Synchronously pumped femtosecond optical parametric oscillator of congruent and stoichiometric MgO-doped periodically poled lithium niobate

A synchronously pumped femtosecond optical parametric oscillator based on congruent MgO-doped periodically poled lithium niobate (c-MgO:PPLN) is reported. The system, operating at room temperature, was pumped by a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. The wavelengths of the signal and idler waves were tuned from 870 nm to 1.54 μm and 1.58 to 5.67 μm, respectively, by changing the pump wavelength, the grating period or the cavity length. Pumped by 1.1 W of 755 nm laser radiation, the OPO generated 310 mW of 1080 nm radiation. This signal output corresponds to a total conversion efficiency of 50%. Without dispersion compensation the OPO generated phase-modulated signal pulses of 200 fs duration. Besides the OPO of c-MgO:PPLN, an OPO of stoichiometric (s) MgO:PPLN was investigated. Because of the reduced sensitivity to photorefractive damage, both crystals allowed efficient OPO operation at room temperature. Received: 19 August 2002 / Revised version: 11 December 2002 / Published online: 19 March 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +49-631/205-3906, E-mail: andres@physik.uni-kl.de     

Fabrication of periodically poled lithium tantalate for UV generation with diode lasers

Fabrication of periodically poled lithium tantalate (PPLT) with periods as short as 1.3 μm for second harmonic generation (SHG) in the UV range and for optical parametric oscillators pumped at 532 nm is reported. Both the maximum crystal size of up to 40 mm and the minimum poling period of 1.3 μm are improvements on earlier results, achieved by optimizing the poling conditions and by using a novel electrode design consisting of electrode structures on both surfaces of the crystal. Single-pass SHG of a master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) diode laser with an output power of 1.36 mW at 336 nm using a 16-mm-long PPLT crystal with a 1.5 μm poling period is reported. Received: 11 June 2001 / Published online: 18 July 2001     

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.     

Collinear broadband optical parametric generation in periodically poled lithium niobate crystals by group velocity matching

Collinear broadband optical parametric generation (OPG) using periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystals were designed and experimentally demonstrated with the quasi-phase matching (QPM) periods of 21.5, 24.0, and 27.0 μm. The broad gain bandwidth was accomplished by choosing a specific set of the period and the pump wavelength that allows the group velocities of the signal and the idler to match close to the degeneracy point. OPG gain bandwidth and also the spectral region could be controlled by proper design of QPM period and pump wavelength. The total OPG gain bandwidth of 600, 900, and 1200 nm was observed for the PPLN devices with QPM periods of 21.5, 24.0, and 27.0 μm, respectively. We have also observed multiple color visible generation whenever the OPG spectrum was significantly broad. From the visible peaks of the three PPLN samples, it is found that broad gain bandwidth is crucial in the temperature-insensitive collinear simultaneous RGB generation from a single crystal.     

Temperature-tuned difference-frequency mixing in periodically poled KTiOPO4

4 (PPKTP). We generated 12 μW of radiation tunable around 1.6 μm by difference-frequency mixing of the outputs of a frequency-doubled Nd:YLF laser at 523 nm (240 mW) and a tunable Ti:sapphire laser near 760 nm (340 mW). A temperature tuning rate of 0.73 nm/°C for the generated wavelength and a FWHM temperature acceptance bandwidth of 6.9 °C cm was observed. The effective d₃₃ coefficient was estimated to be ∼5 pm/V. Received: 02 September 1998     

Periodic poling of magnesium-oxide-doped stoichiometric lithium niobate grown by the top-seeded solution method

Magnesium-oxide-doped stoichiometric lithium niobate has been produced using the technique of top-seeded solution growth from a lithium-rich melt. Optical tests, performed with a combination of argon-ion laser lines, have confirmed a previously published result (at 532 nm) that this material has superior resistance to photorefractive damage. This material has been shown, for the first time, to be amenable to periodic poling. Optical parametric oscillator tests have shown that this material maintains the advantages of periodically poled, congruent, un-doped lithium niobate while showing no evidence of photorefractive damage under typical operating conditions. Operating wavelengths as a function of quasi-phase-matching period and temperature have been measured for the optical parametric oscillator, providing useful new information about refractive-index dispersion in this material. This work establishes periodically poled, magnesium-oxide-doped stoichiometric lithium niobate as a viable material for nonlinear optics. Received: 28 June 2000 / Revised version: 12 September 2000 / Published online: 7 February 2001     

Low-pump-threshold tunable optical parametric oscillator using periodically poled MgO:LiNbO3

We fabricated and characterized periodically poled MgO:LiNbO₃ device with five gratings in 0.5 μm increments from 29 μm to 31 μm for optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The OPO operation threshold is 30 μJ using this device with a 50 mm effective length. At 560 mW input pump power, we have achieved 300 mW of the total output power, and the conversion efficiency is 54%. Multi-periods and temperatures tuning of the OPO yields a signal wavelength range from 1.45 to 1.72 μm and an idler wavelength range from 2.8 to 4.05 μm in the mid infrared.     

