Continuous-Wave 4.3-mu Intracavity Difference Frequency Generation in an Optical Parametric Oscillator

Abstract

We have achieved 150 mW of cw output at 4.3 micrometers, using difference frequency mixing in a singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (OPO). We pumped the OPO cavity, which contains periodically poled LiNbO3 (PPLN), with a 14-W 1.06-micrometers Nd:YAG laser to generate a signal at 1.7 micrometers and an idler at 2.8 micrometers. Mixing of the two waves at the same crystal temperature and grating spacing yielded emission in the mid IR. This technique avoids the mid-IR absorption-high-threshold problem, which has limited the cw performance of PPLN OPOs at wavelengths beyond 4 micrometers. Provided that tunability is not required, this method is a simple alternative to multiple-crystal configurations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 10, 2001
Accession Number
ADA391306

Entities

People

  • D. W. Chen
  • K. Masters

Organizations

  • The Aerospace Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Absorption
  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Bandwidth
  • Continuous Waves
  • Demographic Cohorts
  • Difference Frequency
  • Emission
  • Equations
  • Frequency
  • Infrared Lasers
  • Lasers
  • Optical Absorption
  • Oscillation
  • Oscillators
  • Solid State Lasers
  • Yag Lasers

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Optical Physics and Photonics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Space