Efficient non-linear conversion in periodically-poled crystals using high power, seeded, fiber-amplifiers

Summary form only given. Cladding pumped fiber amplifiers with high, in excess of 40 W, c.w. output powers are rapidly becoming attractive replacements for diode pumped solid state lasers. One particularly flexible and efficient configuration is that of the seeded or master oscillator-power fiber amplifier (MOPFA). Weak seed signals from diode or fiber lasers in all-fiber coupled formats allow enormous diversity in the output parameters of the source from narrow linewidth to ultrashort pulses at selectable repetition rates and at high average saturated powers over an expansive wavelength range. Parallel progress in the fabrication of periodically poled crystals´ applied to quasi-phase matched non-linear processes has made a significant impact, allowing high conversion efficiencies to be obtained in association with low/medium power optical pump sources. To date, the majority of the pump sources employed have been diode pumped solid state lasers, although clearly not exclusively.