Ultra-sensitive mid-infrared cavity leak-out spectroscopy using a cw optical parametric oscillator

We report a portable, all-solid-state, mid-infrared spectrometer for trace-gas analysis. The light source is a continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator based on PPLN and pumped by a Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm. The generated single-frequency idler output covers the wavelength region between 2.35 and 3.75 μm. With its narrow line width, this light source is suitable for precise trace-gas analysis with very high sensitivity. Using cavity leak-out spectroscopy we achieved a minimum detectable absorption coefficient of 1.2×10^-9 /cm (integration time: 16 s), corresponding, for example, to a detection limit of 300 parts per trillion ethane. This sensitivity and the compact design make this trace-gas analyzer a promising tool for various in situ environmental and medical applications. Received: 19 September 2002 / Published online: 15 November 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +49-228/733-474, E-mail: frank.kuehnemann@iap.uni-bonn.de     

High-resolution Doppler-free molecular spectroscopy with a continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator

We present a reliable, narrow-linewidth (100-kHz) continous-wave optical parametric oscillator (OPO) suitable for high-resolution spectroscopy applications. The singly resonant OPO with a resonated pump is based on periodically poled lithium niobate crystal and features a specially designed intracavity etalon, which permits precise tuning to any desired wavelength in a wide range. We demonstrate Doppler-free spectroscopy of a rovibrational transition of methane at 3.39 mum.     

中红外连续波单谐振光学参量振荡器热致相位失配

为了研究热致相位失配对中红外连续波单谐振光学参量振荡器(CW-SRO)输出效率的影响, 结合CW-SRO计算模型和热传导方程,利用有限元分析方法,重点对输出3.3 m波长闲频光的CW-SRO进行了分析。计算了不同信号光输出耦合率及不同泵浦功率下CW-SRO晶体输出截面上热致相位失配量的分布。由计算结果可以看出:晶体吸收腔中振荡信号光是导致晶体热效应的主要因素;在相同的输入条件下,泵浦功率在30 W以上时CW-SRO的热致相位失配将会大大降低其泵浦损耗率;通过增加信号光输出耦合率的方法,可以减少热致相位失配对CW-SRO输出效率的影响,但CW-SRO的振荡阈值会增加。     

中红外连续波单谐振光学参量振荡器热致相位失配

为了研究热致相位失配对中红外连续波单谐振光学参量振荡器(CW-SRO)输出效率的影响, 结合CW-SRO计算模型和热传导方程,利用有限元分析方法,重点对输出3.3 m波长闲频光的CW-SRO进行了分析。计算了不同信号光输出耦合率及不同泵浦功率下CW-SRO晶体输出截面上热致相位失配量的分布。由计算结果可以看出：晶体吸收腔中振荡信号光是导致晶体热效应的主要因素;在相同的输入条件下,泵浦功率在30 W以上时CW-SRO的热致相位失配将会大大降低其泵浦损耗率;通过增加信号光输出耦合率的方法,可以减少热致相位失配对CW-SRO输出效率的影响,但CW-SRO的振荡阈值会增加。     

Wavelength-swept optical parametric oscillator for broadband mid-infrared spectroscopy

In this work we describe a wavelength-swept continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator (OPO) for the rapid acquisition of mid-infrared spectra spanning over hundreds of wavenumbers. Rapid tuning of a ytterbium-doped fibre pump laser resulted in the OPO idler tuning over 900 cm^?1 in 3.36 ms at a resolution of 4.5 cm^?1, within a total accessible range of 2.67 to 4.34 μm (2304–3752 cm^?1). Predictable tuning characteristics allowed simple online calibration of recorded spectra for absolute mid-infrared frequency. The system thus offers a viable approach to broadband spectral acquisition in applications requiring high-radiance illumination.     

