Abstract
Optical parametric oscillators are versatile devices for generating a tunable coherent radiation from an incident laser beam. They rely on nonlinear frequency conversion to cover spectral ranges that are poorly or not covered by direct laser emission. This article presents a short overview of the optical parametric oscillators principles of operation, main implementations and related applications.
Highlights
Despite the various developments of wavelength tunable lasers, their spectral coverage remains incomplete, especially when a high peak power is required
The parametric gain is proportional to the power density of the pump wave inside the nonlinear medium, and to the square of the nonlinear coefficient deff, which depends on the crystal, the direction of propagation, the wavelengths, and the type of phase matching
In doubly resonant optical parametric oscillator (OPO), a very efficient filter can be synthetized by combining the Fabry-Perot responses of signal and idler cavities of different optical lengths, a technique referred as nonlinear Vernier-effect spectral filtering [4]
Summary
Despite the various developments of wavelength tunable lasers, their spectral coverage remains incomplete, especially when a high peak power is required. An efficient energy transfer requires that the waves propagating along the crystal are in phase with the nonlinear polarization generating them. The parametric gain is proportional to the power density (in W/cm2) of the pump wave inside the nonlinear medium, and to the square of the nonlinear coefficient deff, which depends on the crystal, the direction of propagation, the wavelengths, and the type of phase matching.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.