title: Synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillation in periodically poled lithium niobate with 1-w average output power.
abstract: We report on a rugged all-solid-state laser source of near-IR radiation in the range of 1461-1601 nm based on a high-power Nd:YVO(4) laser that is mode locked by a semiconductor saturable Bragg reflector as the pump source of a synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator with a periodically poled lithium niobate crystal. The system produces 34-ps pulses with a high repetition rate of 235 MHz and an average output power of 1 W. The relatively long pulses lead to wide cavity detuning tolerances. The comparatively narrow spectral bandwidth of <15 GHz is suitable for applications such as pollutant detection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Applied Physics, University of Strathclyde, John Anderson Building, 107 Rottenrow, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom. thomas.graf@iap.unibe.ch
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McConnell
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bente
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Dawson