We have investigated the effect of intracavity nonlinear dynamics arising from enhanced peak powers of femtosecond pulses inside broad-bandwidth, dispersion-controlled, high-finesse optical cavities. We find that for χ⁽³⁾ nonlinearities, when a train of femtosecond pulses are maximally coupled into a cavity by active stabilization of its frequency comb to the corresponding linear resonances of a cavity, enhancement ceases when the peak nonlinear phase shift is sufficient to shift the cavity resonance frequencies by more than a cavity linewidth. In addition, we study and account for the complex spectral dynamics that result from chirping the input pulse and show excellent qualitative agreement with experimental results.

© 2005 Optical Society of America

1. V. Petrov, D. Georgiev, and U. Stamm, �??Improved Mode-Locking of a Femtosecond Titanium-Doped Sapphire Laser by Intracavity Second-Harmonic Generation,�?? Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, 1550�??1552 (1992). [CrossRef]
2. A. Ashkin, G. D. Boyd, and J. M. Dziedzic, �??Resonant optical second harmonic generation and mixing,�?? IEEE J. Quantum Electron. QE-2, 109�??123 (1966). [CrossRef]
3. W. J. Kozlovsky, C. D. Nabors, and R. L. Byer, �??2nd-Harmonic Generation of a Continuous-Wave Diode-Pumped Nd-Yag Laser Using an Externally Resonant Cavity,�?? Opt. Lett. 12, 1014�??1016 (1987). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. C. S. Adams and A. I. Ferguson, �??Frequency Doubling of a Single Frequency Ti-Al2o3 Laser Using an External Enhancement Cavity,�?? Opt. Commun. 79, 219�??223 (1990). [CrossRef]
5. Z. Y. Ou and H. J. Kimble, �??Enhanced Conversion Efficiency for Harmonic-Generation with Double-Resonance,�?? Opt. Lett. 18, 1053�??1055 (1993). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. K. Fiedler, S. Schiller, R. Paschotta, P. Kurz, and J. Mlynek, �??Highly Efficient Frequency-Doubling with a Doubly Resonant Monolithic Total-Internal-Reflection Ring-Resonator,�?? Opt. Lett. 18, 1786�??1788 (1993). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. T. Heupel, M. Weitz, and T. W. Hansch, �??Phase-coherent light pulses for atom optics and interferometry,�?? Opt. Lett. 22, 1719�??1721 (1997). [CrossRef]
8. A. Kastler, �??Atomes a l�??Interieur d�??un Interferometre Perot-Fabry,�?? Appl. Opt. 1, 17�??24 (1962). [CrossRef]
9. J. Ye, L. S. Ma, and J. L. Hall, �??Ultrasensitive detections in atomic and molecular physics: demonstration in molecular overtone spectroscopy,�?? J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 15, 6�??15 (1998). [CrossRef]
10. J. Ye and T. W. Lynn, �??Applications of optical cavities in modern atomic, molecular, and optical physics,�?? Advances in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics 49, 1�??83 (2003). [CrossRef]
11. R. J. Jones and J. Ye, �??Femtosecond pulse amplification by coherent addition in a passive optical cavity,�?? Opt. Lett. 27, 1848�??1850 (2002). [CrossRef]
12. J. C. Petersen and A. N. Luiten, �??Short pulses in optical resonators,�?? Opt. Express 11, 2975�??2981 (2003), <a href="http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-11-22-2975">http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-11-22-2975</a>. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
13. R. J. Jones and J. C. Diels, �??Stabilization of femtosecond lasers for optical frequency metrology and direct optical to radio frequency synthesis,�?? Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 3288�??3291 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
14. R. J. Jones, I. Thomann, and J. Ye, �??Precision stabilization of femtosecond lasers to high-finesse optical cavities,�?? Phys. Rev. A 69, 051803 (R) (2004). [CrossRef]
15. J. Ye and S. T. Cundiff (editors), Femtosecond optical frequency comb technology: Principle, operation and application (Springer, New York, 2005). [CrossRef]
16. A. N. Luiten and J. C. Petersen, �??Ultrafast resonant polarization interferometry: Towards the first direct detection of vacuum polarization,�?? Phys. Rev. A 70, 033801 (2004). [CrossRef]
17. R. J. Jones and J. Ye, �??High-repetition-rate coherent femtosecond pulse amplification with an external passive optical cavity,�?? Opt. Lett. 29, 2812�??2814 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
18. F. Ouellette and M. Piche, �??Ultrashort Pulse Reshaping with a Nonlinear Fabry-Perot Cavity Matched to a Train of Short Pulses,�?? J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 5, 1228�??1236 (1988). [CrossRef]
19. M. J. Thorpe, R. J. Jones, K. D. Moll, and J. Ye, �??Precise measurements of optical cavity dispersion and mirror coating properties via femtosecond combs,�?? Opt. Express 13, 882�??888 (2005), <a href="http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-13-3-882">http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-13-3-882</a.> [CrossRef] [PubMed]
20. R. W. Boyd, Nonlinear Optics, 2nd ed. (Academic Press, San Diego, 2002).
21. P. Dube, L. S. Ma, J. Ye, P. Jungner, and J. L. Hall, �??Thermally induced self-locking of an optical cavity by overtone absorption in acetylene gas,�?? J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 13, 2041�??2054 (1996). [CrossRef]

Advances in Atomic, Molecular, and Optic

• J. Ye and T. W. Lynn, �??Applications of optical cavities in modern atomic, molecular, and optical physics,�?? Advances in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics 49, 1�??83 (2003). [CrossRef]

Appl. Opt.

