Limits to the NEP of an intracavity LiNbO(3) upconverter.
Limits to low noise equivalent power (NEP) operation of a lithium niobate upconverter are investigated. Upconversion is achieved inside the optical cavity of an Ar-ion laser. Limits to NEP are imposed by limits to conversion efficiency and by noise present in the upconversion process. Conversion efficiency is limited y thermal effects in the lithium niobate. Thermally induced wedging, focusing, and aberrations are caused by the lithium niobate absorption at the 514.5-nm argon pump wavelength. The primary component of noise in the upconverter is due to upconversion of thermal radiation from the lithium niobate crystal. The lowest NEP, at lambda = 3.4,microm, achieved in this study was 8.9 x 10(-14) W/Hz(1/2).
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Guha
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Falk
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