OPO (optical parametric oscillators) performance with a long-pulse-length, single-frequency Nd:YAG laser pump
With the advent of new nonlinear materials and single-frequency pump sources, there is renewed interest in Optical Parametric Oscillators (OPO's). The authors used a single-mode diode-laser-pumped monolithic Nd:YAG nonplanar ring laser that is both amplified and frequency-doubled, to pump a monolithic MgO:LiNbO3 pulsed singly resonant OPO. Optical parametric oscillators offer wide tunability by using a solid-state nonlinear crystal as the gain medium. Since the parametric gain does not come from atomic or molecular transition, the operating wavelength range is limited only by crystal dispersion, the optical transmission ranges for the pump, signal, and idler. Repeatable, reliable, and damage-free operation of OPO's has been difficult to obtain because the nonlinear nature of the gain has required the use of high-peak-power lasers as the pump sources. The short-pulse-length, high-peak-power lasers that were available for early OPO development had fluctuating spatial and temporal mode properties that were responsible for many problems in OPO operation.
- Research Organization:
- Stanford Univ., CA (USA). Edward L. Ginzton Lab.
- OSTI ID:
- 5610534
- Report Number(s):
- AD-A-209055/3/XAB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Measurements of the operating characteristics of a 1064 nm pumped KTP RISTRA OPO.
Efficient monolithic MgO:LiNbO sub 3 singly resonant optical parametric oscillator
Related Subjects
420300 -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
420800* -- Engineering-- Electronic Circuits & Devices-- (-1989)
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
AMPLIFICATION
CRYSTALS
DAMAGE
DIMENSIONS
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FREQUENCY MIXING
GAIN
HARMONIC GENERATION
LASERS
LENGTH
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
MOLECULES
NIOBATES
NIOBIUM COMPOUNDS
OPERATION
OPTICAL EQUIPMENT
OPTICAL PUMPING
OSCILLATORS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARAMETRIC OSCILLATORS
PULSES
PUMPING
REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS
RING LASERS
SOLID STATE LASERS
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TUNING