title: Improving the efficiency of an optical parametric oscillator by tailoring the pump pulse shape.
abstract: The conversion efficiency of an optical parametric oscillator is reduced by energy consumption during build-up of signal and idler intensities and due to back-conversion effects. By tailoring the pump pulse temporal shape, we are able to improve the conversion efficiency by minimizing build-up time and back-conversion. Simulations predict a significant improvement in 1064 nm to 4000 nm idler conversion by using a double-rectangular temporal shape rather than using a simple Gaussian pulse. Experimental results qualitatively verify the effect resulting in a 20% improvement of a rectangular pulse over a Gaussian pulse.
authors.affiliation: Elbit Systems El Op, PO Box 1165, Rehovot 76111, Israel. zachary.sacks@elbitsystems.com
authors.forename: Zachary
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sacks
authors.forename: Ofer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gayer
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tal
authors.forename: Ady
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arie