Synchronization Module

TCBOC – Two-Color Balanced Optical Cross Correlator

Lowest noise optical synchronization between two femtosecond lasers with different center wavelengths

More than 1 mV/fs sensitivity
Lower than 0.5 fs RMS noise floor
Less than 15 fs RMS timing jitter and timing drift
Attosecond-level timing jitter resolution

Description

TCBOC allows ultra-precise measurement of timing jitter between two independent optical pulse trains, at different central wavelengths.

The TCBOC is a natural extension to Cycle’s well-known and patented (one-color) BOC and is used for sub-femtosecond fiber link stabilization over kilometer distances. Due to a balanced optical detection scheme, the TCBOC provides exceptionally high timing sensitivity, attosecond timing resolution, amplitude invariance and robustness against environmental fluctuations. The output of the TCBOC is a baseband voltage signal that is proportional to the relative time delay between the two sources. This output can in turn be used in a phase-locked loop to synchronize the two optical sources (e.g. locking a Ti:Sapphire laser to a low-noise fiber oscillator). Standard wavelengths are 800 nm, 1030 nm and/or 1550 nm.

Applications

Precise synchronization of the repetition rates of two optical pulse trains, at same or different wavelengths
Precise synchronization of the repetition rate of an ultrafast laser to the output of a stabilized fiber link
Compensation of jitter, introduced by amplifiers in a laser amplifier chain or in similar setups
Measurement of jitter and drift between two synchronized lasers or two optical beam paths from the same source
Measurement of optical path length fluctuations (e.g. caused by temperature changes)

Tech Specs

Timing jitter

< 15 fs RMS

Timing sensitivity

> 1 mV/fs

Timing noise floor

< 0.5 fs RMS

Timing resolution

< 0.05 fs RMS

Datasheet