Improved efficiency of a pulsed optical parametric oscillator by delayed double-pass pump

Area of Science:

• Nonlinear Optics
• Laser Physics
• Quantum Optics

Background:

• Singly resonant optical parametric oscillators (SROs) are crucial for generating tunable laser light.
• Enhancing conversion efficiency in SROs is essential for practical applications.
• Intracavity-doubled SROs offer compact solutions for specific wavelength generation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of pump pulse delay on the conversion efficiency of an intracavity-doubled SRO.
• To experimentally validate the optimization of pump-SRO interaction for improved performance.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser to provide a 532 nm Q-switched pump source.
• Implemented an intracavity-doubled singly resonant optical parametric oscillator setup.
• Experimentally varied the delay of the second pump pass to find optimal conditions.

Main Results:

• Achieved a conversion efficiency of 17% for 488 nm output with 0.49 mJ pump energy.
• Demonstrated an 85% improvement in efficiency compared to a single-pass pump configuration.
• Showed a 40% efficiency enhancement over a double-pass pump with minimal delay.

Conclusions:

• Delaying the second pump pass in an SRO is a critical parameter for maximizing conversion efficiency.
• The optimized double-pass pumping scheme offers a significant performance boost for intracavity-doubled SROs.
• This technique provides a practical method for enhancing the output of parametric oscillators.