Widely tunable optical parametric oscillator with electrical wavelength control.

Area of Science:

• Nonlinear Optics
• Laser Physics

Background:

• Lithium niobate (LiNbO3) optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) are crucial for generating tunable laser light.
• Broad phase-matching curves in OPOs enable wide wavelength generation.
• Precise wavelength control is essential for various spectroscopic and photonic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a tunable lithium niobate optical parametric oscillator (OPO) with broad spectral output.
• To investigate the control of emission wavelength using an electrically tunable Fabry-Perot interferometer.
• To achieve wide wavelength tuning without mechanical adjustments like crystal rotation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a lithium niobate (LiNbO3) crystal within an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) cavity.
• Pumped the OPO at a wavelength of 930 nm.
• Incorporated an electrically tunable Fabry-Perot interferometer into the OPO cavity for wavelength selection.

Main Results:

• The OPO exhibited a wide phase-matching curve, producing broad linewidths for both signal (1480-1800 nm) and idler (1950-2550 nm) pulses.
• The signal wavelength was electrically tuned across the range of 1450-1850 nm.
• Wavelength tuning was achieved without the need for crystal rotation, demonstrating precise electrical control.

Conclusions:

• The developed lithium niobate OPO offers a wide tuning range for tunable laser generation.
• Electrical tuning via a Fabry-Perot interferometer provides a robust method for controlling OPO output wavelengths.
• This technology is promising for applications requiring broadly tunable and precisely controlled laser sources.