Passively phase-locked Er:fiber source of single-cycle pulses in the near infrared with electro-optic timing modulation for field-resolved electron control

A single-cycle light source in the near infrared is demonstrated enabling sensitive applications of ultrafast optical field control of electronic transport. The compact Er:fiber system generates passively phase-locked pulses with broad-band spectra covering 150 THz to 350 THz at a duration of 4.2 fs and 40MHz repetition rate. A second output arm is equipped with an electro-optic modulator (EOM) that switches the arrival time of the pulses by 700 ps at arbitrary frequencies up to 20 MHz, enabling timing modulation of the pump pulse without changing the average intensity. As a benchmark demonstration, we investigate the carrier relaxation dynamics in low-temperature-grown InGaAs (LT-InGaAs) using quantum interference currents (QuICs). (C) 2022 Optica Publishing Group

Automated summary

This study demonstrates a single-cycle light source in the near infrared for sensitive applications of ultrafast optical field control of electronic transport. The compact Er:fiber system generates passively phase-locked pulses with broad-band spectra, covering a wide range of frequencies. An electro-optic modulator is also equipped to switch the arrival time of the pulses, allowing timing modulation without changing the average intensity.