US 8,599,474 B1Granted

Alignment and optimization of a synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator for nonlinear optical generation

AssigneeMicrotech Instruments, Inc.

InventorsVladimir G Kozlov, Walter C. Hurlbut

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Abstract

A synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator (OPO) comprises a nonlinear optical medium positioned in an optical resonator (e.g., a ring resonator) and is pumped by a pump laser source. A first arrangement includes a positioning mechanism for translating the nonlinear optical medium so OPO resonant modes propagate through one of multiple longitudinal regions arranged for differing odd orders of quasi-phase-matching. A second arrangement includes a pump fiber laser oscillator stretched to adjust its repetition rate to match that of the OPO. A third arrangement includes a time-domain-multiplexer (TDM) fiber loop between a pump fiber laser oscillator and fiber laser amplification stage(s). The TDM loop increases the pump repetition rate to enable increased average pump power without increased peak power.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

an optical resonator comprising two or more mirrors arranged to support one or more resonant optical modes at a specified signal wavelength or a specified idler wavelength;
a nonlinear optical medium positioned within the resonator and arranged to provide optical parametric gain at the specified signal and idler wavelengths when optically pumped at a specified pump wavelength;
and
a positioning mechanism arranged to translate the nonlinear optical medium in a transverse direction relative to a longitudinal direction of propagation of the resonant optical modes through the nonlinear optical medium,
wherein:
the nonlinear optical medium comprises a nonlinear optical material arranged for odd-order, quasi-phase-matched optical parametric conversion of radiation at the specified pump wavelength into radiation at the specified signal and idler wavelengths;
the nonlinear optical medium comprises two or more transversely distinct, longitudinally extending regions within the medium;
at least one of the regions differs from that of another of the regions with respect to their respective odd orders of quasi-phase-matching of the optical parametric conversion;
and
the positioning mechanism is arranged to translate the nonlinear optical medium so that the resonant optical modes propagate through any chosen one among two or more of the regions.

7 more elements

A method comprising:

arranging an optical resonator comprising two or more mirrors to support one or more resonant optical modes at a specified signal wavelength or a specified idler wavelength;
positioning a nonlinear optical medium within the resonator, which nonlinear optical medium is arranged to provide optical parametric gain at the specified signal and idler wavelengths when optically pumped at a specified pump wavelength, wherein (i) the nonlinear optical medium comprises a nonlinear optical material arranged for odd-order quasi-phase-matched optical parametric conversion of radiation at the specified pump wavelength into radiation at the specified signal and idler wavelengths, (ii) the nonlinear optical medium comprises two or more distinct longitudinal regions arranged transversely within the medium, and (iii) at least one of the longitudinal regions differs from that of another of the longitudinal regions with respect to their respective odd orders of quasi-phase-matching of the optical parametric conversion;
and
translating the nonlinear optical medium in a transverse direction relative to a longitudinal direction of propagation of the resonant optical modes through the nonlinear optical medium so that the resonant optical modes propagate through a chosen one among two or more of the longitudinal regions.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.