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Updated: Jun 11, 2026
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Quantum State Engineering of Light with Continuous-wave Optical Parametric Oscillators
Published on: May 30, 2014
Pump-tunable continuous-wave singly resonant optical parametric oscillator from 2.5 to 4.4 microm
Mikael Siltanen1, Markku Vainio, Lauri Halonen
1Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, (A.I. Virtasen aukio 1), University of Helsinki, Finland.
Optics Express
|July 1, 2010
Summary
A tunable optical parametric oscillator generates mid-infrared power. This laser system offers rapid wavelength tuning and scanning for spectroscopic applications, demonstrated with ammonia gas.
Area of Science:
- Laser physics
- Spectroscopy
- Mid-infrared optics
Background:
- Optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) are crucial for generating tunable laser light.
- Mid-infrared (MIR) light sources are valuable for molecular spectroscopy.
- Widely tunable pump lasers enable broad tuning ranges in OPOs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a continuous-wave (CW) singly resonant OPO.
- To utilize a tunable titanium-doped sapphire (Ti:Sapphire) ring laser as the pump source.
- To demonstrate the spectroscopic capabilities of the developed OPO system.
Main Methods:
- Constructed a CW singly resonant OPO.
- Employed a widely tunable Ti:Sapphire ring laser for pumping.
- Investigated wavelength tuning and scanning characteristics.
- Measured photoacoustic absorption spectrum of ammonia (NH3).
Main Results:
- Achieved up to 0.8 W of MIR power output.
- Demonstrated rapid wavelength tuning from 2.5–3.5 µm and 3.4–4.4 µm.
- Showcased mode-hop-free scanning up to 40 GHz by adjusting pump wavelength.
- Successfully measured parts of the NH3 photoacoustic absorption spectrum near 3196 cm−1.
Conclusions:
- The Ti:Sapphire-pumped OPO provides a versatile and tunable MIR light source.
- The system exhibits excellent tuning and scanning capabilities for spectroscopic analysis.
- This OPO is well-suited for various mid-infrared spectroscopic applications.