Two-color pulse compression in aperiodically-poled lithium niobate

We experimentally demonstrate engineerable compression of two-colored pulses in a linearly-chirped quasi-phase-matching grating. Quadratic solitons generated from fundamental input are reshaped through cascaded parametric processes of second-harmonic generation (SHG) and the back-conversion. We use type-I (e: o + o) SHG geometry in a 50-mm-long aperiodically-poled MgO:LiNbO₃ device to satisfy the group-velocity matching condition. Simultaneously compressed fundamental and SH pulses of about 55-fs duration with small pedestal are generated from the fundamental input pulses of 95-fs duration.     

Analysis of THz-wave surface-emitted difference-frequency generation in periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide

It was shown that the periodically poled LiNbO₃-waveguide with period of poling λ≈λ/n_g (λ is the wavelength of emitted THz-wave, n_g is a refractive index corresponding to optical group velocity) emits THz-wave difference-frequency generation (DFG) in the direction normal to the surface of the planar waveguide. The 5% distinction between the manufactured and required periods of gratings results only in a small deflection (∼6°) of the output THz-beam from the normal direction. The dependence of DFG efficiency on mode size is analyzed. The output THz power at λ=150 μm is estimated as 2 mW, taking into account imperfections in coupling incident beams with guided modes. It was shown that the efficiency of THz-wave DFG in surface-emitting geometry is more than for collinear geometry in bulk crystal, especially in the high-absorption wavelength region. Received: 16 May 2001 / Revised version: 13 August 2001 / Published online: 2 November 2001     

A pulsed optical parametric oscillator, based on periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN), for high-resolution spectroscopy

-1 ), approaching the limit imposed by the Fourier transform of the pulse duration. Received: 31 August 1998     

Ultraviolet laser-induced sub-micron periodic domain formation in congruent undoped lithium niobate crystals

We report the formation of ordered sub-micron periodic surface domains on the –z face of congruent undoped lithium niobate single crystals induced by pulsed ultraviolet laser illumination of the sample faces under specific irradiation conditions. We demonstrate the utility of this simple light-induced technique for achieving periodic domain inversion and investigate the nature and spatial structure of these nano-domains by scanning force microscopy. We also demonstrate subsequent re-inversion of a small region of these light-induced nano-domains using scanning force microscopy.     

Electro-optic Solc-type flat-top bandpass filter based on periodically poled lithium niobate

Based on the spectrum waveform similarity (SWS) rule we discovered in periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN), a compact tunable flat-top bandpass filter is proposed theoretically, from which the bandwidth of the flat-top waveform can be obtained. For practical application, tunable flat-top filter can be easily achieved by selecting appropriate electric field along the transverse direction of PPLN. The tolerance analysis for this kind of tunable flat-top bandpass filter is also presented.     

激光热效应对PPLN晶体倍频效率的影响

从准相位失配关系出发,研究了PPLN晶体倍频效率与温度的关系,针对温度对折射率与极化周期的影响,分析了激光热效应对准相位匹配系统谐波转换过程的影响。采用有限元分析法计算了PPLN材料内部温度分布状况,并对热效应影响下晶体内部倍频效率变化情况进行了计算。计算结果表明：在不同基频光功率密度下,在倍频过程中晶体温度及通光方向截面折射率的分布不同,在倍频晶体出射面倍频效率的分布也不同;随基频光功率密度增大,晶体整体温度与折射率增大,出射端面倍频效率分布随基频光功率密度变化而变化;与理想条件倍频系统相比,激光热效应对晶体倍频效率有一定的影响。     

A ZnGeP2 Optical Parametric Oscillator with Mid-IR Output Power 3W Pumped by a Tm,Ho:GdVO4 Laser

We report an efficient mid-infrared optical parametric oscillator （OPO） pumped by a pulsed Tm,Ho-codoped GdVO4 laser. The IO-W Tm,Ho：GdVO4 laser pumped by a 801 nm diode produces 20ns pulses with a repetition rate of lO kHz at wavelength of 2.0481μm. The ZnGeP2 （ZGP） OPO produces 15-ns pulses in the spectral regions 3.65-3.8μm and 4.45-4.65μm simultaneously. More than 3 W of mid-IR output power can be generated with a total OPO slope efficiency greater than 58% corresponding to incident 2μm pump power. The diode laser pump to mid-IR optical conversion efficiency is about 12%.     

