Interaction of light waves in active nonlinear and periodically poled nonlinear crystals

The results of classical and quantum studies of the laser-radiation self-frequency conversion processes in periodically poled active nonlinear crystals are overviewed. The theoretical and experimental results of studying quasi-phase-matched self-frequency doubling and summation of the laser and pump frequencies in an active nonlinear periodically poled Nd:Mg:LiNbO₃ crystal are presented. The possibility of producing frequency-and polarization-entangled states and the sub-Poisson field statistics through a consecutive nonlinear optical frequency conversion in periodically poled nonlinear crystals is considered.     

Absorption measurement of a 50-mm-Long periodically poled lithium niobate optical parametric oscillator pumped at 1064 nm by a Nd: YAG laser

We measured the absorption of different periodically poled lithium niobate crystals when different wavelength beams come through them. The choice of a periodically poled lithium niobate crystal is utilized by a singly resonant oscillator to efficiently generate 3800-nm light when it is pumped by a 1064-nm laser and to generate the 2600-nm signal, and, then, injection seeded at 1550 nm. The temperature-tuning curve and idler output power of the chosen crystal are measured.     

Controlling the disorder properties of quadratic nonlinear photonic crystals

We experimentally demonstrate a modulation scheme for disordered nonlinear crystals that combines periodic modulation and disordered sections. The crystal is divided into a set of identical periodically poled building blocks, whereby each block is followed by a short section of random length. We use this scheme to achieve broadband second harmonic generation in KTiOPO4 nonlinear crystals while independently controlling the bandwidth and the center of the converted wavelengths as well as the efficiency of conversion. The trade-off between bandwidth and efficiency is improved in comparison with periodically poled crystals.     

Efficient femtosecond optical parametric oscillators based on aperiodically poled nonlinear crystals

We discuss the use of aperiodically poled nonlinear crystals to improve conversion efficiency in a synchronously pumped ultrafast optical parametric oscillator. We show theoretically that with these crystals the conversion efficiency can be considerably higher than that obtained when a periodically poled crystal with the same length is used. Moreover, we show that pump threshold can be simultaneously improved by use of longer crystals.     

Light Wave Interactions in Active Nonlinear Crystals with Quadratic Nonlinearity

Recent results in the field of three-frequency wave interaction in homogeneous and inhomogeneous (periodically poled) active nonlinear crystals with quadratic nonlinearity are reviewed. The quasi-phase-matched processes of self-frequency doubling, self-frequency halving, and frequency mixing of the pump and laser radiations are studied. The consecutive quasi-phase-matched processes of the third-harmonic generation and parametric amplification with low-frequency pumping in periodically poled active nonlinear crystals are also investigated. The analysis is carried out for the case of a periodically poled Nd:Mg:LiNbO₃ crystal. Perspectives of using periodically poled active nonlinear crystals in laser devices with self-frequency conversion are discussed.     

Direct third harmonic generation due to quadratic cascaded processes in periodically poled crystals

We report the first, according to our knowledge, experiment for direct third harmonic (TH) generation in periodically poled quadratic crystals. TH radiation of a diode array pumped and acousto-optically Q-switched Nd:YVO₄ laser is generated in a 25 mm long periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal of period 7.0 μm. A theoretical model is developed that explains the experimental results. It predicts that the efficient phase-matched direct TH generation in periodically poled structures with duty factor 0.5 requires even order quasi-phase matching. In contrast to the similar experiments in bulk birefringence crystals, where direct phase matched TH signal is the sum of the contribution of both intrinsic and cascaded cubic nonlinearities, in periodically poled quadratic crystals only cascaded cubic nonlinearity contributes to the direct phase-matched TH signal.     

Miniaturized diode laser module emitting green light at 532 nm with a power of more than 900 mW for next-generation holographic displays

We present a micro-integrated laser module based on an amplified diode laser and second harmonic generation which is a promising candidate for a green light source in next-generation 3D holographic displays. The light emitted by the amplified laser has a wavelength of 1064 nm, reaches a power up to 8.2 W and has a long coherence length of >400 m. For second harmonic generation, we tested two geometries of periodically poled lithium niobate crystals in single pass: a bulk crystal and a planar waveguide crystal. With the planar waveguide crystal, we achieve an output power >900 mW and a coherence length >20 m at a wavelength of 532 nm.     

