Performance evaluation of ZnGeP2 optical parametric oscillator pumped by a Q-switched Tm,Ho:GdVO4 laser

A doubly resonant ZnGeP2 (ZGP) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) pumped by a novel Tm,Ho:GdVO4 laser was demonstrated. Cryogenic Tm(5 at.-%), Ho(0.5 at.-%):GdVO4 laser with high pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 10 kHz at 2.05 μm was employed as pumping source of ZGP OPO. The 15-mm-long ZGP crystal, 55° cut for I-type phase-matching with low absorption coefficient less than 0.05 cm-1 at 2-μm, was placed in a plano-plano cavity with resonator length of 30 mm. The ZGP OPO generated a total combined output power of 1.2 W at 3.75 and 4.52 μm under pumping power of 5.3 W, corresponding to slope efficiency of 40% from incident 2-μm laser power to mid-infrared (Mid-IR) output. A widely tunable range from 3.0 to 6.5 μm was achieved by changing the crystal angle only 3.5 .