A ring ZnGeP2 optical parametric oscillator pumped by a Ho:LuAG laser

We have demonstrated that we believe to be the first ring ZnGeP₂ (ZGP) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) pumped by a pulsed Ho:LuAG laser. The maximum output power of the ring ZGP OPO laser was 5.51 W at 13.1 W incident Ho pump power, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 59.0 %. The ZGP OPO laser produced 14 ns mid-infrared pulses in the 3.72–4.01 and 4.37–4.75 μm spectral regions simultaneously. In addition, the continuous wave Ho:LuAG laser generated 26.5 W of linearly output at 2,094.4 nm at the absorbed Tm pump power of 49.9 W.     

Low-threshold singly-resonant continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator based on MgO-doped PPLN

We present a 532 nm-pumped singly-resonant cw optical parametric oscillator based on MgO-doped PPLN with a minimum threshold pump power of 0.3 W. The OPO with a two-mirror standing-wave cavity is optimized by using a tunable diode laser on the path of the resonant signal beam. The maximum output power is 200 mW at an idler wavelength near 1330 nm at a pump power of 2 W. We report the degradation of the output power and beam characteristics at high pump power indicating a strong thermal lensing in the crystal. The continuous tuning range of the OPO is measured to be 800 MHz which is close to 90% of the free spectral range of the OPO cavity.     

Wide single-mode tuning of a 3.0- 3.8-mum, 700-mW, continuous-wave Nd:YAG-pumped optical parametric oscillator based on periodically poled lithium niobate

A new optical parametric oscillator (OPO) for the mid-infrared wavelength region of 3-3.8mum with an idler output power of up to 1.5 W has been developed. The singly resonant OPO is pumped by a single-mode, 10-W, continuous-wave Nd:YAG laser and consists of a bow-tie ring cavity with a fan-out periodically poled lithium niobate crystal and a low-finesse intracavity air-spaced etalon. The single-frequency idler output can be continuously tuned over 24 GHz with 700-mW power by tuning of the pump laser. The tuning was demonstrated by recording of an absorption line of ethane with photoacoustic spectroscopy.     

High-Power,high-repetition-rate operation of a period-continuously-tunable optical parametric oscillator at 3.78–4.62 μm based on a fan-out periodically poled MgO-doped lithium niobate

We present a period-continuously-tunable optical parametric oscillator based on a fan-out MgO:PPLN with a grating period range from 26.9 to 29.5 μm. The OPO was pumped by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser with a repetition of 10 kHz. With a grating period of 29.3 μm and 22.0 W pump power, the idler output power at 3.78 μm arrived at 3.40 W. With a period of 27.1 μm and 13.5 W pump, the idler output at 4.58 μm arrived at 0.36 W. This is, to our best knowledge, the highest average power for pulsed OPO operating near 4.5 μm based on PPLN or MgO:PPLN. By translating the fan-out MgO:PPLN, the idler wavelength was tuned continuously from 3.78 to 4.62 μm.     

Spectral broadening and stimulated Raman conversion in a continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator

We have confirmed that single-frequency oscillation of a continuous-wave singly resonant optical parametric oscillator is limited to operation below a critical value of the pumping ratio, as predicted by early theoretical treatments. We also report different regimes of spectral broadening as well as stimulated Raman conversion of the signal wave above this critical pump level. We show that spectral broadening may be eliminated by implementing output coupling of the signal wave and demonstrate 8.6 W of total signal and idler output with single-frequency spectra at both wavelengths for 14.5 W of pump power.     

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.     

Amplification assisted optical parametric oscillator in the mid-infrared region

We demonstrate a high efficiency mid-infrared laser source based on optical parametric oscillator (OPO) assisted by an intracavity optical parametric amplification (OPA). The OPA-assisted-OPO scheme was realized in one piece of commensurable dual-periodic superlattice in which the signal light generated from the OPO process serves as the pump light for the OPA process. A maximum output power of 508 mW at 3.92 μm was achieved under a pump power of 2.85 W at 1.064 μm. The pump-to-idler conversion efficiency is 17.8% and the slope efficiency is 23.8%, and the enhancements of them are 58.9% and 67.6%, respectively, comparing with the standard OPO scheme.     

