Ultrastable and ultrafast mid-IR laser sources

Publications

You can also find the list of our publication on Google Scholar.

See the list of our recent conferences presentations.

2025

Direct electro-optic phase control for carrier-envelope offset frequency stabilization in solid-state lasers
Karolina Suliga, Jarosław Sotor, Maciej Kowalczyk
Optics Express 33, 21870-21879 (2025)


Summary: We propose a new technique for fceo stabilization based on direct phase control via an intracavity electro-optic modulator and show that it can be superior to standard approach relying on pump power modulation.

Mid-infrared generation via Raman soliton self-frequency shift in fluoride fibers: a comparative study
Olga Szewczyk, Karolina Suliga, Maciej Kowalczyk
Optics Express 33, 19980-19990 (2025)


Summary: We spectrally convert the radiation of our Cr:ZnS laser from a wavelength of 2.3 µm to 4 µm by using nonlinear optics in fluoride mid-infrared fibers.

2024

SESAM-assisted Kerr-lens mode-locked Cr:ZnS laser
Maciej Kowalczyk, Ivan Davydenko, Jarosław Sotor
Optics Letters 49, 5184-5187 (2024)
Preprint: https://doi.org/10.1364/opticaopen.25992013.v4


Summary: We show how to combine slow (SESAM) and fast saturable absorber (Kerr-lens) for mode-locking in a Cr:ZnS laser. This allows self-starting operation with ultrashort pulses.

2023

Ultra-CEP-stable single-cycle pulses at 2.2 µm
Maciej Kowalczyk*, Nathalie Nagl*, Philipp Steinleitner*, Nicholas Karpowicz, Vladimir Pervak, Aleksander Głuszek, Arkadiusz Hudzikowski, Ferenc Krausz, Ka Fai Mak, Alexander Weigel (*Equal contributions)
Optica 10, 801-811 (2023)

Cover paper!
News 1

Summary: We show how to master the carrier-envelope stabilization in a 2.3 µm mode-locked laser and reach lowest phase noise ever shown for single- or few-cycle pulses.

2022

Single-cycle infrared waveform control
Philipp Steinleitner*, Nathalie Nagl*, Maciej Kowalczyk*, Jinwei Zhang, Vladimir Pervak, Christina Hofer, Arkadiusz Hudzikowski, Jarosław Sotor, Alexander Weigel, Ferenc Krausz, Ka Fai Mak (*Equal contributions)
Nature Photonics 16, 512–518 (2022)

News & Views summary
News Phys.org
News 2
News 3

Summary: Tour de force on Cr:ZnS/Se laser technology. We show how to compress the pulses from a chromium laser down to a single electric-field oscillation (7 fs pulse duration) and we use them for record-efficient nonlinear down-conversion. This allows us to generate ultrabroadband mid-IR pulses (spectral range 1-12 µm) and control their waveforms.

Dual-dispersion-regime dual-comb mode-locked laser
Maciej Kowalczyk, Łukasz A. Sterczewski, Xuzhao Zhang, Valentin Petrov, Jarosław Sotor
Optics Letters 47, 1762-1765 (2022)
Preprint: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2201.10312

Summary: One laser simultaneously producing two pulse trains? Boring. We can do it, but we have each comb operating in a different dispersion regime!

2021

Dual‐Comb Femtosecond Solid‐State Laser with Inherent Polarization‐Multiplexing
Maciej Kowalczyk, Łukasz A. Sterczewski, Xuzhao Zhang, Valentin Petrov, Jarosław Sotor
Laser & Photonics Reviews 15, 2000441 (2021)
Preprint: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2009.05454

Cover paper!


Summary: We use the birefringence of the gain crystal to allow simultaneous generation of two orthogonally-polarized pulse trains from the same laser.

2020

Self-frequency-doubling Yb:CNGS lasers operating in the femtosecond regime
Maciej Kowalczyk, X. Zhang, V. Petrov, P. Loiko, X. Mateos, S. Guo, Z. Wang, X. Xu, J. Sotor
Journal of the Optical Society of America B 37, 2822-2829 (2020)

Spotlight on Optics Summary

Summary: We take a non-centrosymmetric Yb-doped gain medium and we cut it to be phase-matched for second-harmonic generation of fundamental 1 µm radiation. Will it work, and will the laser produce two-color beam? Check it out!

Low-noise carrier-envelope-offset-stabilized Yb:CaF2 oscillator
M. Kowalczyk, A. Hudzikowski, M. Porębski, J. Sotor
IEEE Photonics Technology Letters 32, 823-826 (2020)

2019

Ultrabroadband wavelength-swept source based on total mode-locking of an Yb:CaF2 laser
M. Kowalczyk, T. Martynkien, P. Mergo, G. Soboń, J. Sotor
Photonics Research 7, 182-186 (2019)

Summary: Bored with standard mode-locking? Try total mode-locking. It locks both longitudinal and transverse modes of the laser and can be used for rapid spectral-tuning.

