MgO:PPLN/Fe:ZnSe hybrid tunable burst-mode MOPA laser system

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Middle infrared (mid-IR) lasers are crucial for spectroscopy and sensing.
• Developing tunable, high-energy pulsed laser systems remains a key challenge.
• Master Oscillator Power Amplifier (MOPA) architectures offer a route to high-power laser generation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a novel tunable mid-IR burst-mode MOPA laser system.
• To demonstrate the performance of a MgO-doped periodically poled lithium niobate (MgO:PPLN) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) as the master oscillator.
• To showcase the amplification capabilities of a Fe:ZnSe amplifier for mid-IR laser bursts.

Main Methods:

• A tunable burst-mode MgO:PPLN OPO was employed as the master oscillator.
• The OPO generated tunable mid-IR pulses with a ~17 ns pulse width.
• A Fe:ZnSe amplifier, cooled by liquid nitrogen, was used for power amplification.

Main Results:

• The MgO:PPLN OPO achieved tunable output from 3.76 to 4.05 µm.
• Laser bursts with energies up to 322.5 µJ were generated at 3.76 µm.
• The Fe:ZnSe amplifier boosted burst energies to 1.32 mJ, 1.79 mJ, and 1.96 mJ at 3.76 µm, 3.92 µm, and 4.05 µm, respectively.

Conclusions:

• The developed mid-IR burst-mode MOPA laser system is tunable and capable of high energy output.
• The system demonstrates efficient OPO generation and subsequent power amplification in a Fe:ZnSe medium.
• This technology holds promise for applications requiring high-energy, tunable mid-IR radiation.