Special properties of optical parametric oscillators
Optical parametric oscillators (OPOS) are useful devices to generate tunable radiation. The tuning characteristics of OPOs can lead to their utility in remote sensing applications. We have investigated injection-seeded OPOs to generate narrow-band Mid-JR radiation for this purpose. OPOs exhibit a resonance structure similar to that of a laser`s cavity limiting the frequency choices available. Also, the coupling of the electric fields of the three interacting waves can generate cavity resonances for OPOs which have no cold cavity resonances (i.e. non-resonant OPOS). The potential for generating multiple frequencies simultaneously from a single OPO is discussed. The generation of multiple output frequencies is accomplished by injecting either multiple signal or multiple pump frequencies to the OPO. A seeded SRO is found to be well-suited to generating spectrally pure and stable multi-line output when the input pump field is multiple frequency. The generation of sideband frequencies during multiple seeding is also observed experimentally and addressed theoretically. The spectral purity of the OPO output is related to the frequency separation of the multi-line input as compared to the OPO cavity resonance structure.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 219540
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JC--123145; CONF-951275--1; ON: DE96008746
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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