Optical parametric generation of a mid-infrared continuum in orientation-patterned GaAs.
We have generated an ultrabroad mid-infrared continuum by using single-pass optical parametric generation (OPG) in orientation-patterned GaAs (OP-GaAs). The spectrum spans more than an octave, from 4.5 to 10.7 microm, measured 20 dB down from the peak. The 17.5 mm long, 0.5 mm thick, all-epitaxially-grown OP-GaAs sample with a 166.6-microm quasi-phase-matching period was pumped with 3.1-3.3 microm wavelength, 1 ps pulses up to 2 microJ in energy. The OPG threshold was observed at 55 nJ pump energy with the pump polarized along the [111] crystal direction. The slope efficiency near threshold was 51%, and the external conversion efficiency was as high as 15%.
Kuo
P S
PS
E. L. Ginzton Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA. pskuo@stanford.edu
Vodopyanov
K L
KL
Fejer
M M
MM
Simanovskii
D M
DM
Yu
X
X
Harris
J S
JS
Bliss
D
D
Weyburne
D
D