ORCID

0009-0004-4942-7782

Keywords

few-cycle pulse, ultrafast optics, nonlinear dynamics, TIPTOE (Waveform sampling)

Abstract

The rapid advancement of digital electronics and telecommunication systems necessitates processing information at increasingly higher speeds. However, modern semiconductor technology faces fundamental physical limitations in transistor miniaturization and clock frequency due to quantum mechanical constraints. To overcome these barriers, ultrafast optoelectronics, leveraging light-matter interactions, offers a promising alternative. Light, as the fastest carrier of information, enables signal processing at frequencies far beyond conventional semiconductor technology. Advancements in laser technology have enabled stable and reliable ultrashort light pulse sources, lasting only a few femtoseconds at optical wavelengths. When utilized for signal processing, they could enable clock frequencies over 1000 times higher than current semiconductor technologies. This dissertation focuses on developing few-cycle laser sources in the mid-infrared (MIDIR) and near-infrared (NIR) spectral ranges using a Yb:KGW driving laser and designing and demonstrating a TIPTOE-based waveform characterization technique. The first part involves developing a sub-three-cycle MIDIR source using multiplate glass compression of a two-stage OPA (Light Conversion -ORPHEUS) output, with its waveform measured via a CMOS-based TIPTOE technique. This source and method are used to study sub-cycle nonlinearity in low- and high-bandgap semiconductors (Si and ZnO). The second part develops a few-cycle NIR source using a two-stage hybrid nonlinear compression approach: a gas-filled multipass cell and a hollow-core fiber, generating sub-10-fs pulses. For waveform characterization, the TIPTOE technique is extended using an AlGaN photodiode, providing real-time laser field oscillation measurements. This system is further applied to study vibrational nonlinearity in fused silica. iv This work advances ultrafast pulse generation and measurement techniques, enabling the study of light-matter interactions in sub-femtosecond time scale and paving the way for next-generation ultrafast optoelectronic technologies.

Completion Date

2025

Semester

Summer

Committee Chair

Michael Chini

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Physics

Format

PDF

Identifier

DP0029567

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

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