Spectrotemporal dynamics of a picosecond OPO based on chirped quasi-phase-matching (original) (raw)

Self and cross-modulation effects in a synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator

Journal of The Optical Society of America B-optical Physics, 2002

Self-and cross-phase modulation in a synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator (SPOPO) was investigated both theoretically and experimentally. Cubic nonlinearity, group-velocity walk-off, group-velocity dispersion, quadratic broadening, and parametric interaction with depletion and backconversion were included in the theoretical investigation. It was found that asymmetry of the spectrally broadened SPOPO pulses is caused by cross-phase modulation introduced by the pump pulses. Experimental studies of the effects of pumping intensity and cavity detuning on spectral broadening and pulse compression were performed. Excellent agreement between numerical and experimental results was found in the giant-pulse-compression mode of operation. A train of 1.7-ps pulses at 527 nm synchronously pumped the SPOPO based on KDP with type II phase matching.

Temporal Simultons in Optical Parametric Oscillators

Physical review letters, 2018

We report the first demonstration of a regime of operation in optical parametric oscillators (OPOs), in which the formation of temporal simultons produces stable femtosecond half-harmonic pulses. Simultons are simultaneous bright-dark solitons of a signal field at frequency ω and the pump field at 2ω, which form in a quadratic nonlinear medium. The formation of simultons in an OPO is due to the interplay of nonlinear pulse acceleration with the timing mismatch between the pump repetition period and the cold-cavity round-trip time and is evidenced by sech^{2} spectra with broad instantaneous bandwidths when the resonator is detuned to a slightly longer round-trip time than the pump repetition period. We provide a theoretical description of an OPO operating in a regime dominated by these dynamics, observe the distinct features of simulton formation in an experiment, and verify our results with numerical simulations. These results represent a new regime of operation in nonlinear resona...

Advances in Ultrafast and Continuous-Wave Optical Parametric Oscillators

Effective strategies for the generation of widely tunable coherent radiation in the visible and ultraviolet using synchronously-pumped and continuous-wave (CW) optical parametric oscillators are described. Spectral regions from 250 to 710 nm are accessed and output powers of hundreds of milliwatts with him spectral, temporal and spatial beam quality are obtained in ultrafast femtosecond and CW operation.

Spatiotemporal structures in the internally pumped optical parametric oscillator

Physical Review A, 2001

We analyze pattern formation in doubly resonant second-harmonic generation in the presence of a competing parametric process, also named the internally pumped optical parametric oscillator. Different scenarios are established where either the up-or down-conversion processes dominate the spatiotemporal behavior. The possibility of obtaining exact solutions above threshold for the parametric oscillation process allows detailed analytical investigations of the parametric instability, that are supplemented by numerical analysis. We identify secondary instabilities that lead to formation of negative patterns and gray solitons. Estimates of the thresholds for pattern formation under experimentally relevant conditions are given.

Characterization and applications of high repetition rate, broadly tunable, femtosecond optical parametric oscillators

IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 1995

In this paper, we review recent advances in optical parametric oscillators, with particular emphasis on high repetition rate, femtosecond optical parametric oscillators. We present results for several of these systems, and show that they offer a unique combination of short pulse durations, high average powers, high repetition rates, and broad tunability which have not been previously available from a single source. We conclude by looking at some applkations in the field of ultrafast semiconductor spectroscopy, some of which are only now possible because of the femtosecond optical parametric oscillator. It is, therefore, apparent that this unique device offers greater flexibility than previously available sources, and will enable many new and novel experiments in many areas of science and technology.

Design, optimization, and characterization of a narrow-bandwidth optical parametric oscillator

Journal of the Optical Society of America B, 1999

The design, optimization, and performance of a narrow-bandwidth high-repetition-rate singly resonant picosecond optical parametric oscillator, based on a noncritical phase-matched lithium triborate crystal and synchronously pumped by the second harmonic of a mode-locked Nd:YLF laser, is described. The spectral bandwidth of the signal output is reduced with an intracavity birefringent filter to 0.06 nm. Furthermore, the filter allowed fast scanning of the output wavelength within the phase-matching bandwidth. A maximum average signal output of 1.6 W in pulses with a duration of 22 ps was obtained when the optical parametric oscillator was pumped four times above threshold with a 4-W pump source. With the present mirror set the signal and the idler wavelengths were tunable from, respectively, 740 to 930 nm and 1220 to 1830 nm. The total external power conversion efficiency was better than 55%.

Compact, single-frequency, doubly resonant optical parametric oscillator pumped in an achromatic phase-adapted double-pass geometry

Optics Letters, 2011

We report on a nested-cavity, doubly resonant optical parametric oscillator (NesCOPO) architecture for widely tunable, mid-IR, single-frequency generation. By use of an achromatic phase-adapted double-pass pumping scheme, this new, low-threshold, semimonolithic architecture only requires two free-standing cavity mirrors and a nonlinear crystal with a mirror coating deposited on its input facet while the other facet is antireflection coated. It is thus as simple and compact as any basic linear optical parametric oscillator cavity, is easily tunable, and displays low sensitivity to mechanical vibrations. Using a high-repetition-rate (4.8 kHz) microlaser as the pump source of the NesCOPO, we demonstrate a compact source that provides pulsed, stable single-frequency output over a wide spectral range (3.8-4.3 μm) with a high peak power (up to 50 W), which are properties well suited for practical gas sensing applications.

Numerical study and experimental results for a synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator in the saturation regime

Journal of the Optical Society of America B, 1997

Synchronous pumping of an optical parametric oscillator with picosecond pump pulses yields intense, tunable femtosecond pulses. The important parameters of the parametric process in the saturation regime are demonstrated by numerical calculations and compared with experimental results. Some numerical results on Kerr-lens mode locking of an optical parametric oscillator are also presented. © 1997 Optical Society of America [S0740-3224 01202-2] 454