Generation of 740 mW of blue light by intracavity frequency doubling with a first-order quasi-phase-matched KTiOPO(4) crystal

We report on efficient intracavity frequency doubling of a cw diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser on the (4)F(3/2)?(4)I(9/2) laser transition at 946 nm. The nonlinear crystal used in the experiments was a first-order quasi-phase-matched flux-grown KTiOPO(4) crystal (period, 6.09mum ; thickness, 1 mm; length, 9 mm). The fluctuations in the generated second-harmonic wave were lower than 3% at output powers of as much as 500 mW. The overall optical-to-optical efficiency was 5.7%. A maximum output power of 740 mW of blue light was generated, which was stable for only 0.5 min. The decrease the output power at this power level was attributed to heating and thermal lensing in the periodically poled KTiOPO(4) crystal. The short-term behavior of the second-harmonic wave exhibited switching between a cw mode and chaotic intensity fluctuations.     

Compact continuous-wave blue lasers by direct frequency doubling of laser diodes with periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide crystals

A compact continuous-wave blue laser has been demonstrated by direct frequency doubling of a laser diode with a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide crystal. The optimum PPLN temperature is near 28 degrees C, and the dependence of waveguide crystals on crystal temperature is less sensitive than that of bulk crystals. A total of 14.8 mW of 488-nm laser power has been achieved.     

Modeling the power of an optical parametric generator by discrete mode summation

An analytical expression for calculating the signal output power of an optical parametric generator (OPG) configuration was developed. The model is based on Heisenberg equations in space and radiation mode theory. A simple analytical expression can be obtained by assuming that all modes within the gain bandwidth of the nonlinear crystal have the same gain and the same interaction length. Another derivation considers the gain and interaction length of each individual mode. The model predictions are in excellent agreement with the measured signal power of OPGs based on 25- and 35-mm periodically poled LiNbO₃ crystal (with effective quadratic nonlinearity of ∼14.5 pm/V) and 47-mm periodically poled LiTaO₃ crystal (with effective quadratic nonlinearity of ∼9 pm/V). In addition, a comparison was made between the summation over discrete modes approach and the traditional approach of continuous integration over the beam parameters and pump frequency. We have found that the first approach, which is developed in this paper, predicts more accurately the output power of the OPG.     

Continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator based on periodically poled KTiOPO(4)

We report what is to our knowledge the first demonstration of a continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on periodically poled KTiOPO(4) . The 10-mm-long flux-grown crystal had a quasi-phase-matched period of 9mum . The pump source was a miniature frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser, and the threshold power of this doubly resonant device was 51 mW. The OPO was operated near room temperature. The signal and the idler wavelengths could be tuned in the range 1037-1093 nm by variation of the crystal temperature (32-38 degrees C) and the cavity length. Unlike in other nonlinear crystals, green-induced infrared absorption was not observed up to the highest pumping intensity of approximately 4.5kW/cm(2) .     

周期极化KTiOPO4晶体和频单块非平面环形腔激光产生连续单频589nm黄光

单次通过周期极化KTiOPO₄晶体和频单块非平面环形腔1064 nm与1319 nm激光产生连续单频589 nm黄光. 通过琼斯矩阵模拟计算对单块非平面Nd:YAG晶体参数进行了优化设计, 实验获得1080 mW和580 mW的连续单频1064 nm和1319 nm激光输出. 两束激光单次通过周期极化KTiOPO₄晶体和频产生14.8 mW, M²=1.14的589 nm黄光, 相应的和频效率为0.9%. 研究了周期极化KTiOPO₄温度对和频效率的影响, 得到其温度接收带宽为1.5℃. 通过改变1064 nm Nd:YAG晶体的温度可实现589 nm黄光波长精确对应钠原子D_2a吸收谱线, 调谐精度达到0.164 pm.     

A compact and high efficiency diode pumped green laser based on MgO doped PPLN

In this work, an efficient intra-cavity second harmonic generation of green laser in a periodically poled MgO doped LiNbO₃ (MgO:PPLN) bulk crystal using a compact Nd:YVO₄ laser as a fundamental laser source is reported. Different length, different working temperature MgO:PPLN crystals are tested and investigated in the SHG experiments. The maximum output power at 532 nm is 6.2 W at the absorbed pump power at 808 nm of 14 W, the optical to optical conversion efficiencies from 808 to 532 nm and 1064 to 532 nm are 43 and 77%, respectively, the instability in 2 hours is less than 5%.     

Phase-matched nonlinear diffraction

We report on a new (to our knowledge) configuration incorporating both birefringence and quasi-phase-matching, enabling efficient phase-matched nonlinear diffraction in one-dimensional periodically poled nonlinear crystals. We demonstrate the method experimentally, showing an efficient nonlinear diffraction to the first few orders in two types of crystals, MgO doped congruent lithium niobate and congruent lithium niobate, and characterize its efficiency dependence on the fundamental power, the propagation angle, and the crystal temperature. This configuration can increase efficiencies observed in nonlinear diffraction experiments, enables ferroelectric domain characterization by nonlinear microscopy, and can be used to determine the duty cycles of periodically poled nonlinear crystals.     

