Kilohertz allsolid-state picosecond lithium triborate optical parametric generator

An all-solid-state picosecond optical parametric generation system that uses a single-pass noncritically phase-matched lithium triborate crystal is demonstrated. We have achieved > 20% total conversion from lambda = 532 nm (pump) to lambda = 800 nm (signal) and 1.6 microm (idler) with a pulse width of ~15 ps and average power of 200 mW at a repetition rate of 3 kHz (~50 microJ/signal pulse). Frequency tuning from <750 nm to >1.8 microm is achieved by temperature tuning of the lithium triborate.