On the distribution of 1550-nm photon pairs efficiently generated using a periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide

We report on efficient generation of 1550-nm photon pairs in a periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide using the spontaneous parametric down-conversion process. Such photon pairs are expected to find applications in fiber-based long-distance quantum communication. Pumping the waveguide with a pulsed semiconductor laser with a pulse rate of 800 kHz and a maximum average pump power of 50 μW, we obtain a coincidence rate of 600 s⁻¹. Despite only two single-photon detectors are used, we gain some information about the photon-number distribution. Our measurements are found to be in agreement with a Poissonian photon-pair distribution, but clearly differ from the expected outcomes for both conventional and two-mode squeezed states, the latter corresponding to a thermal photon-pair distribution. The Poissonian photon-pair distribution is also explained by comparing the coherence time of the pump light and of the detected photons. An average of 0.9 generated photon pairs per pulse can thus be inferred.     

Noncollinear ultraviolet generation in a lithium borate crystal

Nd:YAG and a Nd:YAG-pumped dye laser are used to generate tunable deep ultraviolet radiation down to 240 nm in a lithium triborate crystal (LBO) by noncollinear sum-frequency mixing. All longer wavelengths can be generated by a combination of harmonic generation of the dye laser and sum-frequency mixing, 240 nm being the near noncritical limit. A set of versatile Sellmeier dispersion equations is derived to satisfactorily predict phase-matching in LBO.     

High-power picosecond LiB3O5 optical parametric oscillators tunable in the blue spectral range

The paper reports on an experimental investigation and numerical analysis of noncritically and critically phasematched LiB₃O₅ (LBO) optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) synchronously pumped by the third harmonic of a cw diode-pumped mode-locked Nd:YVO₄ oscillator–amplifier system. The laser system generates 9.0 W of 355-nm mode-locked radiation with a pulse duration of 7.5 ps and a repetition rate of 84 MHz. The LBO OPO, synchronously pumped by the 355-nm pulses, generates a signal wave tunable in the blue spectral range 457–479 nm. With a power of up to 5.0 W at 462 nm and 1.7 W at 1535 nm the conversion efficiency is 74%. The OPO is characterized experimentally by measuring the output power (and its dependence on the pump power, the transmission of the output coupler and the resonator length) and the pulse properties (such as pulse duration and spectral width). Also the beam quality of the resonant and nonresonant waves is investigated. The measured results are compared with the predictions of a numerical analysis for Gaussian laser and OPO beams. In addition to the blue-signal output visible-red 629-nm radiation is generated by sum-frequency mixing of the 1.535-μm infrared idler wave with the residual 1.064-μm laser radiation. A power of 1.25 W of 1.535-μm idler radiation and 5.7 W of 1.064-μm laser light generated a red 629-nm output power of 2.25 W. Received: 2 February 2000 / Revised version: 28 July 2000 / Published online: 22 November 2000     

Poling dynamics of lithium niobate crystals

Ferroelectric domain reversal via electric field poling of congruently melting lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) crystals is investigated. An electro-optic interferometric observation technique reveals spatial and temporal dynamics of the poling process. Starting from seeds, the domains grow until the entire crystal has a switched polarization. During the switching process the boundaries are preferentially aligned along the crystallographic axes. The coercive field between two sequenced domain inversions is transiently reduced after a poling event, and recovers exponentially with a time constant of about half a minute. No light-induced change of the recovery time constant, neither with green nor with ultraviolet light, is observed. The results are of relevance for domain engineering of LiNbO₃ crystals. Received: 6 February 2003 / Published online: 9 April 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +49-228/734038, E-mail: wengler@physik.uni-bonn.de     

High efficiency and high energy parametric wavelength conversion using a large aperture periodically poled MgO:LiNbO3

We have demonstrated an efficient high energy 2 μm laser generation with a 36 mm long large aperture 5 mol% MgO-doped periodically poled LiNbO₃ (PPMgLN) nonlinear optical crystal. A high power Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (1.064 μm) was used to pump the quasi-phase matched (QPM) optical parametric oscillator (OPO). A total output energy of 186 mJ with 58% slope efficiency was obtained in two separate beams at 2 μm.     

Periodically poled RbTiOAsO4 femtosecond optical parametric oscillator tunable from 1.38 to 1.58 μm

4 that is continuously tunable in the signal wavelength from 1.375 to 1.575 μm and with a maximum output power of 110 mW. The signal pulses were produced with nearly transform-limited duration as short as 215 fs. Received: 27 August 1998/Revised version: 14 October 1998