Pulsed optical parametric generation, amplification, and oscillation in monolithic periodically poled lithium niobate crystals

Author

Chiang, An-Chung ; Wang, Tsong-Dong ; Lin, Yen-Yin ; Lau, Chee-Wai ; Chen, Yen-Hung ; Wong, Bi-Cheng ; Huang, Yen-Chieh ; Shy, Jow-Tsong ; Lan, Yu-Pin ; Chen, Yung-Fu ; Tsao, Pei-Hsi

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng., Nat. Tsinghua Univ., Hsinchu, Taiwan

Volume

40

Issue

6

fYear

2004

fDate

6/1/2004 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

791

Lastpage

799

Abstract

We conducted a series of passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser pumped optical parametric generation, amplification, and oscillation experiments in monolithic periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystals. Double-pass optical parametric generation with an effective gain length of 10 cm in a PPLN crystal was performed in comparison with single-pass operation in the same crystal. By seeding a PPLN optical parametric amplifier with a distributed feedback (DFB) diode laser, we produced 200-ps transform-limited laser pulses at 1549.6 nm and observed parametric gain competition at different pump levels. For optical parametric oscillations, we first demonstrated 22% power efficiency from a 2.4-cm intrinsic-cavity PPLN optical parametric oscillator pumped by a 4.2-ns, 10-kW passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. Preliminary studies on DFB optical parametric oscillators in PPLN are mentioned. The temporal and spectral properties of these optical parametric generators, amplifiers, and oscillators are characterized and discussed.

Keywords

Q-switching; lithium compounds; optical materials; optical parametric amplifiers; optical parametric oscillators; optical phase matching; optical pulse generation; optical pumping; LiNbO₃; Nd:YAG laser; distributed feedback diode laser; double-pass optical parametric generation; monolithic periodically poled lithium niobate crystals; parametric gain competition; passive Q-switching; pulsed optical parametric amplification; pulsed optical parametric generation; pulsed optical parametric oscillation; seeding; single-pass optical parametric generation; Distributed feedback devices; Laser excitation; Lithium niobate; Nonlinear optics; Optical feedback; Optical pulse generation; Optical pumping; Pulse amplifiers; Pump lasers; Stimulated emission; Nonlinear optics; PPLN; QPM; optical parametric amplification; optical parametric generation; optical parametric oscillation; periodically poled lithium niobate; quasi-phase-matching;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JQE.2004.828269

Filename

1303795