1.9-W cw ring-cavity KTP singly resonant optical parametric oscillator

Area of Science:

• Nonlinear optics
• Laser physics
• Solid-state devices

Background:

• Optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) are crucial for generating tunable laser light.
• Continuous-wave (CW) singly resonant OPOs (SROs) offer high efficiency but require stable, single-frequency operation.
• Potassium titanyl phosphate (KTiOPO4 or KTP) is a widely used nonlinear crystal for OPO applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate high-power, single-frequency operation of a CW KTP-based OPO.
• To investigate the performance of a ring-cavity configuration for OPO stability and output.
• To achieve efficient wavelength conversion using a readily available pump source.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a ring-cavity configuration for the singly resonant optical parametric oscillator.
• Employed a potassium titanyl phosphate (KTiOPO4) crystal as the nonlinear medium.
• Pumped the OPO with 532-nm radiation from a single-frequency, resonantly doubled Nd:YAG laser.

Main Results:

• Achieved continuous-wave, single-frequency operation of the KTP OPO.
• The ring SRO demonstrated a low threshold of 4.3 W.
• Generated 1.9 W of single-axial-mode output power at an idler wavelength of 1039 nm when pumped with 6.7 W.

Conclusions:

• The ring-cavity configuration enables high-power, single-frequency operation for KTP OPOs.
• Efficient idler wave generation was demonstrated, suitable for various spectroscopic applications.
• This work highlights the potential of KTP-based OPOs for generating stable, tunable laser sources.