Narrow-band,tunable 2 μm optical parametric oscillator based on MgO:PPLN at degeneracy with a volume Bragg grating output coupler

A degenerate optical parametric oscillator (OPO) using an MgO:PPLN crystal and a volume Bragg grating (VBG) output coupler is presented. By changing the temperature of the VBG, the resonance of the OPO can be tuned exactly on the degeneracy point. A single-longitudinal and a multi-longitudinal mode pump scheme as well as the performance of the optical parametric oscillator on and off degeneracy are compared. It was found that the multi-longitudinal mode pump setup provides superior results with respect to spectral width and stability at degeneracy. At 2128.4 nm, a spectral width of less than 0.7 nm, an output power of 1.7 W with a slope efficiency of 31.8%, and low power fluctuation of 0.3% were achieved.     

Application of a continuously tunable, cw optical parametric oscillator for high-resolution spectroscopy

We report the use of a smoothly tunable, single-frequency continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator (OPO) for high-resolution spectroscopy. The OPO is based on potassium titanyl phosphate and is resonant for both signal and idler fields, resulting in a device with a very low pump power threshold of 30 mW. The frequency-selective nature of the doubly resonant oscillator ensures that the signal and idler modes can be tuned across the entire phase-match bandwidth without the need for additional intracavity frequency-selective components. Smooth frequency tuning of the output of the OPO is obtained by tuning of the pump laser. To demonstrate the practicality of our OPO we recorded the absorption spectrum of cesium vapor in the 1-microm spectral region.     

An efficient intracavity-pumped KTP optical parametric oscillator at 1572 nm

We demonstrate an efficient and eye-safe wavelength intracavity optical parametric oscillator (OPO),based on a KTP crystal inside a Q-switched Nd:YVO4 laser end pumped by a fiber-coupled diode laser. Inthe acousto-optic Q-switched operation with the pulse repetition rate of 10 kHz, a 1572-nm eye-safe laser with the average power of 237 mW at the incident pump power of 5.64 W is obtained. Under the pulse repetition rate of 5 kHz, the signal light with pulse width of 2 ns and peak power of 18.5 kW is achieved.The conversion efficiency of the average power is 4.2% from pump diode to OPO signal output and thesignal pulse duration is about 13 times shorter than that of the depleted pump light.     

Optical parametric oscillation in quasi-phase-matched GaAs

We demonstrate an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on GaAs. The OPO utilizes an all-epitaxially-grown orientation-patterned GaAs crystal that is 0.5 mm thick, 5 mm wide, and 11 mm long, with a domain reversal period of 61.2 microm. Tuning either the near-IR pump wavelength between 1.8 and 2 microm or the temperature of the GaAs crystal allows the mid-IR output to be tuned between 2.28 and 9.14 microm, which is limited only by the spectral range of the OPO mirrors. The pump threshold of the singly resonant OPO is 16 microJ for the 6-ns pump pulses, and the photon conversion slope efficiency reaches 54%. We also show experimentally the possibility of pump-polarization-independent frequency conversion in GaAs.     

Intracavity optical parametric oscillator at 1.5-7-μm wavelength pumped by passive Q-switched Nd:GdVO4 laser

A high-repetition-rate eye-safe optical parametric oscillator(OPO),using a non-critically phase-matched KTP crystal intracavity pumped by a passively Q-switched Nd:GdVO4/Cr4 :YAG laser,is experimentally demonstrated.The conversion efficiency for the average power is 7% from pump diode input to OPO signal output and the slope efficiency is up to 10.3%.With an incident pump power of 7.3 W.the compact intracavity OPO(IOPO)cavity,operating at 15 kHz,produces an average power of 0.57 W at 1570 nm with a pulse width as short as 6 ns.The peak power at 1570 nm is higher than 6.3 kW.     

High-power, continuous-wave, singly resonant optical parametric oscillator based on MgO:sPPLT

We report a high-power, widely tunable, cw singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on MgO:sPPLT. The OPO is pumped in the green by a cw diode-pumped Nd:YVO(4) laser at 532 nm and can provide continuously tunable output across 848-1430 nm. Using a 30 mm crystal and double-pass pumping, an oscillation threshold of 2.88 W has been obtained, and single-pass idler powers in excess of 1.51 W have been generated over 1104-1430 nm for 6W of pump power at an extraction efficiency of 25.2% and photon conversion efficiency of 56.7%.     

