G.W. Baxter

Single-mode near- and mid-infrared periodically poled lithium niobate optical parametric oscillator

Abstract We report a nanosecond Nd:YAG-pumped optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on periodically poled lithium niobate whose optical bandwidth has been narrowed to

Efficient 550-600-nm tunable laser based on noncritically phase-matched frequency doubling of room-temperature LiF:F2- in lithium triborate.

We report on efficient conversion of a 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser to tunable visible light. The conversion scheme uses noncritically phase-matched second-harmonic generation of a pulsed Nd:YAG-pumped LiF:F2- laser in lithium triborate. Optimization yields 42% LiF:F2- laser efficiency and 56% frequency-doubling efficiency, providing >20% conversion from 1064 nm to broadly tunable visible output. A dramatic sensitivity of laser efficiency to pump pulse duration is recorded, with a fundamental efficiency improvement of over 30-fold measured for an increase in pump pulse duration from 5 to 34 ns.

Periodically-poled lithium niobate optical parametric oscillator, pump-tuned by a single axial mode Ti:sapphire laser

We demonstrate a pulsed optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based upon periodically poled lithium niobate, and pumped by a Ti:sapphire laser. Agile and continuous OPO tuning is achieved by tuning the pump laser, with no need for OPO crystal translation or temperature change. The Ti:sapphire laser uses a coupled cavity grazing incidence resonator for efficient, single-axial-mode operation within the OPO spectral acceptance bandwidth. The OPO tuning range is 1200 to 2400 nm, limited only by the available cavity mirrors.

Single-mode visible and mid-infrared periodically poled lithium niobate optical parametric oscillator amplified in perylene red doped poly(methyl methacrylate)

Abstract We have demonstrated a simple grazing-incidence optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) capable of generating single-mode visible (619–640 nm) and infrared (3.16–3.77 μm) radiation. The single-mode (

High repetition rate periodically poled lithium niobate OPO pumped by a tunable Ti:sapphire laser

Summary form only. We report a widely-tunable, low threshold PPLN OPO pumped by a gain-switched Ti:sapphire Laser. The pump laser is injection-seeded by an external cavity diode laser (ECDL). Injection seeding provides for efficient OPO pumping within the spectral bandwidth of PPLN, and for simple and rapid OPO wavelength selection by tuning the ECDL.

Single mode near infrared optical parametric oscillator-amplifier based on periodically poled KTiOPO/sub 4/

A singly resonant, single-axial-mode, optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on periodically poled KTiOPO4 (PPKTP) is reported. Signal (1.68 micron) and idler (2.90 micron) optical bandwidths have been narrowed to <400 MHz by use of a diffraction grating at grazing incidence. The OPO generates 370 microJ of signal radiation when pumped by 3.1 mJ of 1.064-micron radiation. We implemented a single-pass PPKTP amplifier to yield 2.15-mJ signal and 1.17-mJ idler radiation without broadening the spectral bandwidths.

Efficient, single-mode, visible and infrared periodically poled lithium niobate OPOs

Summary form only. Periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) has recently emerged as an attractive material for high gain, low pulse energy OPOs for spectroscopy and DIAL remote sensing applications. In many cases, narrowband or single mode operation is required, but pulsed ns OPOs exhibit broad free-running optical bandwidths, especially when operating near degeneracy. We report on OPOs in a grazing incidence (GI) configuration. These devices generate efficient, single axial mode, near TEM/sub 00/ output and offer a number of advantages over recently reported single mode PPLN OPOs incorporating injection seeding or intracavity cavity etalons. The GI OPO is a simple, compact device capable of emitting single mode radiation throughout the full tuning range of the OPO. It dispenses with the cost, complexity and limited tuning of seeded systems. Intracavity cavity etalons tend to preclude simultaneous signal and idler output, as well as single mode operation close to degeneracy. In the GI cavity, high loss-which limits the performance of KTP and BBO GI OPO-is offset by the substantially higher gain in PPLN.

Tunable, visible, high repetition rate, all-solid-state lasers

Summary form only given. Second-harmonic generation (SHG) of infrared vibronic lasers is emerging as an attractive alternative approach for the development of broadly tunable visible solid-state lasers. SHG of Ti:sapphire has been widely used for tunable blue and ultraviolet lasers, and recently operation at longer visible wavelengths has been achieved by SHG of gain-switched Cr/sup 4+/ doped forsterite and YAG lasers. Most reported gain-switched Cr/sup 4+/ lasers have been pumped at around 10 Hz. However, higher operating repetition rates in excess of 1 kHz are often preferable for applications in areas such as LIDAR and biomedicine. A number of researchers, including ourselves, have recently demonstrated kHz repetition rate Cr/sup 4+/ lasers and regenerative amplification of ultrashort pulses. We report for the first time, to our knowledge, intracavity SHG of forsterite for high-repetition-rate visible wavelength operation. Conversion efficiencies are more than four times those reported recently for extra-cavity doubling.

High pulse-energy and single frequency optical parametric oscillators based on periodically poled KTiOPO 4

We report optical parametric oscillators (OPO) based on periodically poled KTiOPO4, pumped by nanosecond 532 nm pulses, and capable of delivering 5 mJ pulse energy. The OPO output could be tuned from 756–771 nm (signal) and 1.72–1.80 µm (idler), with peak efficiencies of up to 37% (signal) and 8% (idler). Monolithic OPO oscillation and single frequency operation with an instrument limited optical bandwidth of 250 MHz are also demonstrated.

Efficient single-frequency pulsed PPLN optical parametric oscillator

Summary form only given. The attributes of periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) have enabled the development of efficient high repetition rate pulsed optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) driven by diode-pumped solid state lasers. These all-solid-state devices are attractive for remote sensing applications, but for sensing techniques such as DIAL and for many spectroscopic applications, narrowband or single frequency pulsed operation is required. In contrast to CW and long pulse OPOs, single frequency nanosecond OPOs require both a stable single-frequency pump laser and a technique for narrowing the OPO bandwidth. Passive line-narrowing (diffraction gratings and etalons) and injection seeding techniques have been widely used in critically phase matched OPOs, and injection-seeding has recently been implemented in a PPLN OPO driven by a lamp-pumped Nd:YAG laser at 10 Hz. However, to our knowledge, passive line-narrowing has not been implemented in PPLN, and narrowband 5 kHz operation has not been reported. Here we report the efficient line narrowing of a PPLN OPO using a single intracavity etalon. Single frequency operation at repetition rates of up to 5 kHz is demonstrated.