US 5,912,910 A · High power pumped mid-IR wavelength systems using nonlinear frequency mixing (NFM) devices

Abstract

Laser diode pumped mid-IR wavelength systems include at least one high power, near-IR wavelength, injection and/or sources wherein one or both of such sources may be tunable providing a pump wave output beam to a quasi-phase matched (QPM) nonlinear frequency mixing (NFM) device. The NFM device may be a difference frequency mixing (DFM) device or an optical parametric oscillation (OPO) device. Wavelength tuning of at least one of the sources advantageously provides the ability for optimizing pump or injection wavelengths to match the QPM properties of the NFM device enabling a broad range of mid-IR wavelength selectivity. Also, pump powers are gain enhanced by the addition of a rare earth amplifier or oscillator, or a Raman/Brillouin amplifier or oscillator between the high power source and the NFM device. Further, polarization conversion using Raman or Brillouin wavelength shifting is provided to optimize frequency conversion efficiency in the NFM device.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A mid-IR tunable frequency system comprising:

a first semiconductor gain source having a first tunable near-IR frequency range of about 780 nm to about 980 nm for providing a first near-IR frequency output within the first tunable range;
means to tune said first semiconductor gain source to a first near-IR frequency;
a second semiconductor gain source having a second tunable near-IR frequency range of about 1,000 nm to about 1,150 nm for providing a second near-IR frequency output within the second tunable range;
means to tune said second semiconductor gain source to a second near-IR frequency;
means for optically combining said first and second near-IR frequency outputs;
and
a nonlinear frequency mixing device comprising a QPM nonlinear crystal coupled to receive said first and second combined outputs as an input and produce an output beam having an output frequency selectable within a mid-IR frequency range extending from about 2 .mu.m to about 5 .mu.m.

4 more elements

A mid-IR tunable frequency system comprising:

a first semiconductor gain source for providing a first near-IR frequency output;
a second semiconductor gain source for providing a second near-IR frequency output;
means to tune at least one of said semiconductor gain sources to a near-IR frequency within a range of tunable near-IR frequencies;
means for optically combining said first and second near-IR frequency outputs;
and
a nonlinear frequency mixing device comprising a QPM nonlinear crystal coupled to receive said first and second combined outputs as an input, said nonlinear frequency mixing device further comprising a plurality of selectable quasi-phase matching periods;
and
means to select one of said quasi-phase matching periods in combination with frequency output selection via said at least one semiconductor gain source to produce an output frequency selectable within a mid-IR frequency range extending from about 2 .mu.m to about 5 .mu.m.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

High power pumped mid-IR wavelength systems using nonlinear frequency mixing (NFM) devices

Life of this patent

High power pumped mid-IR wavelength systems using nonlinear frequency mixing (NFM) devices

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30