Tuning and stability of a continuous-wave mid-infrared high-power single resonant optical parametric oscillator

A 2.2-W continuous-wave, continuously tunable, single-frequency OPO has been developed in the 3.0–3.8 μm wavelength range for the detection of molecular trace gasses. The oscillation threshold, output power and stability of the single resonant OPO were improved by optimizing pump beam waist and OPO cavity length. Both air-spaced and solid etalons were tested to frequency stabilize and tune the OPO, from which the solid etalon gave a better performance. Temperature oscillations in the PPLN crystal caused oscillations in the idler wavelength of less than 200 MHz over 300 s; the short-term stability was less than 3 MHz over 1 s. The high laser power, in combination with photoacoustic spectroscopy, achieved a detection limit of 10 parts-per-trillion for ethane in nitrogen. Received: 9 April 2002 / Revised version: 14 June 2002 / Published online: 2 September 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax:+31-24/3653311, E-Mail: maartenh@sci.kun.nl     

A narrow-linewidth optical parametric oscillator for mid-infrared high-resolution spectroscopy

We present a narrow-linewidth, singly-resonant cw optical parametric oscillator, emitting more than 1 W in the 2.7–4.2?µm range. The OPO is pumped by a narrow linewidth (40?kHz) fibre-laser system and the signal frequency is locked to a high-finesse Fabry–Pérot cavity in order to increase the spectral resolution, thus obtaining a residual linewidth of 70?kHz for the signal. We tested the spectral performance of our OPO on several transitions in the ν₁ rovibrational band of CH₃I, measuring line intensities and showing sub-Doppler dip detection.     

High-power, continuous-wave, mid-infrared optical parametric oscillator based on MgO:sPPLT

We report a stable, high-power, cw, mid-IR optical parametric oscillator using MgO-doped stoichiometric periodically poled LiTaO? (MgO:sPPLT) pumped by a Yb fiber laser at 1064 nm. The singly resonant oscillator (SRO), based on a 30 mm long crystal, is tunable over 430 nm from 3032 to 3462 nm and can generate as much as 5.5 W of mid-IR output power, with >4 W of over 60% of the tuning range and under reduced thermal effects, enabling room temperature operation. Idler power scaling measurements at ~3.3 μm are compared with an MgO-doped periodically poled LiNbO? cw SRO, confirming that MgO:sPPLT is an attractive material for multiwatt mid-IR generation. The idler output at 3299 nm exhibits a peak-to-peak power stability better than 12.8% over 5 h and frequency stability of ~1 GHz, while operating close to room temperature, and has a linewidth of ~0.2 nm, limited by the resolution of the wavemeter. The corresponding signal linewidth at 1570 nm is ~21 MHz.     

中红外光学参量振荡器技术进展

3~5μm中红外激光器在环境污染检测、医疗、工业等领域具有重要的应用价值。本文总结了基于ZnGeP_2、MgO∶PPLN晶体的光参量振荡器(OPO)的国内外发展现状,分析了其各自不同结构系统设计的优势和发展前景。指出高功率、小体积、轻重量的光学参量振荡器是未来重要发展方向,发展的技术核心是生长更大尺寸的中红外激光晶体以及研制更高性能指标的OPO泵浦源,并对中红外激光器的发展趋势进行了展望。     

Atomic and molecular spectroscopy with a continuous-wave, doubly resonant, monolithic optical parametric oscillator

Doppler-broadened atomic and molecular spectra were observed with a one octave tunable, continuous-wave, doubly resonant, monolithic optical parametric oscillator (OPO) using 5% MgO-doped LiNbO₃ as a non-linear crystal with a birefringent phase-matching configuration. By tuning the frequency of a pump laser, longitudinal mode selection over 20 successive modes, corresponding to a 60 GHz span, was possible, owing to the simple structure of the monolithic OPO. Continuous frequency tuning was achieved using an external waveguide-type electrooptic phase modulator (EOM). By changing the modulation frequency of the EOM, frequency tuning of the optical sidebands over 12 GHz was possible, which is larger than the one free spectral range of the monolithic cavity of 3 GHz. We could observe the Cs-D₁ (894 nm), Cs-D₂ (852 nm), Rb-D₁ (795 nm), acetylene R9 (1520 nm) and P9 (1530 nm) transitions with the single monolithic OPO.     