Aperture scaling effects with monolithic periodically poled lithium niobate optical parametric oscillators and generators

We used elliptical beams to demonstrate aperture scaling effects in nanosecond single-grating and multigrating periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) monolithic optical parametric oscillators and generators. Increasing the cavity Fresnel number in single-grating crystals broadened both the beam divergence and the spectral bandwidth. Both effects are explained in terms of the phase-matching geometry. These effects are suppressed when a multigrating PPLN crystal is used because the individual gratings provide small effective subapertures. A flood-pumped multigrating optical parametric generator displayed a low output beam divergence and contained 19 pairs of signal and idler frequencies.     

低阈值单谐振周期极化掺镁铌酸锂光参量振荡器

对基于周期极化掺镁铌酸锂晶体的信号光单谐振光学参量振荡器的输出特性进行了实验研究.讨论了光学参量振荡器谐振腔的腔长、周期极化铌酸锂晶体的通光长度、输出镜的透过率以及抽运光的脉冲宽度对光学参量振荡器谐振阈值的影响.光学参量振荡器的抽运源采用输出波长为1 064 nm的声光调Q Nd∶YVO4激光器,在重复频率为2 kHz、周期极化掺镁铌酸锂晶体的温度为30 ℃的条件下,光学参量振荡器的振荡阈值仅为48 mW.当抽运功率为94 mW时获得了25 mW的信号光输出,其光-光转换效率为26.6%.     

低阈值单谐振周期极化掺镁铌酸锂光参量振荡器

对基于周期极化掺镬铌酸锂晶体的信号光单谐振光学参量振荡器的输出特性进行了实验研究.讨论了光学参量振荡器谐振腔的腔长、周期极化铌酸锂晶体的通光长度、输出镜的透过率以及抽运光的脉冲宽度对光学参量振荡器谐振阈值的影响.光学参量振荡器的抽运源采用输出波长为1 064 nm的声光调Q Nd:YVO_4激光器,在重复频率为2 kHz、周期极化掺镁铌酸锂晶体的温度为30℃的条件下,光学参量振荡器的振荡阈值仅为48 mW.当抽运功率为94 mW时获得了25 mW的信号光输出,其光-光转换效率为26.6%.     

利用宽带倍频特性精确测量准相位匹配晶体的极化周期

 提出了利用准相位匹配晶体进行宽带脉冲倍频,再根据准相位匹配晶体的极化周期与倍频脉冲输出中心波长的相位匹配关系来精确测量准相位匹配晶体极化周期的新方法。理论分析了准相位匹配晶体的极化周期与倍频脉冲的光谱关系、倍频容许带宽与晶体长度的关系。研究表明：宽带脉冲倍频后输出的脉冲峰值波长对应于角度的调谐曲线具有对称性;对于长度为10 mm的极化晶体,其倍频容许带宽不到0.2 nm。实验中,采用了国产PPKTP晶体试验片,晶体尺寸为10 mm×7 mm×1 mm,理想极化周期9 300 nm。结果表明：对于中心波长为537.25 nm的倍频光,其对应的实际晶体极化周期为9 303.9 nm,大于晶体加工时的理想值;当倍频脉冲光谱测量精度为0.01 nm时,准相位匹配晶体的极化周期测量精度达到0.1 nm,远高于一般光学显微镜的观测精度。     

Mapping of periodically poled crystals via spontaneous parametric down-conversion

A new method for characterization of periodically poled crystals is developed based on spontaneous parametric down-conversion. The method is demonstrated on crystals of Y:LiNbO₃, Mg:Y:LiNbO₃ with non-uniform periodically poled structures, obtained directly under the Czochralski growth procedure and designed for application of 1.064 μmpumped OPO in the mid-infrared range. Infrared dispersion of refractive index, effective working periods and wavelengths of OPO were determined by special treatment of frequency-angular spectra of spontaneous parametric down-conversion in the visible range. Two-dimensional mapping via spontaneous parametric down-conversion is proposed for characterizing spatial distribution of bulk quasi-phase matching efficiency across the input window of a periodically poled sample.     

双共振准相位匹配光学参量振荡器的调谐特性

利用全固化单频Nd：YVO4激光器泵浦双共振难相位匹配铌酸锂连续光学参量振荡器，实验研究了该光学参量振荡器下转换光的调谐特性。通过改变PPLN晶体的温度及OPO的腔长，下转换光的调谐范围分别为189nm和175nm，通过改变泵浦光频率，信号光频率连续调谐375MHz。实验结果与理论计算值基本吻合。