High spectral purity and tunable operation of a continuous singly resonant optical parametric oscillator emitting in the red

Continuous-wave oscillation of a singly resonant optical parametric oscillator operating from 619 to 640 nm has been obtained. Parametric gain is created in a MgO-doped periodically poled stoichiometric lithium tantalate crystal pumped at 532 nm. 100 mW of single-frequency red light have been generated. The signal frequency is tunable, and its frequency stabilization on an external reference has been achieved.     

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     

Conversion efficiency of a doubly resonant optical parametric oscillator

The conversion efficiency of a doubly resonant optical parametric oscillator endowed with a Fabry-Perot type resonator is shown, by numerical analysis, to increase with decreasing reflectivity of the output mirror.     

高功率KTP晶体光参量振荡器热效应

采用有限元分析方法对KTP晶体内部3维温度分布情况进行了精确计算。根据参量过程满足的能量守恒条件和动量守恒条件,利用KTP晶体的热光色散方程计算了参量过程中温度对相位匹配角、光波走离角、允许角及晶体的有效非线性系数的影响。结果表明：晶体内温度分布不均匀;在沿着通光方向上晶体截面温度分布不同;加强晶体表面冷却效果,可有效降低温度对相位匹配角、光波走离角、允许角及晶体的有效非线性系数的影响。     

高功率KTP晶体光参量振荡器热效应

采用有限元分析方法对KTP晶体内部3维温度分布情况进行了精确计算。根据参量过程满足的能量守恒条件和动量守恒条件,利用KTP晶体的热光色散方程计算了参量过程中温度对相位匹配角、光波走离角、允许角及晶体的有效非线性系数的影响。结果表明:晶体内温度分布不均匀;在沿着通光方向上晶体截面温度分布不同;加强晶体表面冷却效果,可有效降低温度对相位匹配角、光波走离角、允许角及晶体的有效非线性系数的影响。     

Tuning characteristics of a cw dual-cavity KTP optical parametric oscillator

Received: 21 April 1997/Revised version: 15 June 1997     

Thermal self-frequency locking of a doubly resonant optical parametric oscillator

The increase in the circulating signal and idler fields that occurs in a high- Q doubly resonant optical parametric oscillator (OPO) as it approaches resonance results in a small increase in the crystal temperature owing to absorption of the generated fields. The temperature change affects the refractive index of the crystal and alters the optical path length of the cavity. This effect may lead to self-frequency locking of the OPO to a specific resonance of the signal and idler fields, and it also results in peculiarities in the transient response of the system as it is scanned through resonance. We show that the experimentally observed effects are consistent with the results of a numerical model of the OPO.     

Study on the spectral characteristics of the cascaded parametric conversion in a single cavity tandem multi-channel PPMgLNs-based optical parametric oscillator

We report an acousto-optic Q-switched Nd:GdVO₄ laser pumped flexibly tunable cascaded optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on two separate multi-channel periodically poled magnesium oxide doped Lithium Niobate (PPMgLN). Even under lower pump power, long wavelength parametric output was found to be more easily generated than in single stage OPO. A cascaded idler output at 5.075 μm was found to be generated. A convenient method to monitor the occurring of the cascaded parametric process was also presented by measuring the spectrum of sum-frequency generation of the pump power and the cascaded signal power.     

Polychromatic optical parametric generation by simultaneous phase matching over a large spectral bandwidth

The parametric generation of broad spectral bandwidths by the use of suitable phase-matching geometries is reported. Greater than 100-nm simultaneous bandwidth in the visible is generated in a collimated signal beam from a novel, noncollinear phase-matching geometry in a beta-barium borate optical parametric oscillator, which is pumped by the collimated output of a Q -switched and frequency-tripled Nd:YAG laser. Dispersive cavity tuning of the optical parametric oscillator by use of a rotatable Littrow-mounted grating, with a static crystal and pump configuration, is also described. A tunable bandwidth of >100 nm is also demonstrated.     

Double quasi phase matching for both optical parametric oscillator and difference frequency generation

We present simultaneous phase matching of optical parametric oscillator (OPO) and difference frequency generation (DFG), using a noncollinear interaction in periodically poled crystal with single grating. Selecting proper grating period Λ and titled angle ξ between the grating vector G and the optical axis of crystal, the noncollinear scheme provides double phase matching solutions over continuous regions of the midwave infrared spectrum. At certain wavelength regions, for DFG process the group velocities between interaction pulses are matching and the phase matching bandwidth reaches maximum. Selecting the different grating period, the broadband midwave tuning and better gain spectrum can be obtained at different wavelength range. For the certain period grating the conversion efficiency is higher. Hence, using the double phase matching configuration, the broadband tunable midwave infrared wave can be produced in single grating. But the configurations have a relatively narrow angular bandwidth.     