Graphene and SESAM mode-locked Yb:CNGS lasers with self-frequency doubling properties
M. Kowalczyk, X. Zhang, X. Mateos, S. Guo, Z. Wang, X. Xu, P. Loiko, F. Rotermund, J. Sotor, U. Griebner, V. Petrov
Optics Express 27, 590-596 (2019)

2018

Investigation on dispersion regimes in Yb:KGW solid-state laser
M. Kowalczyk, J. Sotor
Laser Physics Letters 15, 065003 (2018)

2017

Exploiting nonlinear properties of pure and Sn-doped Bi2Te2Se for passive Q-switching of all-polarization maintaining ytterbium- and erbium-doped fiber lasers
J. Bogusławski*, M. Kowalczyk*, P. Iwanowski, A.j Hruban, R. Diduszko, K. Piotrowski, K. Dybko, T. Wojciechowski, M. Aleszkiewicz, J. Sotor (*Equal contributions)
Scientific Reports 7, 7428 (2017)

2016

Sb2Te3-deposited D-shaped fiber as a saturable absorber for mode-locked Yb-doped fiber lasers
M. Kowalczyk, J. Bogusławski, R. Zybała, K. Mars, A. Mikuła, G. Soboń, J. Sotor
Optical Materials Express 6, 2273-2282 (2016)

59 fs mode-locked Yb:KGW oscillator pumped by a single-mode laser diode
M. Kowalczyk, J. Sotor, K. M. Abramski
Laser Physics Letters 13, 035801 (2016)

2014

Microstructured gradient-index antireflective coating fabricated on a fiber tip with direct laser writing
M. Kowalczyk, J. Haberko, P. Wasylczyk
Optics Express 22, 12545-12550 (2014)

Summary: Tiny, photonic structures printed directly on the fiber tip.

Conferences:

2025

  1. M. Kowalczyk, „Generation and applications of single-cycle mid-infrared laser pulses”, Quantum Optics XI, 31/08 – 05/09/2025, Kraków, Invited talk
  2. M. Kowalczyk, “Single-cycle mid-infrared frequency combs”, Ultrafast Spectroscopy of Correlated Materials Department in the Institute for Molecules and Materials at Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands, 28/08/2025, Invited seminar
  3. M. Kowalczyk, “Single-cycle mid-infrared frequency combs”, EOSAM 2025 European Optical Society Annual Meeting,  24-28/08/2025, Delft, Netherlands, Invited talk
  4. M. Kowalczyk, “Mid-infrared light sources based on ultrafast Cr:ZnS lasers“, Eurosensors 2025, 7-10/09/2025, Wrocław
  5. J. Jaworski, P.Kaczmarek, J. Sotor, M. Kowalczyk, „Carrier-envelope Offset Frequency Stabilization in a Cr:ZnS Mode-locked Laser”, OPTO 2025, 07-11072025, Wrocław, Poland
  6. D. Tomaszewska-Rolla, P. Jaworski, D. Wu, F. Yu, O. Szewczyk, J. Sotor, M. Kowalczyk, „Szerokopasmowa spektroskopia gazów w niskiej próżni z wykorzystaniem światłowodu antyrezonansowego z rdzeniem powietrznym i lasera Cr:ZnS”, Polska Konferencja Optyczna 2025, 30.06-03.07.2025, Rzeszów, Polska
  7. M. Pietrzak, J. Jaworski, A. Hudzikowski, A. Głuszek, J. Sotor, M. Kowalczyk, „Methods for generating few-cycle laser pulses in the near- and mid-infrared spectral bands”, OPTO 2025, 7-11/07/2025, Wrocław, Poland
  8. K. Suliga, J. Sotor, M. Kowalczyk, „Carrier-envelope offset frequency stabilization in solid-state lasers: direct electro-optic vs pump-power modulation”, CLEO Europe 2025, 23-27/06/2025, Munich, Germany
  9. J. Jaworski, M. Kowalczyk, „Spectrally-resolved Intensity Noise Measurement of Cr:ZnS Kerr-Lens Mode-locked Lasers”, CLEO Europe 2025, 23-27/06/2025, Munich, Germany
  10. M. Kowalczyk, K. Suliga, J. Jaworski, J. Sotor, „Ultra-low-noise frequency comb at 2.3 µm”, CLEO Europe 2025, 23-27/06/2025, Munich, Germany
  11. M. Pietrzak, A. Hudzikowski, A. Głuszek, J. Sotor​, „100 μJ-level Pulse Compression Down to 23 fs ​ in a Single-Stage Gas-filled Herriott Multipass Cell”, CLEO Europe 2025, 23-27/06/2025, Munich, Germany
  12. D. Tomaszewska-Rolla et al., „Mid-infrared optical frequency comb spectroscopy using an all-silica antiresonant hollow-core fiber”, Seminar of Division of Optics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, 15/05/2025, Invited seminar

