g0. = lnH7L ê 2 To solve for the optimal value of T2, it's
easiest to just plot Iout,2 as a function of r2 and recall that r2 2 + T2 = 1. Looking at the plot, we can find
r2,opt = .84 Ø T2,opt = .294.
Iout
To find the effeciency, note that the available intensity is Iavail = g0 Isat , and the effeciency is h = ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
Iavail
ÅÅ . Numerically, this
comes out to h=.589.
Iout,2 + Iout,1
(b) The total power-extraction efficiency is htot = ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ . The formula for the output at mirror 1 is
Iavail
è!!!!!!!!!!!!!
T1 Isat
Iout,1 = ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ Ag0 - lnI1 ë R2 R1 ME. Putting in all the numbers gives htot = .767
è!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
è!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I1 + R1 êR2 M I1 - R2 R1 M

Problem 2
st Pabs
(a) From lecture 7, slide 13, the single-pass gain is given by: g0 = ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
Ñ wp
ÅÅÅ ÿ ÅÅÅÅ
ÅÅÅÅÅÅ . Putting in the numbers, the round-trip gain is
A
2 g0 = .87. We can find the average value of DN(z) by noting that g0 HzL = s DNHzL, so <DN(z)> =
L L
ÅÅÅÅÅ g HzL „ z = ÅÅÅÅ
g0
ÅÅÅÅ1LÅ Ÿ0 DNHzL „ z = ÅÅÅÅ
1
s L Ÿ0 0 sL
ÅÅ Å .
(b) This derivation is the same as lecute 11, slide 26, except on each trip the intensity changes by 2 g0 - T - a, so the new
2L 2L tc
time constant is tbuild-up = ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ , with tc = ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
cHg - a - TL
ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ , this becomes tbuild-up = ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
c Ha + TL r-1
ÅÅÅÅ . For very high pump power,
2L
g0 >> a + T, and tbuild-up = ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
2 c g0
ÅÅÅÅÅ , this is the same as for a purely lossy cavity, with a change of sign, which is what we
expect from a symmetry standpoint. When r = 1, tbuild-up Ø ¶. Physically, this makes sense, because the intensity in the
cavity is not changing. When r = 0, tbuild-up = -tc , which is the result derived in class.
(c) The available energy in the cavity is Ñ ws < DN > ÿ Vcav , where Vcav is the volume of the cavity. So
g0 st Pabs lp
Eavail = Ñ ws < DN > ÿ L ÿ A = Ñ ws ÅÅÅÅ
sL
ÅÅÅÅÅ L ÿ A . Using g0 = ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
Ñ wp
ÅÅÅ ÿ ÅÅÅÅ
ÅÅÅÅÅÅ and simplifying gives Eavail = t2 Pabs ÅÅÅÅ
A ls
ÅÅ . The
T2
output pulse consists of the fraction of the total energy that isn't absorbed in the cavity, which is ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
a + T2
ÅÅÅÅÅÅ Eavail. So
p l T2
E p = t2 Pabs ÅÅÅÅ
ls
ÅÅ ÿ ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
a + T2
ÅÅÅÅÅÅ . Plugging in the numbers gives E p = 13 mJ.
p E
(d) The power of the top-hat pulse is ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
2 tbuild-up
ÅÅÅÅÅÅ = 2299W.
(e) The Q-switch is turned on every Tpulse = 4 t2 + 2 tbuild-up , and emit an energy E p each pulse, so the average output
Ep
power is ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
Tpulse
ÅÅÅÅÅ = 0.0081 W
(f) During time Tpulse, the absorbed pump energy is Pabs Tpulse , and the output energy is E p .So the effeciency is
l T2 1 lp T2
h = ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅE
Pabs Tpulse
ÅÅÅÅÅ = t2 ÅÅÅÅlpsÅÅ ÿ ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ ÅÅÅÅÅÅ ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
a + T2 Tpulse
ÅÅÅÅÅ . Since 4 t2 >> 2 tbuild-up Tpulse º 4 t2 , and h º ÅÅÅÅ
ls
ÅÅÅÅÅÅ ÅÅÅÅ1 = 10 %.
ÅÅ ÿ ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
a + T2 4
ps6sol_2007.nb 2

Problem 3
(a) This system is inhomogenously broadened. To find how many modes could oscillate simultaneously, first we need to find
the frequency region over which gain can equal loss. Without saturation, the expression for the gain as a function of wave-
2
length (from lecture 9, slide 24) is: gHwL = g0 expI-I ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ w - wa
dwD
ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ M M. The FWHM is Dn = 1.5GHz, so
è!!!!!!!!! 9
DwD = 2 p µ 1.5 GHz = 2 ln 2 dwD , and dwD =5.66 × 10 . Lasing can occur at any mode whose unsaturated gain is
above threshold. Since the unsaturated gain at line center is six times threshold, the half-width Dw over which lasing can
Dw 2 è!!!!!!!!!
ÅÅÅÅÅÅ M M = ÅÅ16ÅÅ , so Dw = dwD ln 6 .Plugging in the numbers, we get that the half-width Dw is
occur is defined by: expI-I ÅÅÅÅ
dwD
7.58 × 109 , so the total width over which lasing can occur is 2 Dw = 1.52 × 1010 , so the laser can oscillate over a fre-
c
quency width of DÓ = 2.4 GHz The modes are spaced in frequency by Dnax = ÅÅÅÅ ÅÅÅÅ = 300 MHz. So a rough estimate of the
2L
2.4 GHz
number of modes that can oscillate simultaneously is ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ = 8modes. If we more carefully consider the fact that the
300 MHz
laser can only oscillate at frequencies that are multiples of Dnax , we find that there are only 7 modes which are both multi-
ples of Dnax and within the oscillation frequency range which is centered on 633nm.
1
(b) The repitition rate is Dnax = 300 MHz, and the round trip time is Trt = ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ ÅÅ = 3.33 ns . From the class notes we have
Dnax
1
that the pulse width is proportional to ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ
N Dnax
ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ . Using this, and ignoring the constant of proportionality gives Tpulse º 476 ps.
A better estimate for the pulse width is given by the FWHM of the pulse intensity, which is approximately ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ Å1ÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅÅ º 150 ps.
p N Dnax