Subpicosecond laser timing stabilization

Abstract

The 0.25 Hz-25 kHz pulse timing fluctuations of a Nd:YAG CW-mode-locked laser are reduced from 20.6 ps to less than 0.30 ps rms by an electronic phase-lock loop. Stabilizer design considerations include the laser phase control characteristics, phase detector additive noise, and spurious detection of the laser amplitude noise by the loop phase detector. Applications include synchronization of multiple picosecond pulsed lasers, and synchronization of lasers and electronic signal sources in picosecond physical measurements.