Before 2025 (selected)

  1. M. Kowalczyk, „ Ultrabroadband mid-infrared frequency combs”, Czwartkowe Kolokwium Fizyczne Wydziału Fizyki Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu, Toruń, 21.11.2024, Invited seminar
  2. M. Kowalczyk, “Development of ultrastable and ultrafast mid-IR laser sources”, 23rd Slovak-Czech-Polish Optical Conference, 02-06/09/2024, Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia, Invited talk 
  3. O. Szewczyk, M. Kowalczyk, „Comparative study on fluoride fibers for mid-infrared generation pumped by a Cr:ZnS oscillator” EOSAM 2024, 9/09-13/09/2024, Rome, Italy 
  4. M. Kowalczyk et al., ”Ultrastable and Ultrafast Mid-IR Laser Sources Based on a Cr:ZnS/ZnSe Laser Technology”, CLEO Pacific Rim 2024, 05-09/08/2024, Incheon, South Korea, Invited talk
  5. M. Kowalczyk et al., „Ultrastable and ultrafast mid-infrared laser sources”, Frontiers of Ultrafast Science: From Fundamentals to Applications conference organized by Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics to celebrate Nobel Prize award for Prof. Ferenc Krausz. 22-23/02/2024, Garching, Germany, Invited talk
  6. M. Kowalczyk, „Ultrastable sources of single-cycle mid-infrared laser pulses”, Seminarium Zakładu Fotoniki Wydziału Fizyki Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Kraków, 04.12.2023; invited seminar
  7. M. Kowalczyk, Nobel Prize in Physics 2023 – a stopwatch for atoms, Seminarium Fizyki Politechniki Wrocławskiej, 08/01/2024, Wrocław, Invited seminar
  8. M. Kowalczyk, Kontrola przebiegu pola elektrycznego jednocyklowych impulsów światła w zakresie spektralnym średniej podczerwieni, Polska Konferencja Optyczna 2023, Toruń, 04 – 07/07/2023, Invited talk
  9. M. Kowalczyk, P. Steinleitner, N. Nagl, J. Zhang, V. Pervak, C. Hofer, A. Głuszek, J. Sotor, F. Krausz, A. Weigel, K. F. Mak, „Generation and control of single-cycle mid-infrared waveforms”, Invited seminar at Division of Optics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, 08/12/2022, Invited seminar
  10. M. Kowalczyk, P. Steinleitner, N. Nagl, J. Zhang, V. Pervak, C. Hofer, A. Głuszek, J. Sotor, F. Krausz, A. Weigel, K. F. Mak, ” Generacja i kontrola jednocyklowych impulsów światła w zakresie spektralnym średniej podczerwieni”, XIII Sympozjum Techniki Laserowej, Karpacz, 19-23.09.2022, Invited talk
  11. M. Kowalczyk, P. Steinleitner, N. Nagl, J. Zhang, V. Pervak, C. Hofer, A. Głuszek, J. Sotor, F. Krausz, A. Weigel, K. F. Mak, „Generation and control of single-cycle mid-infrared waveforms”, 10th EPS-QEOD Europhoton Conference (28/08 – 02/09/2022; Hannover, Germany, Invited Talk
  12. M. Kowalczyk, N. Nagl, P. Steinleitner, V. Pervak, A. Głuszek, J. Sotor, F. Krausz, A. Weigel, K. F. Mak, „CEP-stable Single-Cycle Pulses from a Cr:ZnS Laser,” in Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, Technical Digest Series (Optica Publishing Group, 2022), paper SF2E.4.
  13. M. Kowalczyk, Ł. Sterczewski, X. Zhang, V. Petrov, Z. Wang, and J. Sotor, „Dual-comb mode-locked lasers based on intrinsic polarization-multiplexing”, 28th International Conference on Advanced Laser Technologies (ALT) 2021 (06 – 10/09/2021; online), Invited Talk
  14. M. Kowalczyk, X. Zhang, V. Petrov, Z. Wang, and J. Sotor, „Dual-comb mode-locked laser simultaneously operating in two different dispersion regimes,” in 2021 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe and European Quantum Electronics Conference, OSA Technical Digest (Optica Publishing Group, 2021), paper ca_7_5.
  15. M. Kowalczyk, Ł. Sterczewski, X. Zhang, V. Petrov, S. Guo, Z. Wang, X. Xu, J. Sotor, „Dual-comb Generation from a Simple Single-cavity Mode-locked Bulk Laser,” in Laser Congress 2020 (ASSL, LAC), OSA Technical Digest (Optica Publishing Group, 2020), paper AF1A.4.
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