Fiber-laser-based, high-repetition-rate, picosecond ultraviolet source tunable across 329-348 nm.

Abstract

We report a compact, fiber-laser-based, high-repetition-rate picosecond source for the ultraviolet (UV), providing multi-tens of milliwatt of average power across 329-348 nm. The source is based on internal sum-frequency-generation (SFG) in a singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (OPO), synchronously pumped at 532 nm by the second harmonic of a picosecond Yb-fiber laser at 80 MHz repetition rate. Using a 30-mm-long single-grating MgO:sPPLT crystal for the OPO and a 5-mm-long BiB3O6 crystal for intracavity SFG, we generate up to 115 mW of average UV power at 339.9 nm, with >50 mW over 73% of the tuning range, for 1.6 W of input pump power. The UV output exhibits a passive rms power stability of ∼2.9% rms over 1 min and 6.5% rms over 2 h in high beam quality. Angular acceptance bandwidth and cavity detuning effects have also been studied.