Fiber-laser-based green-pumped continuous-wave singly-resonant optical parametric oscillator

Stable, high-power, second-harmonic-generation (SHG) of a compact CW Ytterbium (Yb) fiber laser at 1064 nm into the green and its use as a pump source for CW singly-resonant optical parametric oscillator (SRO) is demonstrated. Using a simple single-pass SHG configuration in MgO:sPPLT, as much as 9.6 W of single-frequency green radiation at 532 nm is generated from 30 W of fundamental power at a conversion efficiency of 32.7% in a Gaussian spatial profile with a beam quality factor of M ² < 1.3. Thermal effects have been investigated at different fundamental power levels and various thermal management schemes are employed to maximize the second-harmonic power. The green source is successfully deployed to pump a CW SRO tunable over 855–1408 nm, generating up to 2.1 W of idler at 1168 nm. The peak-to-peak idler power stability is better than 10.7% over 40 min, with beam quality factor M ² < 1.26 for the idler and M ² < 1.52 for the signal.     

Low-pump-threshold continuous-wave singly resonant optical parametric oscillator

We describe a compact all-solid-state continuous-wave singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (SRO) with a minimal pump-power requirement. The SRO is based on periodically poled LiNbO(3) as the nonlinear material and is pumped by a 1-W diode-pumped Nd:YVO(4) minilaser at 1.064 microm . By exploiting the intracavity pumping technique in a 50-mm crystal, we have achieved SRO operation threshold at a diode pump power of only 310 mW.At 1 W of input diode power, the SRO delivers 70 mW of output power in the nonresonant idler at 3.66 microm , at a photon conversion efficiency of 55%. Multiparameter tuning of the SRO yields a signal wavelength range from 1.45 to 1.60 microm and an idler wavelength range from 3.16 to 4.02 microm in the mid infrared. The device is characterized by robust turnkey operation and long-term amplitude-stable performance.     

Fiber-laser-pumped continuous-wave singly resonant optical parametric oscillator

We report on what is to our knowledge the first continuous-wave (cw) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) that is pumped by a tunable fiber laser. The OPO is singly resonant for the signal wave and consists of a 40-mm-long periodically poled LiNbO(3) crystal in a four-mirror ring cavity. At a pump power of 8.3 W provided by the wavelength-tunable Yb-doped fiber laser, the singly resonant OPO generates 1.9 W of 3200-nm cw idler radiation. The singly resonant OPO was tuned from 1515 to 1633 nm (signal) and from 3057 to 3574 nm (idler) by means of the crystal temperature and poling period. We obtained a wide idler tuning range, from 2980 to 3700 mn, by tuning the wavelength of the fiber laser from 1032 to 1095 nm.     

连续波腔衰荡光谱系统的电路设计与应用

 为实现连续波腔衰荡光谱系统的工程化,设计了一套集信号调理、高速采样及数据处理为一体的高集成度数字信号处理(DSP)系统。该系统被用于取代常规连续波腔衰荡光谱系统中由高速数据采集卡及计算机组成的腔衰荡信号测试系统,完成对腔衰荡信号的获取与拟合。该系统最高能实现16 bits/80 MHz的信号采样,并能准确地由腔衰荡信号反演出腔衰荡时间。实验结果表明：结合现有的光反馈式连续波腔衰荡光谱系统,该系统能实现等噪声测量灵敏度为1.0×10^-8 cm^-1的吸收光谱测量,其重复测量精度可达3‰。     

Automatically tunable continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator for high-resolution spectroscopy and sensitive trace-gas detection

We present a high-power (2.75 W), broadly tunable (2.75–3.83 μm) continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator based on MgO-doped periodically poled lithium niobate. Automated tuning of the pump laser, etalon and crystal temperature results in a continuous wavelength coverage up to 450 cm^-1 per poling period at <5×10^-4 cm^-1 resolution. The versatility of the optical parametric oscillator as a coherent light source in trace-gas detection is demonstrated with photoacoustic and cavity ring-down spectroscopy. A 17-cm^-1-wide CO₂ spectrum at 2.8 μm and multi-component gas mixtures of methane, ethane and water in human breath were measured using photoacoustics. Methane (at 3.2 μm) and ethane (at 3.3 μm) were detected using cavity ring-down spectroscopy with detection limits of 0.16 and 0.07 parts per billion by volume, respectively. A recording of ¹²CH₄ and ¹³CH₄ isotopes of methane shows the ability to detect both species simultaneously at similar sensitivities. PACS 42.65.Yj; 42.72.Ai; 42.62.Fi     

