Thermal Effects in High-Power Continuous-Wave Single-Pass Second Harmonic Generation

Abstract

We present a theoretical model which describes the effects of thermal load distribution on single-pass second harmonic generation (SP-SHG) of high-power continuous-wave (cw) radiation in MgO:sPPLT nonlinear crystal to provide green output at 532 nm. Numerical simulations are performed based on real practical values and actual operating conditions associated with a recent SP-SHG experiment, generating 10 W of cw green radiation using a Yb-fiber laser. The model is used for four oven configurations to simulate the implications of thermal effects on SH power. The observed asymmetric feature of the phase-matching curves, particularly at higher fundamental powers up to 50 W, are characterized and explained by considering the generation of heat due to crystal absorption. The concept of optical path difference (OPD) is introduced to study the formation of thermal lens and its effects on the displacement of focal point inside the thermally loaded crystal. We further study the dependence of the SH power on the different oven schemes by increasing the input fundamental power up to 50 W. It is found that a top-sinked oven design is the optimum configuration for achieving maximum SHG efficiency without saturation. Comparison of the simulation results with experimental data confirms the validity of the theoretical model.