Energy-scalable pulsed mid-IR source using orientation-patterned GaAs

Coherent mid-IR sources based on orientation-patterned GaAs (OPGaAs) are of significant interest in diverse scientific, medical, and military applications. The generation of long-wavelength mid-IR beams in OPGaAs using optical parametric oscillation exhibits limitations in the obtainable pulse energy and peak power. The master oscillator power amplifier concept is demonstrated in OPGaAs, by which a mid-IR source based on optical parametric oscillation can be scaled to high energy by amplification of the output of the optical parametric oscillator in an optical parametric amplifier (OPA). A fivefold increase in the pulse energy is obtained using this method by amplifying 3.85μm pulses in an OPGaAs OPA pumped by a Th,Ho:YLF Q-switched laser.     

Time-reversed optical parametric oscillation

In recent works, the idea of time-reversed laser oscillation has been proposed and demonstrated to realize a two-channel coherent perfect absorber [Y.?D. Chong et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 053901 (2010); W. Wan et al., Science 331, 889 (2011)]. Here the time reversal of optical parametric oscillation in a nonlinear χ(2) medium is considered and shown to realize a coherent perfect absorber for colored incident signal and idler fields. A detailed analysis is presented for the time-reversed process of mirrorless optical parametric oscillation in the full nonlinear regime.     

Multiple conversion and optical limiting in a subharmonic-pumped parametric oscillator

We demonstrate that multiple coexisting frequency-conversion processes can occur in an externally resonant second-harmonic generator under suitable conditions. Besides the generation of signal and idler waves by subharmonic-pumped parametric oscillation, sum-frequency mixing among the resonant subharmonic (1064-nm), signal, and idler waves was observed, leading to additional emission wavelengths around the harmonic wavelength (532 nm). The output waves both exhibit high frequency stability, with as long as 4 h of mode-hop-free parametric oscillation, and are continuously tunable over 2 GHz. Near degeneracy the parametric oscillator operates as an optical limiter for the harmonic wave.     

Self-optical parametric oscillation in periodically poled neodymium-doped lithium niobate

Self-optical parametric oscillation is demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge in a periodically poled neodymium-doped lithium niobate (Nd:PPLN) crystal. The crystal is pumped by a cw Ti:sapphire laser at 813.5 nm. The Nd(3+) ions absorb the 813.5-nm radiation to generate 1084-nm laser oscillation. The internally Q switched 1084-nm radiation pumps the periodically poled lithium niobate host matrix to generate optical parametric oscillation at 1.55 and 3.6 microm . Up to 24% conversion efficiency from laser to signal is observed.     

Near-infrared properties of periodically poled KTiOPO<Subscript>4</Subscript> and stoichiometric MgO-doped LiTaO<Subscript>3</Subscript> crystals for high power optical parametric oscillation with femtosecond pulses

A thorough theoretical analysis of the near-infrared properties of periodically poled KTiOPO₄ (PPKTP) and stoichiometric MgO-doped LiTaO₃ (MgO:PPSLT) crystals for optical parametric oscillation with excitation at 1 μm is presented. To the best of our knowledge, the optical, phasematching, wavelength tuning, and dispersive properties of these crystals for parametric interactions are discussed in detail for the first time. In addition, a new design for high power parametric devices based on PPKTP or MgO:PPSLT crystals with ultrafast Yb-ion laser pump is proposed. The results form a useful reference for the selection of materials and operating conditions for the practical design of high power femtosecond optical parametric oscillators with excitation at 1 μm.     

准位相匹配材料研究新进展及应用

准位相匹配材料（光学超晶格）是一种人工非线性光学材料，目前已被广泛应用于倍频，三倍频，光参量振荡等激光变频领域，这种材料可以通过提供倒格矢来满足非线性光学过程中的位相失配，从而提高非线性光学过程转换效率，文章简要回顾了准位相匹配理论的发展过程，对其基本原理及主要应用做了较为详细的描述，并对近年来该领域的一些新进展做了介绍。     

光参量振荡过程的物理图象及BBO参量振荡器

本文采用折射率面来描述光参量振荡过程的物理图象,获得了光参量振荡过程的相位匹配图象和频率调谐的简单的数学表达式,直观简洁地说明了光参量振荡器频率调谐曲线的调谐行为.我们用1.06μm和0.532μm激光泵浦β-BaB2O4(BBO)晶体,获得了角度调谐的BBO光参量振荡器的调谐范围分别为1.7～2.35μm及0.72～2.1μm,最大能量转换效率为15％,还讨论了输出能量与腔长的关系.     

