Tunable, pulsed multiline intracavity optical parametric oscillator using two-dimensional MgO: periodically poled lithium niobate–aperiodically poled lithium niobate

Abstract

We report a tunable, pulsed multiline intracavity optical parametric oscillator (IOPO) realized in an Nd:YVO4 laser using a two-dimensionally domain engineered MgO:LiNbO3 as simultaneously an electro-optic Bragg Q switch and a multichannel optical parametric downconverter. The MgO:LiNbO3 was periodically and aperiodically poled along the crystallographic y and x axes, respectively, to simultaneously satisfy the phase-matching conditions required by the two quasi-phase-matching devices. When Q switched by 1 kHz, 300 V pulses, three signal lines at 1518, 1526, and 1534 nm were simultaneously generated, each with a peak power of ∼1 kW from the IOPO at 8.3 W diode power at 50°C. Spectral tuning of the three-line IOPO with temperature was demonstrated.

Characterization and analysis of finite-beam Bragg diffraction in a periodically poled lithium niobate electro-optic grating

“…In Fig. 6(a), the transmission behavior with D 0 is similar to that predicted by the twowave first-order coupled-wave theory [7], which has been used widely in solving a simplified Bragg diffraction problem (dealing with a plane wave incident at the Bragg angle of a Bragg device) [1][2][3][4][5][6]. It is not surprising to find from Fig.…”

“…Such a device has attracted much attention and has found a variety of important applications [1][2][3][4]. Advantages of a PPLN EO Bragg cell include having a lower driving voltage and a five-fold reduction in switching time compared with acousto-optic devices, and having suppressed acoustic mode excitation because of the periodically poled structure [5].…”

“…Advantages of a PPLN EO Bragg cell include having a lower driving voltage and a five-fold reduction in switching time compared with acousto-optic devices, and having suppressed acoustic mode excitation because of the periodically poled structure [5]. The diffraction characteristics of a PPLN EO Bragg grating have been studied continuously over the past decade [1][2][3][4][5][6]. However, the theoretical treatments for the device in these studies were all based on the interaction with plane waves [7] rather than with finite beams in practical usage.…”

“…In particular, we found that the diffraction efficiency and diffraction mode pattern of a PPLN EO Bragg device are closely related to the waist size of the incident beam and grating strength. Such a diffraction behavior could be a critical issue to most of the applications using the present device (e.g., when it works as a laser intracavity element [3,4]). To have a more thorough understanding of the characteristics of the device, in this work, we have first developed a theoretical model to describe the diffraction behavior of a Gaussian beam interacting with a PPLN EO Bragg device.…”