few-cycle™ Fiber

Technical Specifications

Input wavelength*: 400, 515, 800, 1030, 1300 nm
Input Energies: from 20 µJ to 30 mJ
Input Average Power: from <1 W to 300 W
Input rep. rate: up to 2 MHz
High Transmission: 75-95%
Compression Factor: > 15
Shortest Compressed Pulses: down to 3 fs

*Tunable wavelength Range: from UV up to >5 µm

The unique few-cycle pulse compresion system allows to shorten the pulse duration of your laser. Spectral broadening of the input pulses in the hollow-core capillary fiber allows for subsequent pulse compression or other desired nonlinear effects, such as white-light generation (read flyer) for 2D spectroscopy, UV generation (read flyer) via Resonant Dispersive Wave, and other applications.

Performance of few-cycle™ Hollow-Core Fiber systems

with various laser systems

Laser	Energy, mJ	Power, W	Pulse duration, fs	Wavelength, nm	Use	Details
Coherent Legend Elite Duo	0.5	0.5	130	800	VIS continuum	Read More
Light Conversion Pharos	0.1	0.6	175	1030	Pulse post-compression	Read More
Light Conversion Carbide	2	80	340	1030	Pulse post-compression	Read More
Amphos A3000	12	300	1200	1030	Pulse post-compression	Read More
Custom system	70	3.5	230	1030	Pulse post-compression	Read More
Custom system	25	0.005	90	3900	Pulse post-compression	Read More
Custom system	11	0.011	35	4000	Pulse post-compression	Read More
LC Pharos	0.2	20	130	1030	UV generation via RDW	Read More

300

Light Conversion Carbide

2

80

340 1030

Pulse post-compression

HCF performance with Pharos, Light Conversion

Full details are available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30198-y

Figures (a) and (b): Starting from 175 fs, pulse duration after Hollow-core Fiber setup is 25 fs with the total throughput of 92%. HCF demonstrates 97.4% transmission up to max power in air, virtually equal to the analytically calculated theoretical limit of 97.6%. With the compressor based on chirp mirrors the total throughput is about 92%.

Footprint: 1.6 m x 0.15 m

Input: 175 fs, 100 uJ, 1-6 kHz, M2 =1.15

Output: 25 fs, 92 uJ, 1-6 kHz, M2 = 1.05

Figures (c) and (d): Adding second compact HCF stage further compresses the Pharos output further down to 4.5 fs corresponding to

1.3 optical cycles at 1030nm. Total throughput of two HCF setups and two chirp mirror compressors is 70% with close to 40-fold pulse compression.

Footprint of the second HCF stage is: 2m x 0.15m

Output: 4.5 fs, 70uJ, 1-6 kHz

Long Term stability - free running setup

HCF performance with Carbide, Light Conversion

Full details are available at: https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTQE.2024.3415421

Starting from 340 fs, pulse duration after Hollow-core Fiber setup is 28 fs (Fig. a) with the total throughput of >81% at 80 W of average power, which corresponds to 2 mJ at 40 kHz. Variable repetition rates and pulse energies demonstrates similar results. Figure (d) shows shot-to-shot power stability taken with a photodiode after the first HCF reveals 0.27 % RMS Deviation averaged over 30 min.

Footprint: 3.4 m x 0.3 m

Input: 325 fs, 80 W, 40 kHz, 2 mJ

Output: 28 fs, 64 W, 40 kHz, 1.6 mJ

Adding second compact HCF stage further compresses the Carbide output further down to 6 fs at 1030nm (Fig. b). Total throughput of two HCF setups and two chirp mirror compressors is 70% with 56-fold pulse compression. Figure (c) shows spatially resolved spectral homogeneity in X (red) and Y (green) directions from the center of the beam (100%) to periphery (6%).