Phasematching properties of congruent MgO-doped and undoped periodically poled LiNbO<Subscript>3</Subscript> for optical parametric oscillation with ultrafast excitation at 1 µm

A detailed theoretical analysis of the optical properties of periodically poled crystals of lithium niobate for optical parametric oscillation with excitation at 1 μm is presented. Crystals of congruent lithium niobate with and without MgO-doping are considered. The choice of materials, their basic optical properties, quasi-phasematching and wavelength tuning ranges, as well as dispersive effects are discussed. These results provide a useful roadmap for the construction of optical parametric oscillators and generators operating in the ultrashort pulse regime with excitation at 1 μm.     

High repetition rate pulsed laser of twin wavelengths from KTiOPO4 optical parametric oscillation

In this paper, some key techniques of KTiOPO_4 optical parametric oscillation (OPO) laser with repetitive frequencies and twin wavelengths output have been analysed theoretically and studied experimentally in detail. An intracavity optical parametric oscillator (IOPO) has been applied. Operating under 20Hz, laser output energy of more than 38mJ with twin wavelengths 1.57μm and 1.06μm has been achieved. Results of the experiments agree well with the theoretical discussion.     

Parametric interaction and backward wave oscillation in stimulated compton scattering

Stimulated Compton-Raman scattering and free electron lasers are formulated as parametric (four-photon) or three-wave interaction processes. Manley-Rowe relations and depletable pump equations are derived for both free electron lasers and optical klystron schemes. A process of backward wave oscillation is predicted when a pump radiation field is back scattered off a codirectionally propagating e beam with frequency down conversion. A practicable experiment in the optical regime is proposed to demonstrate this effect.     

Low-threshold optical parametric oscillations in a whispering gallery mode resonator

In whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator light is guided by continuous total internal reflection along a curved surface. Fabricating such resonators from an optically nonlinear material one takes advantage of their exceptionally high quality factors and small mode volumes to achieve extremely efficient optical frequency conversion. Our analysis of the phase-matching conditions for optical parametric down-conversion (PDC) in a spherical WGM resonator shows their direct relation to the sum rules for photons' angular momenta and predicts a very low parametric oscillation threshold. We realized such an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on naturally phase-matched PDC in lithium niobate. We demonstrated a single-mode, strongly nondegenerate OPO with a threshold of 6.7 μW and linewidth under 10 MHz. This work demonstrates the remarkable capabilities of WGM-based OPOs.     

Difference frequency generation combined with intracavity absorption

A previous study in which the optical parametric oscillator (OPO) has been shown to provide a light source suitable for intracavity absorption spectroscopy, is extended to difference frequency generation. The following experimental situation is discussed: in a nonlinear material an incident monochromatic pump wave, together with an incident many-mode idler wave, creates a many-mode wave at the difference frequency (signal wave) which is made to resonate in a cavity. The latter contains an absorbing medium whose absorption line is smaller than the signal bandwidth. For this device, the enhancement factor ξ is calculated. Large values of ξ can be expected only for pump powers which exceed the threshold value for optical parametric oscillation. Otherwise, the enhancement will be due only to the resonator effect.     

Modification of pattern formation in doubly resonant second-harmonic generation by competing parametric oscillation

We analyze pattern formation in doubly resonant intracavity second-harmonic generation in the presence of competing nondegenerate parametric downconversion. We show that for positive cavity detuning of the fundamental frequency the threshold for parametric oscillation is lower than that of transverse, pattern forming instabilities. The parametric oscillation strongly modifies the pattern dynamics found previously in a simplified analysis that neglects parametric instability [Phys. Rev. E 56, 4803 (1997)]. Stationary and dynamic patterns in the presence of parametric oscillation are found numerically.     

