Extended operation of synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillators to longer idler wavelengths

Abstract

A synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator, based on periodically poled lithium niobate, has operated at idler wavelengths out to 7.3 microm . Directly measured idler output powers (average) are 4.2 mW at 6.1 microm, 0.5 mW at 7.0 microm, and 0.04 mW at 7.25 microm . Characterization of the idler output indicates essentially bandwidth-limited and diffraction-limited operation.

Optical Parametric Generators and Amplifiers

“…For large absorption (αL 1), the gain reduction, Eq. (11), becomes inversely proportional to the crystal length: Despite a high absorption of α = 70 cm −1 for the idler and the corresponding gain reduction, parametric oscillation has been demonstrated at 7.1 µm in periodicallypoled LiNbO 3 [19] (PPLN). Another solution has been suggested which consists of using spatial decoupling of the generated idler wave into a non-absorbing linear waveguide located in proximity with the nonlinear interaction volume [20].…”

Generation of 6 µm Radiation by Optical Parametric Oscillator and Difference Frequency Generation in Periodically Poled LiNbO3

“…There have been several investigations to generate 6 mm radiation using PPLN-based OPO. [7][8][9] The main purposes for these were to increase the efficiency and to extend the longest accessible wavelength. A PPLN in a bow-tie-shaped ring oscillator was excited by a mode-locked Nd:YLF laser (pulse duration = 4 ps, pulse repetition rate = 120 MHz, average power = 1 W).…”

Femtosecond optical parametric oscillators: a practical approach for power scaling tunable sources

“…Firstly, results are presented of a PPLN SPOPO with idler generation (and its direct detection) having both diffraction-limited and bandwidth-limited performance out to 7.25 microns, thus extending well beyond the conventionally accepted IR band edge of ~5 microns [2]. Secondly, the performance of a noncritically phase-matched cadmium selenide SPOPO is described with idler wavelengths tuned, so far, over the range 9.1 -9.7 microns [3].…”