Footprint of the second HCF stage is: 3m x 0.15m

Output: 6 fs, 50 W, 40 kHz, 1.25 mJ

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

This video is a demonstration of a "turn-key" operation of the spectral broadening and compression of 80 W, 2 mJ, 330 fs Carbide Light Conversion laser in a hollow-core capillary fiber (HCF) pulse compression system from few-cycle Inc. The HCF-1 compresses the pulse duration down to 35 fs with 65W of average power. The HCF-2 gets the pulse duration down to 7 fs with 54 W of average power (1.25 mJ) at 40kHz. This video demonstrates that the spectrum out of the second hollow-core capillary directly matches the reference spectrum of 7 fs pulse after quick ramp up of the laser. The power meter shows the power out of the second HCF.

HCF performance with Amphos A3000 laser

Full details are available at: https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTQE.2024.3415421 and for use with molecular gases at at https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.529193

Hollow-core Fiber demonstrates excellent average power and heat management capability handling 300 W with 12 mJ or 2.75 mJ of pulse energy. Starting from 1.3 ps, pulse duration after HCF setup is 100 fs with the throughput of 83%, corresponding to 249 W after the fiber. With the compressor based on chirp mirrors the total throughput is about 75%, which corresponds to more than 220 W at 100 fs. Fiber tip temperature is 40 deg C. Power stability of the HCF output reveals Standard Deviation of 0.58%. Data is taken with 300 W, 12 mJ, 25 kHz input to the HCF.

Footprint: 6 m x 0.3 m

Input: 1300 fs, 275 W, 25-100 kHz, 2.75-11 mJ

Output: 100 fs, 205 W, 25-100 kHz, 2 - 8.2 mJ

HCF performance with 70mJ high energy pulses

Full detailes are available at https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.412296

Starting from 230 fs at 1030 nm pulse duration after Hollow-core Fiber setup is 25 fs with the energy of 40 mJ corresponding to 1.3TW of peak power. Transmission is 68%, decreased due to the mode quality of the input beam.

Footprint: 8.4 m x 0.15 m

Input: 230 fs, 70 mJ, 50 Hz

Output: 25 fs, 40 mJ, 50 Hz

HCF performance at InfraRed

HCF with input at λ = 3.9um

Full details are available at https://doi.org/10.1364/ASSL.2016.AW1A.7

Starting from 90 fs at 3.9 um, pulse duration after Hollow-core Fiber setup is 33 fs (sub-three cycle at 3.9um).

Large core diameter fiber is used to reduce the losses at long wavelength and to scale the peak power. Throughput is 60%, decreased due to the mode quality of the input beam and include losses on the guiding and vacuum optics.

Footprint: 4m x 0.15m

Input: 90 fs, 22 mJ, 20 Hz

Output: 33 fs, 13 mJ, 20 Hz

HCF with input at λ = 1.8um

Full details are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4934861

Starting from 35 fs (11 mJ), pulse duration after Hollow-core Fiber setup is 12 fs with 5mJ of energy. Large core diameter fiber is used to reduce the losses at long wavelength and to scale the peak power. Throughput is 45%, decreased due to the spatial filter in front of
the fiber and include losses on the guiding and vacuum optics.

Footprint: 4.5m x 0.15m

Input: 35 fs, 11 mJ, 100 Hz

Output: 12 fs, 5 mJ, 100 Hz

HCF as a white light source with TiSa Coherent lasers

Full details are available at https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5113691

Starting from 130fs centered at 800nm (Coherent Legend Elite Duo HE+ F) Hollow-core Fiber setup yields broadband spectrum with self-compressed white light part (500-750nm). Total throughput of the fiber is typically 80% with 8% of energy being in the <750nm spectral region. Spectrally selected WL part is further compressed to <15 fs and well suitable for coherent multidimensional spectroscopy.

Shot-to-shot RMS stability 2.5%. Spectrum, TG-FROG inset, 24h stability and collimated output mode are shown below.

Footprint: 3.2m x 0.15m (fiber length 2.5m).

Input: 130 fs @800 nm, 0.5 mJ, 1 kHz

Output: 15 fs @630 nm, 45 nJ, 1 kHz