Optical parametric generation in 2-mum-wavelength-pumped periodically poled LiNbO(3)

An optical parametric generator based on periodically poled LiNbO(3) and pumped by a 2.051-mum-wavelength laser has been demonstrated. Pump pulses of 50-ns duration of 50-Hz repetition frequency were converted into signal and idler pulses in the 3.4-5.2-mum wavelength range in a double-pass pump configuration by a 5-cm-long quasi-phase-matched crystal. An average pump power of 180 mW generated 30-mW average signal power at 3.64-mum wavelength, corresponding to 16.7% signal conversion efficiency.