连续波腔衰荡光谱系统的电路设计与应用

为实现连续波腔衰荡光谱系统的工程化,设计了一套集信号调理、高速采样及数据处理为一体的高集成度数字信号处理(DSP)系统。该系统被用于取代常规连续波腔衰荡光谱系统中由高速数据采集卡及计算机组成的腔衰荡信号测试系统,完成对腔衰荡信号的获取与拟合。该系统最高能实现16 bits/80 MHz的信号采样,并能准确地由腔衰荡信号反演出腔衰荡时间。实验结果表明：结合现有的光反馈式连续波腔衰荡光谱系统,该系统能实现等噪声测量灵敏度为1.0×10-8 cm-1的吸收光谱测量,其重复测量精度可达3‰。     

Dual-wavelength, two-crystal, continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator

We report a cw optical parametric oscillator (OPO) in a novel architecture comprising two nonlinear crystals in a single cavity, providing two independently tunable pairs of signal and idler wavelengths. Based on a singly resonant oscillator design, the device permits access to arbitrary signal and idler wavelength combinations within the parametric gain bandwidth and reflectivity of the OPO cavity mirrors. Using two identical 30 mm long MgO:sPPLT crystals in a compact four-mirror ring resonator pumped at 532 nm, we generate two pairs of signal and idler wavelengths with arbitrary tuning across 850-1430 nm, and demonstrate a frequency separation in the resonant signal waves down to 0.55 THz. Moreover, near wavelength-matched condition, coherent energy coupling between the resonant signal waves, results in reduced operation threshold and increased output power. A total output power >2.8 W with peak-to-peak power stability of 16% over 2 h is obtained.     

Microchip laser-pumped continuous-wave doubly resonant optical parametric oscillator

We report what we believe to be the first use of a multilongitudinal-mode frequency-doubled microchip laser to pump a doubly resonant optical parametric oscillator (OPO). This compact OPO is based on potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) and operates with a low pump power threshold of 35 mW. The OPO output consists of a single pair of signal and idler modes even though it is pumped with a multilongitudinal-mode pump laser. We achieved smooth tuning (1.7 GHz) of the output frequencies by temperature tuning of the pump laser.     

Amplified random fiber laser-pumped mid-infrared optical parametric oscillator

In this Letter, we report, for the first time to our knowledge, on a continuous-wave, singly resonant optical parametric oscillator using an Mg O: PPLN crystal pumped by an all-fiberized master-oscillator power amplifier structured amplified random fiber laser. An idler output power of 2.46 W at 3752 nm is achieved with excellent beam quality, and the corresponding pump-to-idler conversion efficiency is 9.6% at room temperature. The idler output power exhibits a peak-to-peak power stability better than 12.7%, and the corresponding standard deviation is better than 3.6% RMS in about 20 min at the maximum output power. Meanwhile, other characteristics of the generated signal and idler laser are studied in detail and not only offered an effective guide in the research of optical parametric processes in the case of a continuous spectrum, but also broadened the range of random fiber laser applications.     

High-repetition-rate mid-infrared optical parametric oscillator based on PPMgOLN

A compact source of high-repetition-rate, high-efficiency, mid-infrared optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on periodically poled MgO-doped lithium niobate (PPMgOLN) was reported. To ensure high conversion efficiency at high repetition rate, a high beam quality and high peak power Q-switched pump source was developed specially. The performances at different repetition rates were compared and average output power of 8.7 W at 3.8 ??m was obtained when the pump power was 48 W at the repetition rate of 120 kHz with an optimal plane-concave resonator configuration. The conversion efficiency from the 1.06 ??m laser to the 3.8 ??m laser was 18.1%.