Tunable, high-energy, mid-infrared, picosecond optical parametric generator based on CdSiP2

Area of Science:

• Nonlinear optics
• Laser physics
• Materials science

Background:

• Optical parametric generators (OPGs) are crucial for tunable light sources.
• Cadmium silicon phosphide (CdSiP2) is a promising nonlinear material for OPGs.
• High-energy, tunable sources are needed for various scientific applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a tunable, high-energy, single-pass optical parametric generator (OPG) using cadmium silicon phosphide (CdSiP2).
• To characterize the performance of the CdSiP2-based OPG in terms of energy, tunability, and pulse characteristics.
• To explore the potential of CdSiP2 as a nonlinear material for generating high-energy optical pulses.

Main Methods:

• A single-pass optical parametric generator (OPG) was constructed using cadmium silicon phosphide (CdSiP2) as the nonlinear medium.
• The OPG was pumped by a diode-pumped Nd:YAG oscillator and amplified to 2.5 mJ.
• Temperature tuning was employed to achieve wavelength tunability in the signal and idler outputs.

Main Results:

• The OPG demonstrated temperature tunability over 1263-1286 nm (signal) and 6153-6731 nm (idler).
• Signal pulse energy as high as 636 µJ at 1283 nm and idler pulse energy of 33 µJ at 6234 nm were achieved.
• Generated signal pulses had durations of 24 ps with a spectral bandwidth of 10.4 nm.

Conclusions:

• Cadmium silicon phosphide (CdSiP2) is an effective nonlinear material for high-energy, tunable optical parametric generation.
• The single-pass OPG configuration provides a practical method for generating high-energy signal and idler pulses.
• This work highlights the potential of CdSiP2 for developing advanced tunable light sources in the infrared spectrum.