Cavity phase matching via an optical parametric oscillator consisting of a dielectric nonlinear crystal sheet

We experimentally demonstrate cavity phase matching for the first time using a sheet optical parametric oscillator which is made of an x-cut KTiOPO(4) crystal sheet. This microcavity presents 220 kW peak power capability for near-frequency-degenerate parametric outputs with up to 23.8% slope efficiency. It also features unique spectral characteristics such as single-longitudinal-mode and narrow linewidth. These attractive properties predict broad applications of such a mini-device, such as terahertz generation, photonic integration, spectroscopy, and quantum information, etc.     

Dynamical signatures of self-phase-locking in a triply resonant optical parametric oscillator

We report on specific signatures of self-phase-locking in a cw frequency divide-by-three optical parametric oscillator subject to two competing chi(2) nonlinear processes that couple the signal and idler subharmonic waves. The self-phase-locked pair appears as a broad fringe dip within the mode-pair cluster. We have also observed Hopf instabilities of the zero-detuning case at approximately 4 x the pump threshold. These results open the path to experimental investigation of quantum entanglement and phase-locked transverse mode structures in this novel class of parametric oscillators.     

Singly resonant continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator pumped by a diode laser

We report on what is believed to be the first singly resonant cw optical parametric oscillator (SRO) that is directly pumped by a diode laser. The SRO consists of a 38-mm-long periodically poled LiNbO(3) crystal in a four-mirror signal-resonant ring cavity. Pumped by 2.5 W of 925-nm diode-laser radiation, the SRO generates 480 mW of single-frequency idler radiation at 2.1mum . The wavelengths of the signal and the idler output are tuned in the ranges of 1.55 to 1.70mum and 2.03 to 2.29mum, respectively, by tuning the wavelength of the diode laser from 924.0 to 925.4 nm.     

Focusing dependence of the efficiency of a singly resonant optical parametric oscillator

Received: 15 February 1998/Revised version: 6 April 1998     

Theory of intracavity absorption spectroscopy with a singly resonant optical parametric oscillator

The suitability of a singly resonant optical parametric oscillator pumped by a one-mode field and oscillating simultaneously in several signal and idler modes, for intracavity absorption spectroscopic measurements is studied theoretically. For steadystate operation, the enhancement factor ξ indicating the increased detection sensitivity, is shown to be mainly determined by the ratio of the intensity in one of the signal modes to the intensity (per mode) due to parametric fluorescence. Hence, rather high values of ξ, say of order 10⁸ or more, might be attainable, at least in principle. For pulsed operation, on the other hand, a numerical analysis leads to the result that for realistic pulse durations only moderate values of ξ (smaller than some 10³) will be found. Paper given in parts at the 6th Vavilov-Conference on Nonlinear Optics, Novosibirsk, USSR, 1979.     

Single-frequency and tunable operation of a continuous intracavity-frequency-doubled singly resonant optical parametric oscillator

A widely tunable continuous intracavity-frequency-doubled singly resonant optical parametric oscillator based on MgO-doped periodically poled stoichiometric lithium tantalate crystal is described. The idler radiation resonating in the cavity is frequency doubled by an intracavity BBO crystal. Pumped in the green, this system can provide up to 485 mW of single-frequency orange radiation. The system is continuously temperature tunable between 1170 and 1355 nm for the idler, 876 and 975 nm for the signal, and between 585 and 678 nm for the doubled idler. The free-running power and frequency stability of the system have been observed to be better than those for a single-mode dye laser.     

High-energy pulsed laser of twin wavelengths from KTP intracavity optical parametric oscillator

We have demonstrated an efficient, high-energy singly resonant pulsed KTP-based intracavity optical parametric oscillator pumped by a quasi-continuous wave (QCW) diode-pumped electro-optical Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. 31.5-mJ energy at 1572-nm wavelength and 50.4-mJ pulse energy at 1064 nm were obtained at 10 Hz simultaneously. The total conversion efficiency with respect to diode pump energy was 14%.     

Visible femtosecond pulses by second-harmonic generation of a cw mode-locked KTP optical parametric oscillator

Efficient generation of femtosecond pulses in the wavelength range from 520 to 675 nm by external frequency doubling the signal wave of a non-critically phase-matched picosecond KTP Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO) in a non-critically phase-matched temperature tuned LiB₃O₅(LBO) crystal is demonstrated. An average power of the second harmonic as high as 310 mW at 575 nm was generated. In the absence of group velocity mismatch of LBO for a wavelength of the OPO at about 1.3 µm the minimum second-harmonic pulse width was 400 fs at 645 nm.     

Doubly resonant continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator pumped by a single-mode diode laser

The performance characteristics of a doubly (signal and idler) resonant continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator based on periodically poled lithium niobate and pumped by a 100-mW single-mode laser diode at 810 nm are reported. Pump power thresholds as low as 16 mW and wavelength tuning over the range 1.15-1.25 microm at the signal and 2.31-2.66 microm at the idler were achieved through variation of crystal temperature, pump wavelength, and grating period. Up to 5 mW of signal output was obtained with the single-mode diode pump, and signal powers of up to 39 mW were obtained when pumping with a 400-mW injection-locked broad-area diode laser.