Doubly resonant continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator pumped by a single-mode diode laser

Area of Science:

• Nonlinear Optics
• Laser Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Continuous-wave optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) are crucial for generating tunable coherent light.
• Periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) is a key material for efficient nonlinear frequency conversion.
• Diode laser pumping offers a compact and efficient method for OPO operation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the performance of a doubly resonant continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator (OPO).
• To investigate the tuning capabilities and output power of the OPO.
• To evaluate the impact of different pumping sources on OPO performance.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a PPLN-based doubly resonant OPO.
• Employed a 100-mW single-mode diode laser at 810 nm for pumping.
• Investigated tuning via crystal temperature, pump wavelength, and grating period.
• Compared performance with a 400-mW injection-locked broad-area diode laser.

Main Results:

• Achieved low pump power thresholds as low as 16 mW.
• Demonstrated wavelength tuning from 1.15-1.25 µm (signal) and 2.31-2.66 µm (idler).
• Obtained up to 5 mW signal output with the single-mode diode pump.
• Achieved up to 39 mW signal output with the broad-area diode laser pump.

Conclusions:

• The PPLN-based doubly resonant OPO exhibits efficient performance with diode laser pumping.
• Tunable output across significant wavelength ranges is achievable by controlling key parameters.
• Higher pump power leads to substantially increased signal output.