1.95  μm-pumped OP-GaAs optical parametric oscillator with 10.6  μm idler wavelength

We report on an optical parametric oscillator that generates output idler wavelengths around 10.6 μm. On the basis of orientation-patterned gallium arsenide (OP-GaAs) as a nonlinear medium and a 1.95 μm ns-pulsed pump laser, a signal-resonant bow-tie resonator was designed in order to maximize the output power at moderate intensities well below the damage threshold of the optical components. With this setup, the average idler output power at 50 kHz and 100 ns idler pulse length was more than 800 mW, which corresponds to a pulse energy of 16 μJ. The maximum quantum conversion efficiency of 36.8% is the highest value measured so far for comparable setups to the best of our knowledge.