Studies on the SFD Properties of Nd_xGd_(1-x)Ca_4O(BO_3)_3 Solid-solution Crystal

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Ultra-broadband optical parametric amplification in KBe2BO3F2 crystal

It has been demonstrated for the first time that ultra-broadband phase-matching coupled with group-velocity matching is possible in a type-I non-collinear optical parametric amplifier in a recently grown KBe₂BO₃F₂ (KBBF) crystal, pumped by Ti:sapphire second harmonic 395 nm radiation and seeded by white-light continuum.     

Studies on the SFD Properties of NdxGd1-xCa4O(BO3)3 Solid-solution Crystal

NdxGd1-xCa4O(BO3)3 (NdGdCOB) is a new self-frequency-doubling (SFD) solid-solution crystal. The second-harmonic generation (SHG) phase-matching (PM) curves were calculated by using refractive indices. The deff of NdGdCOB crystal along different PM directions were calculated according to the sellmeier equation and dijk data in which the (θ=66.8°, φ=132.6°) PM direction has the highest deff. SFD experiments were carried out with Ti:sapphire CW laser and pulsed dye-laser. A green laser output power up to 225 mW at 530 nm was achieved from a 7×3×3 mm3 crystal sample pumped by 1560 mW CW Ti:sapphire laser. The lasing threshold of SFD was lower than 1.8 mW along the PM direction (66.8°,132.6°). The optical-optical conversion efficiency was 14.4%. The conversion efficiency was 7.7% when 10×3×3 mm3 sample was side-pumped by the pulsed dye-laser tuned to 595.4 nm with 17.5 mJ energy and the lasing threshold is 1.2 mJ.     

Growth and laser properties of Nd:Ca4YO(BO3)3 crystal

Nd:Ca₄YO(BO₃)₃ (Nd:YCOB) crystal was grown by the Czochralski method, and its structure was measured by using a four circle X-ray diffractometer. The transparent spectrum from 200 to 2600 nm was measured at room temperature. The fluorescence spectrum near 1.06 μm showed that the main emission wavelength of Nd:YCOB crystal was centered at 1060.8 nm. Laser output at 1.06 μm has been demonstrated when it was pumped by a Ti:sapphire laser at the wavelength of 794 nm, the highest output power was 68 mW under pumping power of 311 mW, the pumping threshold was 163 mW and slope efficiency was 46.9%. The self-frequency doubled green light has been observed when it was pumped by a Ti:sapphire or a laser diode (LD). A 14.5 mm Nd:YCOB crystal sample cut at (θ, φ)=(90°, 33°) was used for type I second-frequency generation (SHG) of the 1.06 μm laser pulse. The SHG conversion efficiency was 22%.     

Widely tunable fourth harmonic generation of a Ti:sapphire laser based on RBBF crystal

Fourth harmonic generation of a tunable Ti:sapphire laser with a repetition rate of 80?MHz and pulse duration ??150 fs has been realized in a single pass with an RbBe₂BO₃F₂ crystal for the first time. A high average power was obtained which was tunable throughout a wide range from 180 to 232.5?nm. The output power over the whole range exceeded 2?mW, the highest being 43.3?mW at 202.5?nm. Moreover, deep-ultraviolet output with powers above 75?mW was obtained at 193.5 and 200?nm under a stronger focusing condition. This is the first attempt at the generation of tunable deep-ultraviolet light without using a KBBF crystal, which is very difficult to grow due to its strong layering tendency, and our attempt may provide new opportunities for the development of all-solid-state deep-ultraviolet coherent light sources.     

175 to 210 nm widely tunable deep-ultraviolet light generation based on KBBF crystal

We have developed a widely tunable deep-ultraviolet (DUV) laser in the wavelength range from 175 to 210 nm by the fourth harmonic generation of Ti:Sapphire laser. The fourth harmonic generation is performed by direct second-harmonic generation (SHG) of a frequency doubled Ti:Sapphire laser with KBBF crystal. The highest output power is 2.23 mW at 193 nm, and the power of the DUV laser is more than 1 mW from 182 nm to 210 nm. To our knowledge, it is the first demonstration of milliwatt-level widely tunable DUV all-solid-state laser below 200 nm by direct SHG technique.     

High-power sixth-harmonic generation of an Nd:YAG laser with KBe2BO3F2 prism-coupled devices

High-power sixth harmonic generation from an Nd:YAG laser (10 ns, 10 kHz) has been achieved with a KBe₂BO₃F₂ (KBBF) prism-coupled device (PCD) containing a 1.95 mm thick KBBF crystal. The highest output power reached 120.5 mW at 177.3 nm, and the highest conversion efficiency from 354.7 to 177.3 nm was 1.82%. Moreover, stable sixth harmonic output with an average power of 22.2 mW was produced by another KBBF-PCD, in which the thickness of the KBBF crystal was 1.51 mm. The highest and stable sixth harmonic output powers are improved by about three and six times compared with the previously published results, respectively.     

