Compact efficient optical parametric generator internal to a Q-switched Nd:YVO_4 laser with periodically poled MgO:LiNbO_3

This paper demonstrates a compact efficient optical parametric generator internal to a Q-switched dlode-endpumped Nd：YVO4 laser with periodically poled MgO：LiNbO3（PPMgLN）. With the Q-switch set at a repetition rate of 25kHz and the PPMgLN crystal operated at room temperature （25℃）, the intracavity optical parametric generator threshold was reached as a diode pump power of 0.9 W. A maximum signal output power of 0.34 W with a pulse width of 25 ns and a beam quality factor of 1.4 was obtained at an incident diode power of 3.4 W, leading to a conversion efficiency of 10% with a slope efficiency of 14.4%. By varying the crystal temperature from 25 to 200℃, the output signal wavelengths were tuned in range of 1506-1565 nm. Over a 30-minutes interval, the instability of the signal power was measured to be less than 1%. In addition, the threshold pump intensity for the intracavity optical parametric generator is theoretically investigated, and the obtained result is in good agreement with the experimental results.

A tunable optical parametric generator by using a quasi-phase-matched crystal with different wedge angles

We report a tunable quasi-phase-matched optical parametric generator （OPG） with different wedge angles, pumped by a commercially available Q-switched diode-pumped Nd：YVO4 laser with a repetition of 50 kHz. The nonlinear crystal is a periodically poled MgO-doped LiNbO3 （PPMgOLN） with a period of 30 μm. A congruent bulk LiNbO3 （LN） with three different wedge angles of 0°, 4°, and 9° is placed in front of PPMgOLN. Rapid tuning has been achieved by simply moving the LN crystal along its lateral direction and over 60-mW average signal output power was obtained in the whole wavelength tuning range of 1539-1570 nm.

A periodically poled LiNbO_3 optical parametric generator in wavelength conversion from 2 to 3.88——4.34 μm

A periodically poled lithium niobate （PPLN） optical parametric generator （OPG） pumped by a laser diode （LD）-pumped Q-switched Tm,Ho：GdVO4 laser operated at 2.048 μm with pump pulse of 25 ns and repetition rate of 10 kHz is reported. A continuous tunable middle-infrared （mid-IR） spectrum of 3.88 - 4.34 μm is obtained by changing the crystal temperature from 50 to 124℃. When the incident pump power is 3 W, the total OPG output power is 95 mW, corresponding to optical conversion efficiency of 3.2%.

Red Laser-Induced Domain Inversion in MgO-Doped Lithium Niobate Crystals

A laser beam at wavelength 647nm is focused on a sample of 5mol% MgO-doped lithium niobate crystal for domain inversion by a conventional external electric field. In this case, a reduction of 36% in the electric field required for domain nucleation （nucleation field） is observed. To the best of our knowledge, it is the longest wavelength reported for laser-induced domain inversion. This extends the spectrum of laser inducing, and the experimental results are helpful to understand the nucleation dynamics under laser illumination. The dependence of nucleation fields on intensities of laser beams is analysed in experiments.