Difference-Frequency Generation of THz Radiation via Parametric Three-Wave Interaction in CdTe and ZnTe Crystals

Difference-frequency generation of terahertz (THz) radiation in a collinear single-crystal scheme with distributed feedback implemented by means of parametric interaction of counterpropagating optical waves in a periodically inhomogeneous medium exhibiting quadratic nonlinearity is investigated. Using ZnTe and CdTe crystals optically pumped at λ = 0.77 and 1.06 μm, respectively, as an example, the possibility of obtaining parametric generation of THz radiation with an optical-to-THz conversion efficiency exceeding 10^–3 (with an extremely narrow line of oscillation of less than 4 GHz for ZnTe and less than 9 GHz for CdTe at 1 THz) is demonstrated in the undepleted-pump-intensity approximation. The obtained results can be used for construction of narrow-band lasers in the THz frequency range with an output power (in the quasicw regime of oscillation) of about 10⁵ W/cm².     

Cascaded optical parametric oscillation with a dual-grating periodically poled lithium niobate crystal

We demonstrate continuous-wave cascaded optical parametric oscillation in which the signal field of the primary parametric oscillator internally pumps the secondary parametric oscillator. Wavelength tuning is achieved with temperature tuning and a fan-out grating structure of a dual-grating periodically poled lithium niobate crystal. Above the secondary threshold the primary signal power is clamped, and all the other output powers increase linearly with the input pump power, in accordance with theory. Cascaded parametric oscillation offers a convenient and efficient way to generate multiple tunable outputs.     

Narrow linewidth pulsed optical parametric oscillator

Tunable narrow linewidth radiation by optical parametric oscillation has many applications, particularly in spectroscopic investigation. In this paper, different techniques such as injection seeding, use of spectral selecting element like grating, grating and etalon in combination, grazing angle of incidence, entangled cavity configuration and type-II phase matching have been discussed for generating tunable narrow linewidth radiation by singly resonant optical parametric oscillation process.     

Continuous-wave pumped, all-fiber optical parametric oscillator assisted by stimulated Raman scattering

A continuous-wave pumped, all-fiber optical parametric oscillator (OPO) around 1523 nm based on the mixing interaction of parametric process and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) effects are investigated in this paper. We study and give the detailed analysis of the generation and output characteristics of all-fiber OPO with the influence of the SRS effects. Experimental results show that there exists the saturation output effect for this kind of OPO due to the coexistence of first order SRS effect, second order SRS and the optical parametric oscillation. The maximal output power of OPO is about 100 mW as the pump power reaches 1.4 W. Furthermore, a depolarized L-band super-continuum light source from 1570 nm to 1640 nm based on the combined interaction of parametric process and SRS effects can also be obtained.     

基于MgO:APLN的1.57μm/3.84μm连续波内腔多光参量振荡器研究

报道了一种基于MgO:APLN实现1.57 μm和3.84 μm跨周期参量光连续输出的内腔抽运多光参量振荡器. 采用1064 nm谐振腔与多光参量振荡腔折叠型复合结构, 综合考虑高功率抽运下谐振腔的热稳定性及多光参量振荡过程的光斑模式匹配, 通过对两个子腔谐振结构的数值模拟分析, 确定了最佳腔型参数. 在此基础上, 进一步研究了谐振参量光透过率对振荡阈值、抽运光下转换效率、输出功率稳定性的影响, 最终实现了3.13 W的1.57 μm和0.85 W的3.84 μm参量光输出, 对应斜效率为6.8%和1.9%, 输出功率稳定性分别达到了1.8%和3%.     

Negative-index metamaterials: second-harmonic generation, Manley–Rowe relations and parametric amplification

Second harmonic generation and optical parametric amplification in negative-index metamaterials (NIMs) are studied. The opposite directions of the wave vector and the Poynting vector in NIMs results in a “backward” phase-matching condition, causing significant changes in the Manley–Rowe relations and spatial distributions of the coupled field intensities. It is shown that absorption in NIMs can be compensated by backward optical parametric amplification. The possibility of distributed-feedback parametric oscillation with no cavity has been demonstrated. The feasibility of the generation of entangled pairs of left- and right-handed counter-propagating photons is discussed. PACS 78.67.-n; 42.65.Ky; 42.65.Lm