Program
Optical Science and Engineering
College
Arts and Sciences
Student Level
Doctoral
Location
Student Union Building, Ballroom C
Start Date
8-11-2021 11:00 AM
End Date
8-11-2021 1:00 PM
Abstract
Vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VECSELs) have recently emerged as alternative sources to existing solid-state lasers due to their relatively simple and low-cost architecture, high powers, flexible bandgap engineering, good beam quality, ultrashort pulse operation, and intracavity accessibility. Those unique features make it possible to achieve wavelengths and power levels that can be utilized ranging from spectroscopy and biomedical applications, to creating an artificial star for adaptive optics astronomy. My PhD work at UNM primarily focuses on the latter application. Sodium laser guide stars (LGS) play an essential role for adaptive optics (AO) in ground-based telescopes. A narrow linewidth 589.2 nm laser is used to energize sodium atoms around 90 km above the earth's surface to create a sodium beacon that will serve as an AO reference for correcting the aberrations caused by the atmosphere turbulence. We investigate utilizing membrane external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (MECSELs), invented by our group at UNM for developing compact, efficient, and ultra-stable lasers emitting at the sodium D2 line. The MECSEL architecture allows high power operation required for LGS applications due to its unique thermal management capabilities.
Mingyang's Poster
Igniting Artificial Stars with Semiconductor Disk Lasers
Student Union Building, Ballroom C
Vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VECSELs) have recently emerged as alternative sources to existing solid-state lasers due to their relatively simple and low-cost architecture, high powers, flexible bandgap engineering, good beam quality, ultrashort pulse operation, and intracavity accessibility. Those unique features make it possible to achieve wavelengths and power levels that can be utilized ranging from spectroscopy and biomedical applications, to creating an artificial star for adaptive optics astronomy. My PhD work at UNM primarily focuses on the latter application. Sodium laser guide stars (LGS) play an essential role for adaptive optics (AO) in ground-based telescopes. A narrow linewidth 589.2 nm laser is used to energize sodium atoms around 90 km above the earth's surface to create a sodium beacon that will serve as an AO reference for correcting the aberrations caused by the atmosphere turbulence. We investigate utilizing membrane external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (MECSELs), invented by our group at UNM for developing compact, efficient, and ultra-stable lasers emitting at the sodium D2 line. The MECSEL architecture allows high power operation required for LGS applications due to its unique thermal management capabilities.