Efficient sub-nanosecond intracavity optical parametric oscillator pumped with a passively Q-switched Nd:GdVO<Subscript>4</Subscript> laser

An efficient diode-pumped passively Q-switched Nd:GdVO₄/Cr⁴⁺:YAG laser was employed to generate a high-repetition-rate, high-peak-power eye-safe laser beam with an intracavity optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on a KTP crystal. The conversion efficiency for the average power is 8.3% from pump diode input to OPO signal output and the slope efficiency is up to 10%. At an incident pump power of 14.5 W, the compact intracavity OPO cavity, operating at 46 kHz, produces average powers at 1571 nm up to 1.2 W with a pulse width as short as 700 ps. PACS 42.60.Gd; 42.65.Yj; 42.55.X     

High-power synchronously pumped AgGaS(2) optical parametric oscillator

Greater than 2 W of average power was generated in the infrared region by a AgGaS(2) optical parametric oscillator (OPO). A Q -switched mode-locked laser was used to pump the OPO synchronously. Tunability from 1.4 to 1.9mum and a maximum output power of 750 mW at 1.44mum were achieved with a standing-wave cavity. Redesigning the cavity into a ring configuration allowed the depleted pump, signal, and idler beams to be extracted efficiently through separate mirrors. This design generated signal and idler beams of high spatial quality at respective power levels of 1.5 and 620 mW at a pulse repetition rate of 2 kHz.     

Frequency-modulation-mode-locked optical parametric oscillator

We demonstrate a novel technique for the generation of mode-locked pulses from a continuous-wave (cw) optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The technique is based on the deployment of a phase modulator in combination with an antiresonant ring interferometer internal to a cw OPO, simultaneously providing spectral broadening and phase-to-amplitude feedback modulation. The scheme is implemented in a doubly-resonant cw OPO based on MgO:sPPLT, configured in a standing-wave cavity and pumped at 532 nm. With the phase modulator activated and the cavity length synchronized, a stable train of 800 ps pulses is generated at a repetition rate of 160 MHz. Using single-pass second harmonic generation (SHG) of the OPO output, we observe a four times enhancement in SHG compared with cw operation, confirming the real achievement of energy concentration as a result of mode-locked operation.     

外腔式宽调谐被动调QNd:YVO_4/PPMgLN光学参量振荡器

报道了一个低阈值宽调谐、被动调Q、单谐振掺MgO的周期性极化铌酸锂晶体(PPMgLN)光学参量振荡器。利用被动调Q的Nd:YVO4激光器作为泵浦源,采用外腔结构,在室温下,实现了PPMgLN晶体的准相位匹配光学参量振荡。光参量振荡的阈值仅为0.27W(单脉冲能量4.5μJ、脉宽35ns);在泵浦光为1.35W(脉冲能量8.2μJ、脉宽35ns),PPMgLN周期为31μm时,获得了161.9mW,3.202μm脉冲激光输出;同时获得了98.5mW的1.594μm信号光输出,总的光光转化效率达到19.3%。通过改变晶体的周期,实现了闲频光3.13～4.19μm,信号光1.43～1.65μm的宽带可调谐激光输出。     

2-μm singly resonant optical parameter oscillator

We experimentally realize a singly resonant optical parameter oscillator （OPO） which operates at the degenerate point of KTiOPOa （KTP） crystal. A thin film plate polarizer （TFP） is used as the output coupler to obtain linearly polarized 2.12 μm laser. A maximum output power of 2.2 W at 2.12 μm is obtained from a near-degenerate, type-II KTP OPO by utilizing a Q-switched diode-pumped Nd：YAG laser operating at 5 kHz.     

基于PPMgLn晶体全固态宽带可调光学参量振荡器

基于掺MgO周期极化铌酸锂晶体的光学参量振荡器是一种全固态中红外可调谐相干光源.泵浦源为1064 nm声光调Q Nd:YAG激光器.通过温度调谐实现了中红外可调谐参量光的输出,当晶体的温度从40°C升高到200°C时,获得信号光的输出范围为1.561 μm～1.670μm,空闲光的调谐范围为3.342 μm～2.932 μm.当泵浦源脉宽为70 ns,重复频率为10 kHz,平均功率为.161 W,获得波长为1631μm.当泵浦源脉宽为70 ns,重复频率为10 kHz,平均功率为1.61 W,获得波长为1631 nm信号光的输出功率为21 1 mW.     

High-efficiency near-degenerate PPMgLN optical parametric oscillator with a volume Bragg grating

We demonstrate a high-efficiency near-degenerate periodically poled MgO:LiNbO(3) (PPMgLN) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) using a volume Bragg grating (VBG) output coupler (OC) pumped by a multilongitudinal Q-switched Nd:YVO(4) laser at 20 kHz repetition rate. A total parametric power of 4.3 W with a conversion efficiency of 60% is achieved in a double-pass pump configuration. The output power improvement over the case of a single-pass pump is nearly 60%. Both the signal and the idler bandwidths are less than 40 GHz and are confined within 170 GHz bandwidth at 2128.8 nm. Such efficiency is, to our knowledge, the highest ever achieved from a degenerate OPO using a VBG OC.