High power and efficient long wave IR ZnGeP2 parametric oscillator

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Technology
• Nonlinear Optics

Background:

• Development of efficient and tunable laser sources is crucial for spectroscopy and remote sensing.
• Optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) offer tunability but often require specific pump sources.
• Mid-infrared (8-10 microm) laser generation is challenging yet important for many scientific applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a high-power, efficient, and tunable laser source in the 8-10 microm range.
• To utilize a zinc germanium phosphide (ZnGeP2) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) pumped by a hybrid laser.
• To optimize the performance of the OPO system for practical applications.

Main Methods:

• A hybrid laser system was constructed, comprising a Q-switched Ho:YAG laser.
• The Ho:YAG laser was pumped by a 15 W continuous-wave (CW) thulium fiber laser.
• A ZnGeP2 OPO utilizing two walk-off compensating crystals was employed for mid-infrared generation.

Main Results:

• A tunable laser source in the 8-10 microm range was successfully demonstrated.
• With 8.9 W of 2.1 microm pump power, 0.95 W of output power at 8 microm was achieved.
• The generated beam exhibited an M(2)-value of 2.7, indicating good beam quality.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully demonstrated a high-power, efficient, and tunable mid-infrared laser source.
• The ZnGeP2 OPO pumped by a hybrid 2.1 microm laser is a viable approach for generating radiation in the 8-10 microm range.
• The system's performance suggests potential for applications requiring tunable mid-infrared radiation.