Seed Lasers
Definition: lasers which are used for generating some seed light into an amplifier or another laser
More general terms: lasers
Opposite term: slave lasers
Categories: lasers, optical amplifiers
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Author: Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta
A seed laser is a laser the output which is injected into some amplifier or another laser. This is done in, e.g., the following situations:
- A seed laser combined with an amplifier forms a master oscillator power amplifier configuration, used for generating an output with high power. Compared with an approach with a single high-power laser, it is easier to obtain certain features with a low-power seed laser, e.g. single-frequency operation with narrow linewidth, a wide wavelength tuning range or the generation of ultrashort pulses.
- Instead of injection into an amplifier, a single-frequency seed beam can be sent into another laser (slave laser) or into an optical parametric oscillator in order to achieve narrowband emission via injection seeding. It is sometimes possible even to achieve injection locking, where the emitted frequency exactly equals the seed frequency, and the laser noise may be close to that of the seed laser.
Typical types of seed lasers are small laser diodes (single-frequency or gain-switched), short-cavity fiber lasers, and miniature solid-state lasers such as nonplanar ring oscillators (NPROs).
Suppliers
The RP Photonics Buyer's Guide contains 10 suppliers for seed lasers. Among them:
Laser Quantum
Laser Quantum provides lasers and amplifier systems to meet different needs for amplifier seeding, including the low maintenance gecco, short-pulses of the venteon power, the OPCPA ready venteon dual and the CEP stabilised venteon CEP5.
RPMC Lasers
RPMC Lasers offers one of the wide selections of single frequency lasers for injection seeding fiber lasers and solid-state lasers. These offerings are availed either open beam or fiber coupled and can be paired with laser diode drivers to provide transform limited picosecond seed sources for Q-switched fiber lasers.
Menlo Systems
Menlo Systems' femtosecond fiber lasers based on Menlo figure 9® patented laser technology are unique in regard to user-friendliness and robustness. We offer solutions for scientific research as well as laser models engineered for OEM integration.
TOPTICA Photonics
TOPTICA’s ultrafast fiber lasers family “FemtoFiber smart” is available as picosecond or femtosecond version. The lasers are based either on ytterbium-doped or erbium-doped fiber laser architecture. These systems are dedicated to applications ranging from seed laser purposes, biophotonics to terahertz generation and two-photon polymerization.
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See also: optical amplifiers, master oscillator power amplifier, slave laser, single-frequency operation, single-frequency lasers, injection locking, injection seeding
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