发表机构
Wrocław University of Science and Technology; University of Warsaw; Center for Molecular Fingerprinting Research; Max-Planck-Institute of Quantum Optics（弗罗茨瓦夫理工大学; 华沙大学; 分子指纹研究中心; 马克斯·普朗克量子光学研究所）
机构由 AI 辅助整理，请以论文原文为准。AI 中文总结
该研究开发了一款基于Cr:ZnS激光器的少周期中红外光频梳，实现了阿秒级相位稳定性与shot噪声受限的振幅稳定性，为量子极限计量等领域提供了新工具。
AI 中文摘要
在中红外光谱范围内实现亚周期波形控制并达到shot噪声受限的振幅稳定性，仍是超快与精密光学科学的核心挑战。本文展示了一款基于克尔透镜锁模Cr:ZnS激光器的完全稳定的超稳光频梳（OFC），工作波长为2.3μm。该振荡器输出40fs脉冲，重复频率为25MHz，经光谱展宽覆盖两个倍频程并压缩至1.4周期、11fs的脉冲宽度。由定制低噪声掺铒光纤放大器泵浦，该激光器在10Hz至1MHz范围内的集成相对强度噪声（RIN）为0.0026%，而少周期输出的噪声进一步被抑制至0.0017%，在5kHz以上的傅里叶频率下达到shot噪声极限，代表了迄今为止所有锁模激光器中报道的最低振幅噪声。这种前所未有的振幅稳定性实现了载波包络相位（CEP）稳定，残余集成相位噪声仅为1.5mrad（10Hz至12.5MHz），对应CEP抖动为1.8as，是所有已报道激光系统中最高的相位稳定性。对完全稳定的OFC进行24小时长期性能测量，功率稳定性为0.01%，残余CEP噪声为17mrad。通过将少周期中红外脉冲与shot噪声受限的强度噪声及阿秒级相位稳定性相结合，所报道的OFC为量子极限计量和超快光与物质相互作用的控制提供了新的研究领域。
英文摘要
Achieving sub-cycle waveform control with attosecond-level precision while reaching shot-noise-limited amplitude stability in the mid-infrared spectral range remains a central challenge for ultrafast and precision optical science. Here, we demonstrate a fully stabilized, ultra-stable optical frequency comb (OFC) based on a Kerr-lens mode-locked Cr:ZnS laser operating at 2.3 $μ$m. The oscillator delivers 40 fs pulses at a 25 MHz repetition rate, which are spectrally broadened to cover two octaves and compressed to a 1.4-cycle, 11 fs duration. Pumped by a custom low-noise erbium-doped fiber amplifier, the laser exhibits an integrated relative intensity noise (RIN) of 0.0026% over 10 Hz--1 MHz, while the noise of the few-cycle output is further suppressed to 0.0017% and reaches the shot-noise limit for Fourier frequencies above 5 kHz. It represents the lowest amplitude noise reported to date for any mode-locked laser. This unprecedented amplitude stability enables carrier-envelope phase (CEP) stabilization with a residual integrated phase noise of only 1.5 mrad (10 Hz--12.5 MHz), corresponding to a CEP jitter of 1.8 as, the highest phase stability for any laser system ever reported. The long-term performance of the fully stabilized OFC is measured over 24 hours, with a power stability of 0.01% and a residual CEP noise of 17 mrad. By combining few-cycle mid-infrared pulses with shot-noise-limited intensity noise and attosecond-level phase stability, the reported OFC provides access to new regimes of quantum-limited metrology and control of ultrafast light-matter interactions.
Comments13 pages, 5 figures
