Compact, actively Q-switched optical parametric oscillator.
An ultracompact, actively Q -switched optical parametric oscillator (OPO) has been realized that is only 30 mm in length, based on a semimonolithic microchip laser, a quadrupole deflector, and a monolithic periodically poled lithium niobate crystal. The OPO threshold was 550 mW when Nd:YAG was used as the gain material and 590 mW for Nd:Y VO(4), giving signal pulses of as much as 8.7 muJ in energy with Nd:YAG at 1 kHz and 5.9-muJ pulses with Nd:Y VO(4) at 5 kHz, for 1.2- and 2-W laser diode pumping, respectively. The output was single frequency and could be tuned over the range 1540-3440 nm.
Conroy
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J. F. Allen Physics Research Laboratories, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS, Scotland, UK.
Rae
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Dunn
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Sinclair
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BD
Ley
J M
JM