Synchronously-Pumped Picosecond Raman Laser at 1169 and 1222 nm with Single and Combined Raman Mode Shifts in a Ca3(VO4)2 Crystal

Abstract

Research of novel efficient nonlinear materials for stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) are important for development of Raman lasers emitting in new spectral ranges with improvement of the overall laser characteristics, especially temporal self-compression and increasing the output power. Method of synchronous pumping of extracavity crystalline Raman lasers allowed to obtain efficient ultra-fast SRS lasing in case of picosecond and even femtosecond pumping in spite of a low Raman gain due to transient regime of the SRS [1,2]. It also opens new possibilities to expand a number of usable Raman-active crystals and a number of its Raman modes having a relatively low gain due to strong broadening of lines in spontaneous Raman spectrum. Extracavity-pumped SRS lasing on broadened Raman modes is interesting because of the possibility of strong pulse shortening down to the inverse linewidth of the broadened Raman mode [2].