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Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators
Published on: May 30, 2014
GaAs optical parametric oscillator with circularly polarized and depolarized pump
P S Kuo1, K L Vodopyanov, M M Fejer
1E L Ginzton Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. pskuo@stanford.edu
Optics Letters
|September 18, 2007
Summary
This study demonstrates a GaAs-based optical parametric oscillator (OPO) using various light polarizations. Circularly polarized light achieved a low OPO threshold, comparable to specific linear polarizations.
Area of Science:
- Nonlinear Optics
- Semiconductor Lasers
- Photonics
Background:
- Optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) are crucial for generating tunable laser light.
- Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) is a key semiconductor material for optoelectronic devices.
- Understanding pump polarization effects is vital for optimizing OPO performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the performance of a GaAs-based OPO under different pump light polarizations.
- To compare experimental OPO thresholds with theoretical predictions.
- To assess the impact of depolarized light on OPO threshold.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication and characterization of a GaAs-based optical parametric oscillator.
- Pumping the OPO with linearly polarized, circularly polarized, and pseudo-depolarized light.
- Measuring and comparing the OPO threshold for each polarization state.
Main Results:
- Experimental OPO thresholds closely matched theoretical expectations.
- Circularly polarized pump light yielded an OPO threshold comparable to [111]-linearly polarized light.
- A 22% increase in OPO threshold was observed for pseudo-depolarized light compared to [001]-linearly polarized light.
Conclusions:
- GaAs-based OPOs exhibit polarization-dependent threshold characteristics.
- Circular polarization offers an efficient pumping scheme for GaAs OPOs.
- Depolarized light leads to a moderate increase in OPO threshold, indicating robustness.
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