990 mW average power, 52% efficient, high-repetition-rate picosecond-pulse generation in the blue with BiB3O6

Efficient single-pass second-harmonic generation (SHG) of tunable high-repetition-rate picosecond pulses into the blue is reported in the nonlinear crystal BiB3O6. Using 2.4 ps fundamental pulses from a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser at 76 MHz and a 10 mm crystal cut for type I (e + e --> o) phase matching in the optical yz plane, second-harmonic average powers as high as 990 mW with excellent stability have been generated at 52% conversion efficiency, and a tunable range of 370-450 nm is demonstrated. From measurements of single-pass SHG in the continuous-wave regime an effective nonlinear coefficient of 3.7 pm/V has been verified for BiB3O6, and direct comparison with beta-BaB2O4 confirms a SHG power enhancement of approximately 23% for the same crystal length. Autocorrelation measurements in a 200 microm crystal of beta-BaB2O4 result in durations of 2.8 ps for the second-harmonic blue pulses.     

Continuous-wave lasing of a stoichiometric Yb laser material: KYb(WO4)2

For the first time to the authors' knowledge, continuous-wave laser emission of the stoichiometric crystal KYb(WO4)2 was achieved at 1068 nm. The 125-microm-thin sample was directly water cooled and pumped at 1025 nm by a Ti:sapphire laser. The maximum output power at room temperature was 20 mW.     

类KBe_2BO_3F_2结构硼酸盐深紫外非线性光学材料的研究进展

利用非线性光学(NLO)晶体材料和变频技术,可以把波长范围有限的激光光源扩展到紫外、深紫外区,这已成为深紫外光源的热点研究方向.然而,目前限制深紫外全固态激光器发展和应用的关键问题是缺乏能够在该波段进行频率转换并且产业化应用的NLO晶体材料.因此,该领域的各国科学家都在积极探索并发展新一代的深紫外NLO晶体材料.目前仅有KBe_2BO_3F_2 (KBBF)晶体能够实现Nd:YAG的直接六倍频深紫外激光(波长为177.3 nm)输出.然而, KBBF晶体存在严重的层状生长习性,并且其原料氧化铍有剧毒,从而极大地制约了其商业化生产和应用进程.根据阴离子基团理论,以BO_3基团为基本结构单元形成的类[Be_2BO_3F]层状结构特征仍然是目前最有利于产生深紫外谐波的适宜结构之一,因此,基于KBBF层状结构进行分子工程设计,并开发类KBBF结构的硼酸盐可能是探索新材料的优选策略.本文通过回顾类KBBF结构硼酸盐深紫外NLO晶体的发展历程,系统梳理该类晶体材料层状结构特点、不同层间连接方式和光学性能,分析限制深紫外NLO晶体发展的主要因素,讨论目前发展类KBBF结构硼酸盐深紫外NLO晶体材料的主要矛盾和解决策略,以期对未来新材料的创新探索提供借鉴.     

Achieving strong doubling power by optical phase-locked Ti:sapphire laser and MOPA system

We show two external cavity-enhanced second-harmonic generations of 922 nm with periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate crystal,whose doubling cavities are locked separately with Hansch-Couillaud and intra-modulation methods.The outputs of second-harmonic generation reach 310 mW,54.8%of the conversion efficiency from the Ti:sapphire laser with the crystal length of 10 mm,and 208 mW,59% of the conversion efficiency from the MOPA system with the crystal length of 30 mm.It consists of heterodyning the Ti:sapphire laser and the MOPA system,and compares the phase of the beat frequency signal with the phase of a reference RF local oscillator.The resulting phase error is used as a feedback signal and fed back to the reference cavity of the Ti:sapphire laser to lock the two lasers in phase.A stable blue power of 520 mW is obtained,which supplies enough power for the cooling and trapping step of the strontium (Sr)optical lattice clock.Four stable isotopes of Sr, 84 Sr, 86 Sr, 87 Sr,and 88 Sr,are detected by probing the laser during a strong 460.7-nm cycling transition(5s 21 S0?5s5p 1 P1).     

Tunable continuous-wave operation of a Cr3+,Li+:Mg2SiO4 laser

Room-temperature tunable cw laser oscillation of Cr3+ ions in forsterite crystals (Mg2SiO4) codoped with chromium and lithium has been demonstrated, for the first time to the authors' knowledge, in pumping a crystal with a Ti:sapphire laser into the first excited level of Cr3+ ions (4A2-4T2 transition). The laser is smoothly tunable in the region of 1095-1170 nm. A slope efficiency as great as 4.4% has been achieved.     

