Tunable mid-infrared wavelength converter using cascaded parametric oscillators
AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Corporation
InventorHiroshi Komine
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Abstract
This invention converts the fixed wavelength of a laser beam into a multiplicity of spectral output beams. The conversion process is achieved by means of an arrangement of nonlinear optical crystals in which parametric interaction generates a pair of tunable output beams in each crystal. The arrangement utilizes two stages of sequential (cascaded) parametric conversion which produces output radiation in the 2 to 5 micrometer spectral region from a laser with an output wavelength of 1 micrometer.
Claims13
An apparatus for converting a fixed wavelength of a light beam into a plurality of spectral output beams, said apparatus comprising:
- a first nonlinear optical crystal that is pumped by the light beam and in which parametric interaction near the NCPM condition generates a first output beam and a second output beam from the pumped light beam;
- a second nonlinear optical crystal that is coupled to the first output beam and the second output beam and in which parametric interaction near the NCPM condition of said second crystal generates a third output beam and a fourth output beam from the first output beam and the second output beam, whereby the second, third, and fourth output beams produce radiation in the 2 to 5 micrometer spectral region;
- and,
- first resonator means that is coupled to said first nonlinear optical crystal for tuning the first and second output beams.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.