Gain width and rise time studies of pulsed unstable optical parametric oscillators

Gain width and rise time of a pulsed singly resonant unstable optical parametric oscillator have been investigated based on theoretical models of parametric gain and threshold in the spherical wave assumption. A simplified analytic expression for the gain width is derived, which has been illustrated to be of adequate accuracy for the theoretical model. It is demonstrated that the theoretical model and analytic expression are applicable to the plane-parallel resonator when some special values are taken. The gain width and rise time are found to be determined by important parameters, such as cavity physical length, cavity magnification factor, reflectance of the output coupler, input pump peak power, and pump pulse width. PACS 42.60.Da; 42.65.Yj