ZGP OPO with a 3.8-12.4 /spl mu/m tunability

Author

Vodopyanov, K.L. ; Ganikhanov, F. ; Maffetone, J.P. ; Zwieback, I. ; Ruderman, W.

Author_Institution

INRAD Inc., Northvale, NJ, USA

fYear

2000

fDate

7-12 May 2000

Firstpage

14

Lastpage

15

Abstract

Summary form only given.Accessing wavelengths beyond 4 microns presents a technical challenge, however newly developed nonlinear optical crystals such as ZnGeP/sub 2/ (ZGP) make it possible to build a practical frequency converter that is tunable in the 3-12 /spl mu/m wavelength range thus covering both atmospheric windows. The high nonlinear-optical coefficient (d/sub eff/=75 pm/V) and broad IR optical transparency (2-12 /spl mu/m) favor a variety of nonlinear optical applications of ZGP, including OPOs and OPGs. We report on an efficient ZGP OPO with unprecedented tunability of 3.8-12.4 /spl mu/m, having narrow (less than 0.5 cm/sup -1/) linewidth and less than 1 mJ pump threshold, which can be a basis for a new spectroscopic tool.

Keywords

germanium compounds; infrared sources; optical frequency conversion; optical parametric oscillators; optical tuning; ternary semiconductors; zinc compounds; 3.8 to 12.4 micron; ZnGeP/sub 2/; efficient optical parametric oscillator; high nonlinear-optical coefficient; idler beam energy; narrow linewidth; nonlinear optical crystals; pump laser; singly resonant configuration; wide tunability; Absorption; Crystals; Frequency conversion; Mirrors; Nonlinear optics; Optical pumping; Optical resonators; Oscillators; Pump lasers; Spectroscopy;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Lasers and Electro-Optics, 2000. (CLEO 2000). Conference on

Conference_Location

San Francisco, CA, USA

Print_ISBN

1-55752-634-6

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/CLEO.2000.906669

Filename

906669