大口径掺钛蓝宝石晶体放大的实验研究

 分析了口径为80 mm的钛宝石晶体内的增益特性,对大口径钛宝石晶体中的泵浦光能量密度和泵浦光口径进行了优化设计。对于80 mm×17 mm的晶体,最佳工作光束口径为55 mm,泵浦能量为50 J;对于80 mm×30 mm的晶体,最佳工作光束口径为60 mm,泵浦能量为90 J,且其横向小信号增益远小于80 mm×17 mm晶体的。对影响大口径钛宝石晶体放大的横向放大自发辐射（ASE）和寄生振荡采用折射率匹配的包边技术进行了抑制。实验表明,该方法把允许横向增益从13提高到了2 100。实验系统为100 J绿光台面泵浦激光器,100 TW主放大器采用四程空间构型放大光路。80 mm×17 mm钛宝石晶体c轴水平放置,泵浦光和主激光均为水平偏振。当以泵浦光能量为49 J对主放大器进行双端泵浦,注入信号光能量为1.2 J,光束口径60 mm时,获得了14.2 J的放大光输出和286 TW的最高峰值功率。     

Pulsed laser operation of Y b-dope d KY(WO(4))(2) and KGd(WO(4))(2)

Spectroscopic properties and laser performance of Y b-doped tungstates at pulsed Ti:sapphire laser pumping are reported. Room-temperature lasing near 1025nm is demonstrated in Yb:KY(WO(4))(2) and Yb:KGd(WO(4))(2), with a slope efficiency as great as 86.9%.     

Generation of vacuum-ultraviolet light by an optically contacted,prism-coupled KBe2BO3F2 crystal

We have demonstrated the second harmonic of a frequency-tripled Nd:YVO4 laser with 2.5-mW quasi-cw output by using an optically contacted, prism-coupled KBe2BO3F2 crystal. We also achieved the second harmonic with a frequency-doubled single-mode Ti:sapphire laser at 172.5 nm and sum-frequency mixing with a dual-wavelength Ti:sapphire laser at 163.3 nm. These wavelengths are to our knowledge the shortest obtained by use of nonlinear crystals for second-harmonic generation and sum-frequency mixing, respectively.     

CONTINUOUS-WAVE LASER OSCILLATION OF Yb:FAP CRYSTALS AT A WAVELENGTH OF 1043nm

A continuous-wave laser oscillation was demonstrated with a Yb-doped fluorapatite (FAP) crystal pumped with a 905 nm Ti:sapphire laser. The output characteristics for different output couplers were investigated. A maximum power of 67mW at a 1043nm wavelength was obtained with 10% output coupler, pumped by a Ti:sapphire laser with 910mW power. This corresponds to a slope efficiency of 26.5%.     

高效连续波钛宝石激光器的优化设计及实验研究

运用ABCD律及自再现条件对钛宝石线性腔的折叠角进行了优化,从而大大提高了钛宝石晶体中光束束腰的耦合效率同时实验上对连续钛宝石激光器进行了研究,采用20mm长的钛宝石晶体和10%输出耦合镜,并运用优化后的折叠角,最终用全线氩离子激光器泵浦的连续波钛宝石激光器的斜率效率高达34.2%,在泵浦功率为7.7W下,连续钛宝石激光器输出功率达1.89W.     

利用光子晶体光纤产生超连续飞秒激光光谱

将单脉冲能量约为2．5nJ、脉宽为25fs、对应峰值功率为0．1MW的的800nm钛宝石激光耦合到长为10mm，芯径为1．8μm的光子晶体光纤中，产生了耦合效率约为17％、谱宽覆盖可见光及近红外波段的超连续光谱。     

Performance of gain-switched all-solid-state quasi-continuous-wave tunable Ti:sapphire laser system

We have made a gain-switched all-solid-state quasi-continuous-wave （QCW） tunable Ti：sapphire laser system, which is pumped by a 532 nm intracavity frequency-doubled Nd：YAG laser. Based on the theory of gain-switching and the study on the influencing factors of the output pulse width, an effective method for obtaining high power and narrow pulse width output is proposed. Through deliberately designing the pump source and the resonator of the Ti：sapphire laser, when the repetition rate is 6 kHz and the length of the cavity is 220 mm, at an incident pump power of 22 W, the tunable Ti：sapphire laser from 700 to 950nm can be achieved. It has a maximum average output power of 5.6W at 800nm and the pulse width of 13.2 ns, giving an optical conversion efficiency of 25.5% from the 532 mn pump laser to the Ti：sapphire laser.     

A double-pass optical parametric amplifier seeded by a blue-shifted output of a photonic-crystal fiber

A blue-shifted output of a photonic-crystal fiber, providing a frequency upconversion of femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser pulses, is used to seed a double-pass optical parametric oscillator (OPA). The OPA is based on a BBO crystal, pumped by 65-mW 150-fs second-harmonic pulses of a Ti:sapphire laser. Gain factors in excess of 10³ are demonstrated for such an OPA, yielding tunable light pulses within the range of wavelengths from 420 to 650 nm, a peak power up to 250 kW, and a typical pulse width of about 200 fs at a repetition rate of 100 kHz. PACS 42.81.Gs; 42.81.Qb