Compact efficient passively Q-switched Nd:GdVO4/PPLN/Cr4+:YAG tunable intracavity optical parametric oscillator

Area of Science:

• Nonlinear optics
• Laser physics
• Solid-state lasers

Background:

• Diode-pumped solid-state lasers are crucial for various applications.
• Optical Parametric Oscillators (OPOs) offer tunable wavelength generation.
• Improving OPO stability and efficiency is an ongoing research area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a compact and efficient diode-pumped passively Q-switched intracavity optical parametric oscillator (OPO).
• To investigate the performance of a shared-resonator configuration compared to conventional coupled-resonator designs.
• To achieve high average and peak power output with enhanced amplitude stability.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Nd:GdVO4 laser crystal as the gain medium.
• Employed Cr4+:YAG as the saturable absorber for passive Q-switching.
• Integrated a Periodically Poled Lithium Niobate (PPLN) crystal for parametric down-conversion.
• Implemented a shared-resonator configuration for the intracavity OPO.

Main Results:

• The shared-resonator configuration demonstrated superior amplitude stability over coupled-resonator designs.
• Achieved an average output power exceeding 900 mW at a diode pump power of 15 W.
• Observed a pulse repetition rate of 36 kHz.
• The output pulses exhibited mode-locking, resulting in a maximum peak power greater than 20 kW.

Conclusions:

• The compact, diode-pumped, passively Q-switched intracavity OPO with a shared-resonator is highly efficient and stable.
• This configuration offers a promising approach for generating high-power, tunable laser sources.
• The observed mode-locking phenomenon further enhances the peak power capabilities of the OPO system.