Rapidly tunable HIP treated Cr:ZnSe narrow-linewidth laser

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Mid-infrared (mid-IR) lasers are crucial for spectroscopy and sensing.
• Achieving tunable, narrow-linewidth mid-IR lasers without mechanical components remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate purely electronic tuning of a Cr:ZnSe laser using an organic liquid crystal etalon.
• To achieve wide wavelength tuning range with a narrow linewidth in the mid-IR spectrum.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a hot isostatic treated Cr:ZnSe laser system.
• Employed a novel organic liquid crystal etalon with a 9 THz free spectral range for intracavity tuning.
• Applied a 1 kHz square wave voltage (1-5 Vpp) for continuous electronic tuning.

Main Results:

• Achieved a total wavelength tuning range of 195 nm, from 2455 nm to 2650 nm.
• Maintained an intrinsic narrow linewidth of ≤ 900 MHz throughout the tuning range.
• Recorded a maximum average output power of 475 mW at 2503 nm.
• Demonstrated low insertion loss (≤ 5%) for the liquid crystal etalon.

Conclusions:

• Successfully demonstrated the first purely electronic tuning of a mid-IR laser using an organic liquid crystal etalon.
• The developed method offers a promising approach for compact, tunable mid-IR laser sources.