• A. Kastler, �??Atomes a l�??Interieur d�??un Interferometre Perot-Fabry,�?? Appl. Opt. 1, 17�??24 (1962). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• V. Petrov, D. Georgiev, and U. Stamm, �??Improved Mode-Locking of a Femtosecond Titanium-Doped Sapphire Laser by Intracavity Second-Harmonic Generation,�?? Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, 1550�??1552 (1992). [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Quantum Electron.

• A. Ashkin, G. D. Boyd, and J. M. Dziedzic, �??Resonant optical second harmonic generation and mixing,�?? IEEE J. Quantum Electron. QE-2, 109�??123 (1966). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• J. Ye, L. S. Ma, and J. L. Hall, �??Ultrasensitive detections in atomic and molecular physics: demonstration in molecular overtone spectroscopy,�?? J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 15, 6�??15 (1998). [CrossRef]
• F. Ouellette and M. Piche, �??Ultrashort Pulse Reshaping with a Nonlinear Fabry-Perot Cavity Matched to a Train of Short Pulses,�?? J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 5, 1228�??1236 (1988). [CrossRef]
• P. Dube, L. S. Ma, J. Ye, P. Jungner, and J. L. Hall, �??Thermally induced self-locking of an optical cavity by overtone absorption in acetylene gas,�?? J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 13, 2041�??2054 (1996). [CrossRef]

Opt. Commun.

• C. S. Adams and A. I. Ferguson, �??Frequency Doubling of a Single Frequency Ti-Al2o3 Laser Using an External Enhancement Cavity,�?? Opt. Commun. 79, 219�??223 (1990). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• M. J. Thorpe, R. J. Jones, K. D. Moll, and J. Ye, �??Precise measurements of optical cavity dispersion and mirror coating properties via femtosecond combs,�?? Opt. Express 13, 882�??888 (2005), <a href="http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-13-3-882">http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-13-3-882</a.> [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• Z. Y. Ou and H. J. Kimble, �??Enhanced Conversion Efficiency for Harmonic-Generation with Double-Resonance,�?? Opt. Lett. 18, 1053�??1055 (1993). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• K. Fiedler, S. Schiller, R. Paschotta, P. Kurz, and J. Mlynek, �??Highly Efficient Frequency-Doubling with a Doubly Resonant Monolithic Total-Internal-Reflection Ring-Resonator,�?? Opt. Lett. 18, 1786�??1788 (1993). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• T. Heupel, M. Weitz, and T. W. Hansch, �??Phase-coherent light pulses for atom optics and interferometry,�?? Opt. Lett. 22, 1719�??1721 (1997). [CrossRef]
• W. J. Kozlovsky, C. D. Nabors, and R. L. Byer, �??2nd-Harmonic Generation of a Continuous-Wave Diode-Pumped Nd-Yag Laser Using an Externally Resonant Cavity,�?? Opt. Lett. 12, 1014�??1016 (1987). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• R. J. Jones and J. Ye, �??Femtosecond pulse amplification by coherent addition in a passive optical cavity,�?? Opt. Lett. 27, 1848�??1850 (2002). [CrossRef]
• R. J. Jones and J. Ye, �??High-repetition-rate coherent femtosecond pulse amplification with an external passive optical cavity,�?? Opt. Lett. 29, 2812�??2814 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. A

• A. N. Luiten and J. C. Petersen, �??Ultrafast resonant polarization interferometry: Towards the first direct detection of vacuum polarization,�?? Phys. Rev. A 70, 033801 (2004). [CrossRef]
• R. J. Jones, I. Thomann, and J. Ye, �??Precision stabilization of femtosecond lasers to high-finesse optical cavities,�?? Phys. Rev. A 69, 051803 (R) (2004). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• J. C. Petersen and A. N. Luiten, �??Short pulses in optical resonators,�?? Opt. Express 11, 2975�??2981 (2003), <a href="http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-11-22-2975">http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-11-22-2975</a>. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• R. J. Jones and J. C. Diels, �??Stabilization of femtosecond lasers for optical frequency metrology and direct optical to radio frequency synthesis,�?? Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 3288�??3291 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• J. Ye and S. T. Cundiff (editors), Femtosecond optical frequency comb technology: Principle, operation and application (Springer, New York, 2005). [CrossRef]
• R. W. Boyd, Nonlinear Optics, 2nd ed. (Academic Press, San Diego, 2002).

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